Thursday 2 June 2011

Pantheism-Possibly a More Applicable Term?

This is the sort of thing I think about after I lose the will to revise further during a day. I'm sure I could be spending my time more productively than this, but here I am.

It's possible that Pantheism might be a more specific and applicable term for the belief system I hold than atheism or even agnostic atheism. I've never used the term "God" to describe the universe like Hawking and Einstein, but I certainly hold a sort of reverence for the universe and have, as I've mentioned in previous entries, had what might be called numinous experiences induced simply by natural wonder.

I do not believe the universe is itself some kind of intelligent entity. There is no positive evidence for it. I do not believe the universe has some conscious purpose or was brought into being through a conscious act. There is no positive evidence for it. I do not believe in any kind of supernatural forces or substances whatsoever, as there is no positive evidence for them. I am a rationalist first, and everything else follows from that. So if I am a pantheist, I'm a thoroughly naturalistic one.

This is a very difficult distinction to get my head around.

1 comment:

  1. Naturalistic Pantheism? Tis but sexed up Atheism!

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naturalistic_Pantheism

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