For the past year, I have been toying with the idea of adopting Pantheism as my official worldview and “faith”. I mean, shit, it was the religion of my Norwegian ancestors. Don’t know if they worshiped “gods” literally or metaphorically, but they sure as hell revered Mother Nature.
While I myself really don’t believe in any type of god or things supernatural, at the end of the day, the only object that humans could and should worship is the Cosmos.
I mean, hell, Carl Sagan said we’re made of stardust. How can you get any more “one” with the Cosmos than that!
The fate of individual human beings may not now be connected in a deep way with the rest of the universe, but the matter out of which each of us is made is intimately tied to processes that occured immense intervals of time and enormous distances in space away from us. Our Sun is a second or third generation star. All of the rocky and metallic material we stand on, the iron in our blood, the calcium in our teeth, the carbon in our genes were produced billions of years ago in the interior of a red giant star. We are made of star-stuff.
Our atomic and molecular connection with the rest of the universe is a real and unfanciful cosmic hookup. As we explore our surroundings by telescope and space vehicle, other hookups may emerge. There may be a network of intercommunicating extraterrestrial civilizations to which we may link up tomorrow, for all we know. The undelivered promise of astrology-that the stars impel our individual characters – will not be satisfied by modern astronomy. But the deep human need to seek and understand our connection with the universe is a goal well within our grasp.
[pp. 133-134, Carl Sagan, “The Cosmic Connection: An Extraterrestrial Perspective”. Sagan was not the originator of the concept, which has been traced back to 1913.]
Here are some websites about Pantheism:
Naturalistic Pantheism is an ancient religion, philosophy and way of life centred on our relationships with the Earth and the Universe . . .
Naturalistic Pantheism is a way of life that fuses together spirituality and science, humans and nature. It has two central tenets – The Universe is Divine and the Earth is Sacred. Naturalistic/ Scientific Pantheism does not believe in any supernatural elements but believes that the beauty, majesty and creativity of the Universe is the proper focus for our reverence, awe and wonder in life. There is something greater than ourselves, it is Nature.
We believe that Nature is worthy of the same kind of reverence that believers of other religions give to their deities. We are part of Nature, part of the Universe, not above it, made from the same matter and energy. Nature creates us, sustains us and destroys us. It is ancient, beautiful and awe-inspiring. It is our only home, our only paradise. We should approach it with humility, awe, reverence, celebration and a search for deeper understanding. We must treat Nature as sacred, respecting, protecting and preserving it, and honouring all life. [Note: hmmm . . . must be an non-American: “honoUring”]
– Religious Naturalism Wikipedia:
- All varieties of religious naturalism see humans as an interconnected, emergent part of nature.
- Accept the primacy of science with regard to what is measurable via the scientific method.
- Recognize science’s limitations in accounting for judgments of value and in providing a full account of human experience. Thus religious naturalism embraces nature’s creativity, beauty and mystery and honors many aspects of the artistic, cultural and religious traditions that respond to and attempt to interpret Nature in subjective ways.
- Approach matters of morality, ethics and value with a focus on how the world works, with a deep concern for fairness and the welfare of all humans regardless of their station in life.
- Seek to integrate these interpretative, spiritual and ethical responses in a manner that respects diverse religious and philosophical perspectives, while still subjecting them and itself to rigorous scrutiny.
- The focus on scientific standards of evidence imbues RN with the humility inherent in scientific inquiry and its limited, albeit ever deepening, ability to describe reality .
- A strong environmental ethic for the welfare of the planet Earth and humanity.
- Belief in the sacredness of life and the evolutionary process
[taken from Introduction of Bron Taylor, editor, Encyclopedia of Religion and Nature, (London & New York, Continuum, 2005)
– Standford Encyclopedia of Philosophy Entry on Pantheism
Are you searching for a path which focuses on Earth and the Cosmos, rather than some imaginary beyond? Are you more concerned with saving the planet than saving your eternal soul? With making the best of your one life here, rather than longing for life in an imaginary paradise?
Do you find it hard to believe in supernatural gods, and difficult to conceive of anything worthier of the deepest respect than the beauty, power and mystery of the Universe?
Do you feel a deep sense of peace, belonging, and wonder in the midst of Nature?
Are you looking for a spirituality that respects individual choice and the rights of all living things? One that values reason and science over adherence to ancient scriptures?
If so, then you will feel at home in the World Pantheist community.
– “An Introduction to Pantheism” by Jan Garrett
– Encyclopedia Britannica’s entry:
Pantheism, the doctrine that the universe conceived of as a whole is God and, conversely, that there is no God but the combined substance, forces, and laws that are manifested in the existing universe.
I could go on and on.
Next time . . .
Cheers,
Brandr
turtleislandjourney 