MaddLlama
Obstructor of justice
So, I've had a couple of people ask me what a Pantheist is, and why it's called Pantheism if it is not a form of Theism at all. Also, the recent discussion about theistic pathiesm made me think I should post this. I don't know if there are any Pantheists who believe as I do here, since it's a term that can be used in lots of ways and even Pantheism in this way is different for each person, so I thought it might be edifing for everyone if I explained my "religion".
Snippets from: http://www.pantheist.net/
Pantheism is a religion is a loose sense, because it does not claim a belief in any God, and is primarily a way of life for the athiest or the agnostic. Science in many of it's forms is favored to a belief in an anthropomorphic God. The God of Panthiesm is the Universe and the Earth itself.
Because the main focus is on the natural world and the universe and all that encompasses, the earth sciences are a large subject of interest to Panthiests. Everything has it's own complicated structure, and a way it fits in with everything else to make the whole work. And that is what makes it beautiful, rather than the idea that it is beautiful because it was created by supernatural means. To me, the natural is far more fantastic, wondeful and full of beauty than any supernatural explanation. I think this sums up the relationship between the Panthiest, Science and Nature very well:
The point of religion is to enhance one's relationship with the sacred, and Patheism is no different. However unlike theistic religions which concentrate on books, creeds and sermons, I think that it is better to go outside - a bird in flight or a blooming flower is a sermon itself.
As Panthiesm is more of a way of living than a set of creeds (though, there is actually a Pathiest Manifesto http://www.pantheism.net/manifest.htm), there is more to say about the practices than the beliefs. Pantheism is also very personal, and a built from the ground up sort of way, so practices differ for every person. I have found though that many, like me, choose to link thier Pantheism with the practices of Paganism, since it also focuses on a reverence for nature. I celebrate the seasonal holidays of the Wheel of the Year, and some of the cross-quarter festivals. For me the seasonal changes are an important part of my practice.
The practice in general can be divided into three categories - knowledge, devotion, and works. Knowledge would be the study of nature, and [FONT=arial, Arial, Helvetica]includes everything from the most rigorous scientific research to personal observation of the natural world. Devotion is highly personal, but mainly focuses on one's communion with nature, but is always promoted by mindfulness and awareness. And works would be [/FONT][FONT=arial, Arial, Helvetica]a dedication to living an ethical life style, not only towards the natural environment, but to the community.[/FONT]
Snippets from: http://www.pantheist.net/
Pantheism is a religion is a loose sense, because it does not claim a belief in any God, and is primarily a way of life for the athiest or the agnostic. Science in many of it's forms is favored to a belief in an anthropomorphic God. The God of Panthiesm is the Universe and the Earth itself.
Because the main focus is on the natural world and the universe and all that encompasses, the earth sciences are a large subject of interest to Panthiests. Everything has it's own complicated structure, and a way it fits in with everything else to make the whole work. And that is what makes it beautiful, rather than the idea that it is beautiful because it was created by supernatural means. To me, the natural is far more fantastic, wondeful and full of beauty than any supernatural explanation. I think this sums up the relationship between the Panthiest, Science and Nature very well:
The point of religion is to enhance one's relationship with the sacred, and Patheism is no different. However unlike theistic religions which concentrate on books, creeds and sermons, I think that it is better to go outside - a bird in flight or a blooming flower is a sermon itself.
As Panthiesm is more of a way of living than a set of creeds (though, there is actually a Pathiest Manifesto http://www.pantheism.net/manifest.htm), there is more to say about the practices than the beliefs. Pantheism is also very personal, and a built from the ground up sort of way, so practices differ for every person. I have found though that many, like me, choose to link thier Pantheism with the practices of Paganism, since it also focuses on a reverence for nature. I celebrate the seasonal holidays of the Wheel of the Year, and some of the cross-quarter festivals. For me the seasonal changes are an important part of my practice.
The practice in general can be divided into three categories - knowledge, devotion, and works. Knowledge would be the study of nature, and [FONT=arial, Arial, Helvetica]includes everything from the most rigorous scientific research to personal observation of the natural world. Devotion is highly personal, but mainly focuses on one's communion with nature, but is always promoted by mindfulness and awareness. And works would be [/FONT][FONT=arial, Arial, Helvetica]a dedication to living an ethical life style, not only towards the natural environment, but to the community.[/FONT]
