what pantheism means to me
by universal pantheist society members
Editors Note:
Pantheism is not something which someone hears from others and then decides to be, like most other world religions or philosophies. Instead, in Pantheism, its adherents usually already know how they feel, and merely seek to identify a name for that which they already know from their personal experience in Nature. (For more on this viewpoint, and more member's statements, see The Inner Source of Pantheism.) Such an approach leads of course to a diversity of viewpoints -- as it should be, and which is why this Pantheist Society is an "Universal" one. We have a huge variety of beliefs and opinions among our members; many different from one another, but all of which provide insights which are valuable to one another, and all of which point to one consistent direction in looking toward the natural world for our source of spiritual enrichment. We promote an ongoing exploration; not dogma.
The following are responses from some of our members on what it means to them to be a Pantheist, contributed over the past several years. This listing is only partially representative, as many older responses are not included here, and newer responses are held in reserve for publication in Pantheist Vision, our quarterly newsletter.
"Pantheism is the best 'ism' or symbol to represent a feeling that regards Nature/The Earth Mother/The Cosmos as Sacred and Holy. Love, Growth, and Caring are all part of an interchange with the surrounding nurturing wholeness, a wholeness that is far more than the sum of its parts."
- J. Duncan Saunders
"Pantheism to me means perceiving strong, vibrant life throughout the whole natural world and universe. The traditional white man view of the natural world as being dead can only lead to the death of whoever perceives the world as such. I believe that the world is to each individual what he or she makes of it. Faced with a choice between life and death, I prefer the former. If we who prefer life can join together and seek out others like us then our strength grows synergistically and our whole becomes greater than the sum of us individually."
- Rick McGuire
"It is the end-point toward which all human history is inevitably reaching. Unfortunately, its import will not be fully appreciated until man has almost destroyed himself and the world that nourishes him. but this too, is inevitable, perhaps even necessary, if the truths of Pantheism are to finally triumph. Although we pantheists may be too late to stop the world from its present near-fatal collision course with itself, I hope we will be around to help rebuild the Earth afterwards."
- David Williams
"Personally, to and for me, Pantheism justifies and warrants my existence - and the right to exist. I have long believed of man's duty and obligation to revere the real, the Earth underfoot to the rest of the Universe overhead. Personally, I believe its late for man to triumph over his evil with good... but I'm less concerend with an's salvation than with saving some of his fellow creatures, particularly the great whales, the great apes, and predators and any endangered species. I am interesed in Pantheism's potential to 'convert' human arrogance to human humnility.
- Bob Waldmire
"Recognizing one's role as a plain citizen of the Earth's community of life, instead of being a divinely appointed subduer or steward of the Earth. Respecting the right of all beings to live according to their nature. Backing up your beliefs with action. Learning about the local bioregion, gradually becoming a Native of it.
- Doug Hansen
"To me, to be a pantheist means to give expression to my sense and reverence and love for the natural world and all its creatures. I have experienced the divine as identical with the created Universe. My main concern now is to encourage others to move beyond speciesism. I would like to learn new ways to show my loyalty to the Earth and promote the well-being of all its life-forms, but especially to help those which are currently forced to sufffer most at the hands of 'man'."
- Jean Pearson
"Man, Nature, and God are One!"
- Paul Christmann, Jr.
"Pantheist ideas give me some organization and rationality for my more intuitive understanding about how the world works. I have felt a great sense of purpose and value in my life since I've come to see the whole world as interconnected, intrinsically valuable, and in need of human consideration and care. Pantheism makes sense of the best things about humankind and the natural world.
- Doug Bogen
"All of my life I have been awed by the beauty and intelligence of Nature, both on Earth and in the vastness of the universe. At times I have felt a very close sense of 'one-ness' with it all, a solemn and profound joy. I studied science, which leads to some intellectual understanding, but also opens even deeper, subtler, more mysterious layers of Nature which I feel can be grasped only in an intuitive sense. So I have come to value the spiritual experience of Nature, as a primary value from which most of my other values derive.
I try to understand and enjoy Nature, and to behave reverently toward Earth and my fellow creatures. This can be frustrating when living in a society whose values are so chaotic, so shortsighted, so divorced from Nature; the need to do battle with the anthropocentric world-view becomes obvious. I feel a deep desire to find others who share these feelings, and to work together in defense of Nature."
