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Do panentheists believe that everything is a part of God?

Falvlun

Earthbending Lemur
Premium Member
From what I gather, yes. They differ from pantheists in that they believe that there is more to God beyond just the universe (the universe is all a part of God, but God is more than just the Universe). Pantheists more stringently assert that God and the Universe are one and the same thing.
 

DreadFish

Cosmic Vagabond
Yep, basically, everything that exists is an extension of, and part of, God. But, unlike pantheism in which everything is God, in panentheism, everything is part of God, but God is also beyond everything.

Im pretty much just saying the same thing everyone else has said lol.

It's all Greek to me:

Pantheism = All is God
Panentheism = All is in God
 

Paraprakrti

Custom User
I am just curious.

Everything is made up of God's energies. The relationship between God (the Energetic) and His energies is summed up for us (Gaudiya Vaisnavas) in Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's "achintya bhedabheda" philosophy, which means "inconceivably one and different." There is no separating God and God's energies similar to how there is no separating the sun globe and the rays of sunshine. Everything is, in that sense, a part of God. Simultaneously, there is a clear distinction between God and His energies just as the sun shining through one's window is clearly and vastly different from the sunglobe itself coming through one's window.
 

underthesun

Terrible with Titles
Personally, I prefer to say that I believe that the divine is in everything, and beyond, but that's just me being a nitpicker over semantics.

Essentially, you've got the idea down. As others have said, the main difference between pantheists and panentheists is that pantheists believe the divine does not extend beyond everything.
 

steveb1

Member
I am just curious.

I, for one, do not believe that everything is part of God. Rather, everthing moves and lives and has its being "in" God. God includes the universe; the universe contains a "finite portion" of God. This places God and universe together, but it does not dictate that the physical world is part of God. God is "here", is available in the physical world, but God is pure nonmaterial spirit whereas the cosmos is matter and material processes - so neither the twain can meet. Matter stays matter and God stays spirit. So while in some mysterious sense they co-exist, they cannot be mixed, and therefore the universe cannot be part of God in that sense.
 

Unveiled Artist

Veteran Member
I am just curious.
Yes. At least thats what I believe. I wouldnt say God because there is no outside "Creator." Creator would be embedded in "creation." A mother and father created their child. We grow flowers from seeds so we help in nourishment and creation of the flowers we take care of. Nature takes care of herself (her because mother figure) as animals and humans take care of ourselves and our young. Nothing is created out of thin air. Nothing disapears. We're an ongoing creation and change by form. Body to ashes. Sperm and egg to child.

This is "God."

I also believe that spirits are a part of life just like you and I. Not many pantheist believe in the supernatural.

Thats pretty much the gist in my faith.

EDIT

Im a pantheist. Didnt see the spelling difference.
 
Last edited:

Unveiled Artist

Veteran Member
Yep, basically, everything that exists is an extension of, and part of, God. But, unlike pantheism in which everything is God, in panentheism, everything is part of God, but God is also beyond everything.

Im pretty much just saying the same thing everyone else has said lol.

It's all Greek to me:

Pantheism = All is God
Panentheism = All is in God
Wouldnt All is In God make everything God? Thats kinda confusing since I believe everything is God; as God is life and within life to make life, well, life.
 

DreadFish

Cosmic Vagabond
Wouldnt All is In God make everything God? Thats kinda confusing since I believe everything is God; as God is life and within life to make life, well, life.
"All is in God" means that God is also beyond all, as we know it, in addition to that.
 
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