Do you see God in Nature? (experience, blessing, faith, divine)

[methylatedghosts]

EVERYTHING is god.

[fantôme profane]

Originally Posted by methylatedghosts

EVERYTHING is god.

Works for me.

How about this?

EVERYTHING is nature.

[logician]

Originally Posted by methylatedghosts

EVERYTHING is god.

Not me.

[tomspug]

Originally Posted by fantôme profane

But surely the reason humankind is so destructive is because we have come to view ourselves as something separate from the natural world. If we were to come to understand that we are part of nature, not separate from it, we would likely be much less destructive.

I would argue that it is not merely a matter of perspective, but that there is something inherently wrong with humanity that separates us from nature... It starts with "knowledge" and begins with "good and evil".

[Autodidact]

Originally Posted by logician

Not me.

Interesting. I'm an atheist too, and I don't have a problem with it. It's Pantheism, and to me Pantheism is just atheism with a reverential attitude, which I think is a good thing. It's metaphysical naturalism--there is nothing which is not nature. Nothing separate, some mysterious and not perceivable substance. Right before I became an atheist, I viewed nature as God's body. That is, the natural world is all that there is--there is no God that is separate from it.

I do see this as fundamentally opposite from Judeo-Christianity, though, so I'm surprised all the Judeo-Christians here aren't having a problem with it.

[fantôme profane]

Originally Posted by tomspug

I would argue that it is not merely a matter of perspective, but that there is something inherently wrong with humanity that separates us from nature... It starts with "knowledge" and begins with "good and evil".

Ok then, go ahead and argue it. So far I am not convinced.

But can you see the irony from my perspective. The reason you give for viewing humanity as separate from nature is how destructive we are. And the reason we are so destructive is that we view ourselves as separate from nature. The more we view ourselves as separate the more destructive we will be, and the more destructive we are the more we will view ourselves as separate.

[tomspug]

Originally Posted by fantôme profane

Ok then, go ahead and argue it. So far I am not convinced.

But can you see the irony from my perspective. The reason you give for viewing humanity as separate from nature is how destructive we are. And the reason we are so destructive is that we view ourselves as separate from nature. The more we view ourselves as separate the more destructive we will be, and the more destructive we are the more we will view ourselves as separate.

I disagree. I don't think there is any proof that mankind has ever NOT been destructive. I think the best example is children, who have the least experience and therefore the least tendency to be affected by outside influences. Children are most certainly destructive by nature, while at the same time capable of unrivaled trust and affection. It's the perfect example of the careful balance inherent in humanity.

[logician]

Originally Posted by Autodidact

Interesting. I'm an atheist too, and I don't have a problem with it. It's Pantheism, and to me Pantheism is just atheism with a reverential attitude, which I think is a good thing. It's metaphysical naturalism--there is nothing which is not nature. Nothing separate, some mysterious and not perceivable substance. Right before I became an atheist, I viewed nature as God's body. That is, the natural world is all that there is--there is no God that is separate from it.

I do see this as fundamentally opposite from Judeo-Christianity, though, so I'm surprised all the Judeo-Christians here aren't having a problem with it.

I agree fundamentally in what panthesim is, except I disagree with the terminology of calling it "god". It seems the term "god" is too broad and all-encompassing, i.e. practically anything can be termed a "god".