- Denise Durance
"I was born a Jew, and while I retain a special sense of social and perhaps even spiritual bond with the Jewish nation as a whole, my religious views are contradictory with Judaism. My theology rests in the natural world and the energy that flows in divine cycles through and among the many natural systems, many of which we are a part."
- David Rodstein
"Raised Catholic, I left that religion when I attained the age of reason and started thinking about it. I never found anything in an organized religion, though Unitarianism came close. I always felt reverence for things natural, felt awe in the face of natural forces. The closest I would ever come to God would be through nature, I know. I also feel a strong moral/religious obligation to preserving this earth. I'm happy to find others who believe as I do!"
- Bob Clancy
"As a physicist and engineer I found it very difficult to relate any modern religion to the knowledge of the micro- and macro- microcosm revealed by the open minded study of physics. Later, as a healer, I learned that the full experience of Nature reveals forces not covered in a study of physics alone. We find our personal consciousness to be a subset of a universal consciousness that connects us to all of nature. There can be no true understanding of ourselves until we understand our place in nature, how the forces of nature affect us, and how we can affect the forces of nature. Through Pantheism I an at last bring my scientific learning, personal experience, and spiritual yearning into a consistent whole."
- Hamilton Barhydt
"Whatever happens to the earth (Universe) happens to me, because it's all one thing (event)).
"There's only one thing going on, which is creation, and it's all divine."
- Bob Wilber
"In short: every place is a holy place; God is neither inside me nor outside me, but through me! - infusing every quark in the universe."
- J.D. Stillwater
"Once upon a time, I had friends who were trying to convert me to their way of thinking in a religious way! For some reason, they always failed! Nevertheless the void was there. Their way did not work. I always feel the urge to touch, a definite need! Then comes your magazine!
I find something I can relate to, what a comfortable relief!
I can touch the trees, smell the flowers, watch the worms! To think God and Nature are one feels comforting, the void is filled, thanks to you.
I feel a complete person now.
Thank you for helping realize what I felt all along was right for me!"
- Joan Watt
"1. Diversity is a reality.
2. Sacralization is a necessity.
3. Pantheism is the solution;
God is all
All is God."
- Ralph C. Payne
"In my book, Full Circle, you'll notice my use of the word "Pantheist" interchangeably with "deep ecology" and "sacred world-view", all indicating recognition of an intrinsic spirit in all life forms equally. I'd be interested in exploring any perceived distinctions, although I find the similarities more meaningful."
- Lone Wolf Circles
"How to describe Pantheism? Can we completely describe the Mona Lisa in words? If we divide the picture into enough small pixels, exceeding the resolution of the human eye, and exactly specify the color of each, have we captured the essence of the painting? I think not."
- Paul Grant
"Pantheism is my hope of finding a believable basis and object of adoration, preferably closer to nature than humanity, closer to science than myths. I wish to explore it, but already suspect it may be the closes thing I'll ever find for my longings and odd views. "
- Lewis Price
"My religion has been, for a long time, a respect for and awe of life and an attempt to live by the golden rule. A few years ago, however, I read Merlin Stone's When God Was a Woman. I became pretty angered by the things I learned from it. Since then I have read quite a few books on the religion of the Goddess because I began to realize how much patriarchal religion has hurt women and nature and has promoted a war-like mentality.
I know I could not accept a literal Goddess because I see God as permeating everything, not as a Super Person, not even a Super Mother. However, the metaphor of the Goddess is very meaningful to me. I think it can be a stepping stone toward counteracting thousands of years of patriarchy. I have the button that says, 'God is coming and is She is pissed!' and it kind of tickles me to wear it - its rather iberating.
I work in a large public library and have looked for books dealing with Pantheism. I have found very little - one was about the poetry of Shelly, Keats and Coleridge, one was about the Pantheism of Alan Watts, which I think was negative criticism, and the third was in an Encyclopedia of Religion. It seems as if Pantheism is considered to be a philosophy that most of us have outgrown. When I found out that there was actually a Pantheist Society I was really pleasantly surprised.
Besides believing that God permeates everything I believe in the possibility of many things including reincarnation and the existence of fairies and elves. The thought that these may be a reality enriches my life. I realize that my 'belief', may be incongruous and inconsistent, but I am not 'all of a piece'. I don't like labels, they can prevent one from expanding forward or outward but I think that Pantheism is an ism I can live with. Can it live with me?"
