Worldview

 To recognize the worldview each of us holds is important. How was your worldview formed? How is it different from the worldview of others whom you know?

My worldview was formed first by my family life, especially as I was raised by my mother. School played a role from early in my life as well.  There was a belief in God in my life early on, although we didn’t attend church on a regular basis.  Another factor . in my world view is where I grew up – I am a product of an Appalachian culture. When I was in high school, a friend invited me to her church – that invitation opened up a world for me that I hadn’t experience before – regular church attendance in a United Methodist Church.  Studying science in college and graduate school also shaped my worldview. As an adult, my family – husband and two sons – as well as friends continue to impact my worldview.

I think my worldview is different from many because I was raised by my mother after she and my father divorced.  One sees the role of women differently when there is rarely a man in one’s home – it is easier for me to see women as equal to men with everyone able to define their roles in life. Marrying a man who has this same outlook helps, too. I think people raises in my part of the county have a view of family and community  support that isn’t the same as everyone’s.  Studying and working in the field of science creates a different kind of worldview, too.  I look for facts and data before I come to a conclusion while others don’t need that kind of input, and yet, because of my faith, I have a mind open to the presence and action of God.