How does my search for meaning impact on

others?
Religion as a Worldview
• A person's worldview is a way of thinking that provides structure, a
sense of purpose, guidance, motivation and meaning for one's life.
• A person's worldview reflects one's identity or sense of self, one's
relationships with the world and one's interpretation of life's events
and circumstances. 
• It is manifested in his or her behaviour and forms the central core of
life.
• https://secondary.understandingfaith.edu.au/search-for-meaning/01/
02/
Different world views….
Adolf Hitler
• Adolf Hitler (1889-1945) embraced a worldview that denied any personal God or
absolute moral standard.
• He believed that nothing existed beyond nature; survival in life required absolute
obedience to the laws of nature.
• Hitler believed that anything that advanced evolution was morally good, while
everything that hindered it was morally bad.
• Working out of his worldview, Hitler instigated World War II, exterminated between
eleven and fourteen million people (mostly Jews) on racial grounds.
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwdP4gFP98w
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrIt9vgiRus
• http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2016/03/08/donald-trump-world-leaders-r
epublican-gop/81312520
/
An alternative
Albert Einstein

• In a letter, Einstein wrote:

“If something is in me that can be called religious, then it is the unbounded
admiration for the structure of the world so far as science can reveal it. Our task
must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion
to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.”
Working out of his worldview, Einstein made a huge contribution to science. His
theory of relativity has caused a paradigm shift in scientific thinking and
significantly advanced our understanding of the world and how it works.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEK6WtHxNfw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jzkm1E5RqJo
And another
Professor Chris O’Brien
• Professor Chris O'Brien (1952-2009) was a well-known head and neck
surgeon specialising in the treatment of cancer. He died from an
aggressive brain tumour.
• O'Brien was both a spiritual and religious man, who attended Mass
regularly. He saw life as a journey, and was determined to remain
open to all the influences of God and nature.
• Working out of this worldview, O'Brien made a significant
contribution to medical science.
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIXzhyRUsaE
Religion – A way of Connecting
Religion is the vehicle by which human beings experience a connection
to the supernatural or Divine, and through this experience their
worldview is transformed.

https://
www.ted.com/talks/rick_warren_on_a_life_of_purpose?language=en#t
-241067
Contribution of Religion
• Various Studies have shown the people who are intrinsically religious enjoy
higher levels of well-being than individuals with secular viewpoints.
• There is a positive relationship between intrinsic religiosity and stable
marital and family life.
• Religion provides a stable framework from which ethical principles can be
applied to new situations by directing believers to an understanding of
spiritual and human values, of how they ought to live and of what
constitutes right conduct.
• Religion can act as a force for either social stability or social change, because
it is in constant interaction with the culture in which it is embedded.
What does religion give us?
1. Increased self-esteem
2. Sense of belonging
3. Direction and purpose
4. Other centerdness
So what do the various religions have to say?
1. In groups of 2/3 – choose your group wisely and work with those
who will positively contribute.
2. Choose from: Nordic, Celtic, Aztec, Shinto, Taoism, Christianity,
Judaism, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism.
3. What does your chosen religion have to say about finding purpose
and meaning in life?
4. In a Powerpoint of around 5 slides answer the question above.