- Marianne Hart
"God is everywhere and in all of us."
- Rick Davis
"To be a pantheist is to have a clearer view of how life should be lived, and a belief that can be understood through logic and reality."
- Jerry D. Albright
"The idea of religion has always been very inviting to me, but I never identified with any of the religions I looked into, until pantheism. It allows me to put my life in perspective and to relate to somethng larger than myself in a meaningful way. It does not contradict any of my beliefs, and it does not cause me any internal strife. While reading about the fundamentals of pantheism, it was like reading pages of my own thoughts, there were no 'leaps of faith' necessary to grasp the concepts.
- William F. Broderick
"I always thought I was the only person who thought and felt this way. I'm not alone!"
- Jocelyn Lee Markey
"For me Pantheism is my belief system, my foundation. It places me in at the center of our mother earth and all living things inteerconnected within that center. Human interdependence - Species, Inter-dependence gained only through my consciously competent mind. A conscious awarenes that I am a microcosm... A very small part of an even bigger picture. I can not control or dominate that bigger picture. We are organs in this Place we call Earth, when the forest gets burned down, erected in its space are condos.... That affects me and every species within existence. It is like having a heart attack, cancer, a broken leg....
My concerns are that the human condition is disintegrating. I am even more concerned about the Habitat we live in, our false superiority of human kind and the overwhelming disregard for all other living things and humans for that matter.
The self-absorbency of our species.
The absence of value and importance of inter dependence and inter-relationships.
I am concerned that we are imploding upon ourselves, and I am fearful that soon the flint will ignite and we will be no more.
When Anthropocentrism is inclusive of one's self, that is self-destruction. ... Suicide... Genocide.. Then we know it is fatal and for this I am beyond concern.
- Shawna Watson
"Above all else, being a pantheist just 'makes sense' to my mind and to my heart. As a pantheist I revere the divine unity that is the universe, as opposed to placing credence in a man-made or revealed religion."
- Shelley C. Crawford
"To me, it is the Pantheist's identification of the sacred in the natural world that is the heart and core of modern Pantheism.
As such, it is not that important to debate the competing philosophies woven by a web of words; it is most important to
simply embrace Nature as our deity and proceed accordingly. Sure, some will argue that God is in Nature and others that
Nature is in God, but who cares? I eschew such philosophical word-debates that only serve to divide us. As Pantheists, I feel that what we most need to do is pay more attention to what might be called "experiential pantheism" - the everyday time spent noticing the birds and flowers and clouds and exulting in their beauty, and the everyday time spent working to preserve the earth and its creatures from the fallout of industrial civilization."
- Harold W. Wood, Jr. (2000)
- J. Duncan Saunders
"Pantheism to me means perceiving strong, vibrant life throughout the whole natural world and universe. The traditional white man view of the natural world as being dead can only lead to the death of whoever perceives the world as such. I believe that the world is to each individual what he or she makes of it. Faced with a choice between life and death, I prefer the former. If we who prefer life can join together and seek out others like us then our strength grows synergistically and our whole becomes greater than the sum of us individually."
- Rick McGuire
"It is the end-point toward which all human history is inevitably reaching. Unfortunately, its import will not be fully appreciated until man has almost destroyed himself and the world that nourishes him. but this too, is inevitable, perhaps even necessary, if the truths of Pantheism are to finally triumph. Although we pantheists may be too late to stop the world from its present near-fatal collision course with itself, I hope we will be around to help rebuild the Earth afterwards."
- David Williams
"Personally, to and for me, Pantheism justifies and warrants my existence - and the right to exist. I have long believed of man's duty and obligation to revere the real, the Earth underfoot to the rest of the Universe overhead. Personally, I believe its late for man to triumph over his evil with good... but I'm less concerend with an's salvation than with saving some of his fellow creatures, particularly the great whales, the great apes, and predators and any endangered species. I am interesed in Pantheism's potential to 'convert' human arrogance to human humnility.
- Bob Waldmire
"Recognizing one's role as a plain citizen of the Earth's community of life, instead of being a divinely appointed subduer or steward of the Earth. Respecting the right of all beings to live according to their nature. Backing up your beliefs with action. Learning about the local bioregion, gradually becoming a Native of it.
