What's your opinion on deism and pantheism?
July 31, 2014 at 3:48 pm
(This post was last modified: July 31, 2014 at 3:51 pm by Dystopia.)
I'm curious to know what other atheists think of both belief systems (I think calling them religions is unreasonable). How do you view both? Here's my judgement:
First of all, I tolerate both a lot more than religion since deists and pantheists aren't trying to impose their beliefs on other people and rarely commit atrocities because of it. Second, I'm an agnostic to both positions, contrary to religion to which I am a gnostic. I'm not an anti-theist when it comes to deism and pantheism, even though I don't see much support and reliability for both.
Deism - It lacks evidence, so I find it irrational, but it's more reasonable than religion/theism, considering the later claims that a god with contradictory characteristics exists, while Deism advocates the first cause god who created everything but doesn't intervene constantly with our life.
Pantheism - I don't know if it's wise to talk about evidence since pantheists see god and the universe as the same entity, a sort of unity. I could say the universe and nature are my god, but that's not a personal god in anyway, it's more likely me giving a label to something that is already well defined and explained. What's the purpose of pantheism? This is my main critic - Why see the universe as holy? Why identify the universe as god? I can't talk about proof here since the universe is god and it's impossible to prove if the universe is god or not.
Something I'd like to ask - For deists and pantheists on the forum, do you believe in the afterlife, spirits, metaphysical existences, and that god can, on occasion, intervene and shape the universe or humane events?
First of all, I tolerate both a lot more than religion since deists and pantheists aren't trying to impose their beliefs on other people and rarely commit atrocities because of it. Second, I'm an agnostic to both positions, contrary to religion to which I am a gnostic. I'm not an anti-theist when it comes to deism and pantheism, even though I don't see much support and reliability for both.
Deism - It lacks evidence, so I find it irrational, but it's more reasonable than religion/theism, considering the later claims that a god with contradictory characteristics exists, while Deism advocates the first cause god who created everything but doesn't intervene constantly with our life.
Pantheism - I don't know if it's wise to talk about evidence since pantheists see god and the universe as the same entity, a sort of unity. I could say the universe and nature are my god, but that's not a personal god in anyway, it's more likely me giving a label to something that is already well defined and explained. What's the purpose of pantheism? This is my main critic - Why see the universe as holy? Why identify the universe as god? I can't talk about proof here since the universe is god and it's impossible to prove if the universe is god or not.
Something I'd like to ask - For deists and pantheists on the forum, do you believe in the afterlife, spirits, metaphysical existences, and that god can, on occasion, intervene and shape the universe or humane events?
Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you
