of pantheism

Now that the Chaplain has left us, I guess we have no regular antagonist for the conversation. So I’m going to throw a thought out there I’ve been mulling over for some time now: pantheism.

I like this definition, although you could put it a number of other ways: “Pantheism is the view that the Universe (Nature) and God (or divinity) are identical. Pantheists thus do not believe in a personal, anthropomorphic or creator god. The word derives from the Greek (pan) meaning “all” and the Greek (theos) meaning “God”. As such, Pantheism denotes the idea that “God” is best seen as a process of relating to the Universe. Although there are divergences within Pantheism, the central ideas found in almost all versions are the Cosmos as an all-encompassing unity and the sacredness of Nature.”

I’m just curious as to what a group of “non-believers” feel about the idea. Let me ask that you not get too hung up on semantics. The word “god” and the suffix “theism” are very touchy, but from a pantheistic perspective I think they only have a vague semblance to the Christian fundamentalist use of the words.

I have been kind of embracing this idea lately. I guess you could argue it’s just me trying to fit my Christian upbringing together with my more current secular views. To me it just more accurately expresses how I perceive as the connected nature of the reality we live in than the word “atheist” and the like. There is something almost “magical” about life and the way everything ties together and works, in my experiences. While I realize that the “magicalness” of it is purely my perception of natural laws and processes, I believe my perceptions merit the right to have some bearing on how I label my view of reality.

I wasn’t really sure how to bring up this topic but I’ll leave it at that…….

Traitors in Our Midst?

It can be easy to forget that not all atheists are of the Dawkins variety, fighting the good fight against ignorance and intolerance. Sure, plenty of us aren’t so much fighting as quietly agreeing with the output of more vocal atheists, but then there are the world’s more baffling atheists, who seem to be complete traitors to the cause.

I’m thinking specifically of S.E. Cupp, a rare female atheist in the public eye, who I discovered through Real Time with Bill Maher, when she was a guest on his panel.

She’s a conservative, which seems as self-defeating as being a gay Republican. Of course, there are all kinds of reasons to support a political party, and it can even be seen as noble to willingly back a group that has always campaigned against one’s own interests because one feels that they will otherwise do what is best for the country.

But that is not at all what I’m talking about. Cupp is just a barrel full of WTF.

Why, for example, did she write, Losing Our Religion, which one would expect to be a defense of her atheism but seems to actually be a disgraceful polemic on the liberal media attack on American Christianity (I haven’t read it, nor could I bring myself to get through much of the bullshit in the lengthy excerpts from it on Amazon.com).

Today, she took a break from tweeting about how excited she is to kill deer, now that it’s hunting season, to broadcast the following inanity from her Twitter feed, “Just discovered @CSLewisDaily. Loving it.”

What?!? Why? Why would she be into daily quotes from someone who ridiculed her beliefs endlessly, in writings that are riddled with preposterousness?

I can only assume that, if she is actually an atheist and not a Judeo-Christian double agent, she has not closely examined her beliefs on God.

While there is room in the fold for a diversity of opinions, and I can imagine how one might justify affording religious views the same validity as secular ones (misguided though that may be), I just can’t believe that someone with thoroughly considered views would write a whole book about the non-existent persecution of those who actively work against those views.

So, seriously, S.E. Cupp, what the fuck?

Evolutionary Metaphysics

So I haven’t yet read this and have committed myself to study today, but I may get around to a chapter or two at some point. I figured I would go ahead and post it since I’m sure it will be of interest to this group. Matt Kronbach posted the link on facebook stating it was, “the best and most comprehensive summary I’ve found to date of what I believe about pretty much everything.” I’ve always respected Matt’s intelligence and points of view so I have no doubt it’s worth a read, if for nothing more than the conversation it will no doubt stir up.

Evolutionary Metaphysics

“Haitians worshiping God in spite of horrors… Amazing!”

Every once in a while, for some reason, my mother forwards me these newsletters from missionaries she knows. One such letter came in my inbox today. It was about a pilot who went to Haiti to help with the relief effort right after the big earthquake struck earlier this year. Now, the letter is somewhat private and it explicitly requests on the bottom not to pass it around without permission, so unfortunately I cannot show you the letter, but I will permit myself to quote you some of the things that were in it.

What if You’re Wrong?

I’m fairly certain I understand what the Liberty University student was really trying to ask Richard Dawkins when she said, “What if you’re wrong?” Here’s that link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mmskXXetcg. I may be wrong, of course, but as a former fundamentalist, that question is just code for, “You’d better repent and get some faith because you’re going to hell.” Dawkins’s answer was actually pretty debilitating to Christians.

Some thoughts on Buddhism

When I was 18 and left the mission field and came to the US for college, no longer a Christian but with a vague belief in God and a possible afterlife, I acquired access to a large number of books at the university library. At the time, having endured and escaped the Christian world, I was not searching for religion but for knowledge about religion.

Belief or Inquiry

I’m reading Nietzsche: Philosopher, Psychologist, Antichrist by Walter Kaufmann. Nowadays I enjoy reading stuff that makes me think and question.  As an MK whose parents belonged to an ultra conservative, evangelical Christian mission, New Tribes Mission, it is a freeing experience to read authors whose ideas are so very non-fundamentalist.  

The Arguments of C. S. Lewis

Fortunately, it is a rare occasion for me to hear a Christian use Pascal’s Wager when trying to convince me to return to the open arms of Christ. However, it appears that C. S. Lewis’ works of Chrisitian apologetics are still helping to convince many that reason and religion go hand in hand. In fact, only two days ago a friend of mine mentioned the great C. S. Lewis. Well, actually, he was making an argument from authority appeal (much like the appeal made by Gatorade in their ads that feature Michael Jordan). Still, I was interested to see there is a new book out that addresses the specific arguments Lewis made for the existence of God. The book is by John Beversluis and is titled C. S. Lewis and the Search for Rational Religion. Here is a review of the book on the Butterflies and Wheels website.

Geneology of Fanaticism

In themselves, all ideas are neutral, or ought to be; but man animates them, projects onto them his ardor and his madness. Rendered impure, transformed into beliefs, they are inserted into time, acquire the status of events: a transition from logic to epilepsy is consummated….Thus are born ideologies, doctrines, bloody farces.

Idolatrous by instinct,

10 Myths and 10 Truths About Atheism

Do we need absolute truth to have meaning? Do we need to have an identity that will continue forever? Do we fear no one will accept or understand us if we don’t share their beliefs, their opinions? Isn’t it possible to have a sweet life without certainty?

What if our self image wasn’t affected so strongly by sin ideation as children—the idea that only through guilt do we become moral beings—would things be different now?

The question of immortality

One of the main preaching points for Christians is the destiny of your immortal soul– When you die, where will you go? To an eternity in heaven or an eternity in hell? Christians believe they will live forever.

I went to a fundamentalist Christian boarding school for missionary kids in Africa.

Why I Am Not A Christian

This is, of course, the title of Bertrand Russell’s essay. I wanted to post the following excerpt, as it is well worth reading:

We want to stand upon our own feet and look fair and square at the world — its good facts, its bad facts, its beauties, and its ugliness; see the world as it is and be not afraid of it.