- Doug Hansen
"To me, to be a pantheist means to give expression to my sense and reverence and love for the natural world and all its creatures. I have experienced the divine as identical with the created Universe. My main concern now is to encourage others to move beyond speciesism. I would like to learn new ways to show my loyalty to the Earth and promote the well-being of all its life-forms, but especially to help those which are currently forced to sufffer most at the hands of 'man'."
- Jean Pearson
"Man, Nature, and God are One!"
- Paul Christmann, Jr.
"Pantheist ideas give me some organization and rationality for my more intuitive understanding about how the world works. I have felt a great sense of purpose and value in my life since I've come to see the whole world as interconnected, intrinsically valuable, and in need of human consideration and care. Pantheism makes sense of the best things about humankind and the natural world.
- Doug Bogen
"All of my life I have been awed by the beauty and intelligence of Nature, both on Earth and in the vastness of the universe. At times I have felt a very close sense of 'one-ness' with it all, a solemn and profound joy. I studied science, which leads to some intellectual understanding, but also opens even deeper, subtler, more mysterious layers of Nature which I feel can be grasped only in an intuitive sense. So I have come to value the spiritual experience of Nature, as a primary value from which most of my other values derive.
I try to understand and enjoy Nature, and to behave reverently toward Earth and my fellow creatures. This can be frustrating when living in a society whose values are so chaotic, so shortsighted, so divorced from Nature; the need to do battle with the anthropocentric world-view becomes obvious. I feel a deep desire to find others who share these feelings, and to work together in defense of Nature."
- Denise Durance
"I was born a Jew, and while I retain a special sense of social and perhaps even spiritual bond with the Jewish nation as a whole, my religious views are contradictory with Judaism. My theology rests in the natural world and the energy that flows in divine cycles through and among the many natural systems, many of which we are a part."
- David Rodstein
"Raised Catholic, I left that religion when I attained the age of reason and started thinking about it. I never found anything in an organized religion, though Unitarianism came close. I always felt reverence for things natural, felt awe in the face of natural forces. The closest I would ever come to God would be through nature, I know. I also feel a strong moral/religious obligation to preserving this earth. I'm happy to find others who believe as I do!"
- Bob Clancy
"As a physicist and engineer I found it very difficult to relate any modern religion to the knowledge of the micro- and macro- microcosm revealed by the open minded study of physics. Later, as a healer, I learned that the full experience of Nature reveals forces not covered in a study of physics alone. We find our personal consciousness to be a subset of a universal consciousness that connects us to all of nature. There can be no true understanding of ourselves until we understand our place in nature, how the forces of nature affect us, and how we can affect the forces of nature. Through Pantheism I an at last bring my scientific learning, personal experience, and spiritual yearning into a consistent whole."
- Hamilton Barhydt
"Whatever happens to the earth (Universe) happens to me, because it's all one thing (event)).
"There's only one thing going on, which is creation, and it's all divine."
- Bob Wilber
"In short: every place is a holy place; God is neither inside me nor outside me, but through me! - infusing every quark in the universe."
- J.D. Stillwater
"Once upon a time, I had friends who were trying to convert me to their way of thinking in a religious way! For some reason, they always failed! Nevertheless the void was there. Their way did not work. I always feel the urge to touch, a definite need! Then comes your magazine!
I find something I can relate to, what a comfortable relief!
I can touch the trees, smell the flowers, watch the worms! To think God and Nature are one feels comforting, the void is filled, thanks to you.
I feel a complete person now.
Thank you for helping realize what I felt all along was right for me!"
- Joan Watt
"1. Diversity is a reality.
2. Sacralization is a necessity.
3. Pantheism is the solution;
God is all
All is God."
- Ralph C. Payne
"In my book, Full Circle, you'll notice my use of the word "Pantheist" interchangeably with "deep ecology" and "sacred world-view", all indicating recognition of an intrinsic spirit in all life forms equally. I'd be interested in exploring any perceived distinctions, although I find the similarities more meaningful."
- Lone Wolf Circles
"How to describe Pantheism? Can we completely describe the Mona Lisa in words? If we divide the picture into enough small pixels, exceeding the resolution of the human eye, and exactly specify the color of each, have we captured the essence of the painting? I think not."
