QUESTIONNAIRE FOR WORLD-VIEW ANALYSIS
This instrument is designed to enable a person to evaluate their own worldview,
then form comparisons with a worldview of any target individual or culture.
1. Is love a feeling, a duty or a voluntary commitment?
Explain.
2. Does a person's soul/spirit exist before birth?
Before conception?
3. Does individual identity continue after death?
if so, in what state/form?
4. Can the living communicate with the dead? If
so, in what way?
5. Is it desirable to communicate with the dead?
Why or why not?
6. Is the amount of wealth in the world limited, or can
more be produced?
7. What is your view of paying dowry for marriage?
Should the man's family pay the woman's (as in Africa), or the woman's family
pay the man's (as in older Europe)?
8. Explain the concept of covenant relationship in salvation.
9. Do rites and ritual ceremonies affect the outcome
of events or illnesses? (Prayer formulas, dances, incense, charms,
kneeling, lifting hands, laying on of hands, etc.)
10. Should the failings or sins of an individual be considered
his fault personally or the fault of his society or family, or Satan?
11. Do neighbors have the right to discipline someone
else's child or to interfere in the discipline of a child by the parents?
12. Which of the following do you believe is closer to
the truth?
a. Individuals are born possessing
a number of inalienable rights.
b. All rights possessed by an individual
are granted to him/her by the society in which he or she lives.
13. Do all individuals within a society have the same
right to food, shelter and medical care?
14. Do all individuals within a society have the same
right to an education?
15. Who is responsible for the education of members of
a society (government, family, church)?
16. What is the primary purpose of education, to produce
a good citizen in the society, knowledge for its own sake or training for
specific tasks in society?
17. Is the welfare of an individual ever more important
than the welfare of society?
18. Is it possible for an individual to be free and remain
a member of society?
19. Does membership in society require the loss of individuality?
20. Does an individual ever have the right to withdraw
from or reject his society?
21. Should it be considered treason to apply for citizenship
in another nation or society?
22. Should an individual who is not loyal to the government
or supportive of the society be allowed to remain in the society?
23. Is it a violation of human rights to deny citizenship
in one or more political entities or societies?
24. To what extent does learning another language entail
responsibilities to the society or country that speaks that language?
(For example, a Briton learning French, obligations to France? A European
learning Swahili, obligations to the African worldview, or Kenya or Tanzania.)
25. Does society ever have the right to restrict the
rights of an individual member?
26. Does a government have the right to restrict travel
of its citizens out of the country? (For example, withholding passports,
requiring exit visas, invalidating passports for travel to certain countries.)
27. Does a society have the right to demand tribute from
its individual members?
28. Does an individual ever have the right to disobey
the laws of society?
29. Is there a "higher law" to which the individual is
responsible over and above his or her responsibility to society?
30. How does an individual decide the right thing to
do in a situation where there is no specific law concerning that situation?
31. Does an individual ever have the right to take the
life of another individual?
32. Does an individual ever have the right to take his/her
own life?
33. Does a society ever have the right to take the life
of one of its members?
34. Does a society ever have the right to take the life
of a member of another society?
35. Does one society ever have the right to exercise
authority or domination over another society?
36. Is it necessary for an individual to give up some
rights for the privilege of being a member of the society?
37. Is there ever a time when the rights of an individual
become more important than the stability of a society?
38. Which should be given more weight, the good of an
individual or the good of the whole society?
39. Do individuals within a society have the right to
form organizations within the society?
40. Is society responsible for the protection of an individual's
rights?
41. Do individuals have a responsibility to society?
42. Do individuals have a responsibility to other individuals
in the society?
43. Does a group or an individual ever have the right
to overthrow the government?
44. Does the society have the right to make and enforce
laws?
45. Is society a separate entity from the government
or are they the same thing?
46. Is society a separate entity from the individuals
which comprise it?
47. Does an individual have the responsibility to influence
the rules and actions of government?
48. Is society responsible for the upkeep of its members
who are unable to provide for themselves?
49. Who is primarily responsible for the well-being of
the individual, the individual or the society?
50, Do the individual members of a society have a responsibility
for the well-being of one another?
51. Does a society have a responsibility for the well-being
of other societies?
52. Does a society have a responsibility to insure the
well- being of its future members?
53. Should an individual own (have exclusive rights over)
a piece of land?
54. Should a person have the exclusive right to decide
how his land or personal possessions should be distributed to his/her heirs
at his/her death?
55. Does a society have the responsibility to treat all
of its members equally?
56. Is it possible to have a classless society?
57. Is a classless society desirable?
58. Which has the greater influence on the life and views
of an individual, the individual or the society in which he/she lives?
59. Do all the individuals within a society possess the
same power to alter the society?
60. Should organizations, such as corporations, ever
be treated as individuals?
61. Do such organizations bear any responsibilty to the
society?
62. Do such organizations bear any responsibility to
the individual?
63. Should the leaders of a society, in light of their
greater responsibility, be allowed more rights and privileges than other
members?
64. Is the amount of good in the world limited, or can
more good be produced?
65. Are evil and good equal and opposing forces?
66. Why do so many unfair or mysterious events occur?
67. Does God sometimes change his mind?
68. Does God play tricks on humans?
69. Does God involve himself in human events? If
so, in what ways?
70. Does God communicate with all humans or only certain
chosen ones who speak on his behalf?
71. Can God be affected or changed, by human actions
or beliefs?
72. Can we anger, please or grieve God?
73. Can we change God's mind on a particular question
or plan?
74. In prayer, do you seek to change God's mind about
something, or align your will with his already-determined plan?
75. What is meant by "agreeing with God" in prayer?
76. Is God free to reveal himself directly to other peoples
as he did to the Hebrews?
77. Does a visit to a church of another denomination
imply that you agree with the teachings or practices of that denomination?
78. Which is more important, the unity of the group or
agreement on a principle or belief?
79. Should people cooperate if they agree on the goal
or task, even if they disagree over the reasons for it?
80. Is one culture better than another? Explain.
This worldview survey paper was developed by Lonnie
Turner and Orville Boyd Jenkins.
Prepared 1997
First posted on Thoughts and Resources 20 May 2004
Copyright © 1997, 2004 Orville Boyd Jenkins