Pantheism

[Timothy J Brent]

STOP! Don't flame me. I have no problem with atheism, in fact, I very recently
considered myself one - until I ran across a biography of Einstein that
mentioned Spinoza. Pantheism is far from being an organized religion, but more
of a spirituality or sense of awe (am I right). Just wondering if any of you
had any similar feelings.
-Tim
tbr...@bank.ecn.purdue.edu

[John A. Johnson]

In article <C4ovH...@noose.ecn.purdue.edu>, tbr...@peso.ecn.purdue.edu

Hey, no problem! Pantheism and atheism are essentially the same, for
what is the difference between saying "Everything is God" and
"Everything is matter and energy"? But don't take my word for it--
Consider what the OED says:

pantheism ('paenthetai:Iz(&schwa.)m). [mod. f. Gr. pi-alpha-nu-- all +
theta-epsilon--omicron-sigma- God + -ISM; app. after PANTHEIST.
Pantheiste and pantheisme were used in French in 1712 (E. Benoist Melanges
252, 265) the former app. taken from Toland's English use (see next), the
latter formed after it on the ordinary analogy of pairs in -ist and -ism.
Toland does not appear to have used pantheism.]
1 The religious belief or philosophical theory that God and the universe are
identical (implying a denial of the personality and transcendence of God); the
doctrine that God is everything and everything is God.
1732 WATERLAND Chr. Vind. Charge 76 Pantheism..and Hobbism are scandalously
bad, scarce differing from the broadest Atheism. A. 1766 J. BROWN Honour 176
note, That species of atheism commonly called Pantheism. 1823 COLERIDGE
Table-t. 30 Apr., Pantheism and idolatry naturally end in each other: for all
extremes meet. 1848 R. I. WILBERFORCE Doct. Incarnation v. (1852) 121
Pantheism, the principle of which is to merge the personality of the moral
Governor in the circle of His works.
---end OED quotation---
As for awe, I think it is a human capability, not an exclusive
property of religious people.
-----------------------------------
John A. Johnson (J...@psuvm.psu.edu)
Atheist, pantheist, Taoist, and (merely metaphorical) pagan
Penn State is not responsible for my behavior.

[Rex E. Young]

In article <C4ovH...@noose.ecn.purdue.edu> tbr...@peso.ecn.purdue.edu
(Timothy J Brent) writes:
RY>STOP! Don't flame me. I have no problem with atheism, in fact,
RY>I very recently considered myself one - until I ran across a
RY>biography of Einstein that mentioned Spinoza. Pantheism is far
RY>from being an organized religion, but more of a spirituality or
RY>sense of awe (am I right). Just wondering if any of you had any
RY>similar feelings.
RY> -Tim
RY> tbr...@bank.ecn.purdue.edu
Pantheism -
1: a doctrine that equates God with the forces and laws of the
universe.
2: the worship of all gods of different creeds, cults, or peoples
indifferently; also: toleration of worship of all gods (as at
certain periods of the Roman empire)
As defined by Webster's.

Sounds as though it could be a religion to me. Or a toleration
depending on the definition you follow. Is there some alternate
definition that Pantheists subscribe to?

--
_________________________________________________________________________
| __/__/__/ __/__/__/__/ __/ __/ |Labour to keep alive in |
| __/ __/ __/ __/__/ |your breast that little |
| __/__/__/ __/__/__/ __/ E. |spark of celestial fire,|
| __/ __/ __/ __/ __/ Young|called conscience. |
|__/ __/ __/__/__/__/ __/ __/III |-George Washington |