- Paul Grant
"Pantheism is my hope of finding a believable basis and object of adoration, preferably closer to nature than humanity, closer to science than myths. I wish to explore it, but already suspect it may be the closes thing I'll ever find for my longings and odd views. "
- Lewis Price
"My religion has been, for a long time, a respect for and awe of life and an attempt to live by the golden rule. A few years ago, however, I read Merlin Stone's When God Was a Woman. I became pretty angered by the things I learned from it. Since then I have read quite a few books on the religion of the Goddess because I began to realize how much patriarchal religion has hurt women and nature and has promoted a war-like mentality.
I know I could not accept a literal Goddess because I see God as permeating everything, not as a Super Person, not even a Super Mother. However, the metaphor of the Goddess is very meaningful to me. I think it can be a stepping stone toward counteracting thousands of years of patriarchy. I have the button that says, 'God is coming and is She is pissed!' and it kind of tickles me to wear it - its rather iberating.
I work in a large public library and have looked for books dealing with Pantheism. I have found very little - one was about the poetry of Shelly, Keats and Coleridge, one was about the Pantheism of Alan Watts, which I think was negative criticism, and the third was in an Encyclopedia of Religion. It seems as if Pantheism is considered to be a philosophy that most of us have outgrown. When I found out that there was actually a Pantheist Society I was really pleasantly surprised.
Besides believing that God permeates everything I believe in the possibility of many things including reincarnation and the existence of fairies and elves. The thought that these may be a reality enriches my life. I realize that my 'belief', may be incongruous and inconsistent, but I am not 'all of a piece'. I don't like labels, they can prevent one from expanding forward or outward but I think that Pantheism is an ism I can live with. Can it live with me?"
- Marianne Hart
"God is everywhere and in all of us."
- Rick Davis
"To be a pantheist is to have a clearer view of how life should be lived, and a belief that can be understood through logic and reality."
- Jerry D. Albright
"The idea of religion has always been very inviting to me, but I never identified with any of the religions I looked into, until pantheism. It allows me to put my life in perspective and to relate to somethng larger than myself in a meaningful way. It does not contradict any of my beliefs, and it does not cause me any internal strife. While reading about the fundamentals of pantheism, it was like reading pages of my own thoughts, there were no 'leaps of faith' necessary to grasp the concepts.
- William F. Broderick
"I always thought I was the only person who thought and felt this way. I'm not alone!"
- Jocelyn Lee Markey
"For me Pantheism is my belief system, my foundation. It places me in at the center of our mother earth and all living things inteerconnected within that center. Human interdependence - Species, Inter-dependence gained only through my consciously competent mind. A conscious awarenes that I am a microcosm... A very small part of an even bigger picture. I can not control or dominate that bigger picture. We are organs in this Place we call Earth, when the forest gets burned down, erected in its space are condos.... That affects me and every species within existence. It is like having a heart attack, cancer, a broken leg....
My concerns are that the human condition is disintegrating. I am even more concerned about the Habitat we live in, our false superiority of human kind and the overwhelming disregard for all other living things and humans for that matter.
The self-absorbency of our species.
The absence of value and importance of inter dependence and inter-relationships.
I am concerned that we are imploding upon ourselves, and I am fearful that soon the flint will ignite and we will be no more.
When Anthropocentrism is inclusive of one's self, that is self-destruction. ... Suicide... Genocide.. Then we know it is fatal and for this I am beyond concern.
- Shawna Watson
"Above all else, being a pantheist just 'makes sense' to my mind and to my heart. As a pantheist I revere the divine unity that is the universe, as opposed to placing credence in a man-made or revealed religion."
- Shelley C. Crawford
"To me, it is the Pantheist's identification of the sacred in the natural world that is the heart and core of modern Pantheism.
As such, it is not that important to debate the competing philosophies woven by a web of words; it is most important to
simply embrace Nature as our deity and proceed accordingly. Sure, some will argue that God is in Nature and others that
Nature is in God, but who cares? I eschew such philosophical word-debates that only serve to divide us. As Pantheists, I feel that what we most need to do is pay more attention to what might be called "experiential pantheism" - the everyday time spent noticing the birds and flowers and clouds and exulting in their beauty, and the everyday time spent working to preserve the earth and its creatures from the fallout of industrial civilization."
- Harold W. Wood, Jr. (2000)
Contributions to What Pantheism Means to Me are regularly published in Pantheist Vision the quarterly newsletter of the Universal Pantheist Society. The foregoing is just a sampling of such submissions from recent years. For more quotations from such submissions, see The Inner Source of Pantheism.