Pantheism: Personal Responsibility, Religious Tolerance and Reverence for all Life

By Julia Jablonski

Webster's New World Dictionary defines pantheism as the "doctrine that God is not a personality, but that all laws, forces, manifestations, etc. of the self-existing Universe are God." Many modern scientists and in particular quantum physicists express their beliefs or theories in pantheistic ways, for over the last century, science has moved beyond a mechanical focus on atoms and molecules and begun to seek the force from which all arises or is set in motion. The deeper we go with scientific exploration, the more the Universe reveals itself as basically non-physical in origin. The energy or field from which forms arise appears to be pure consciousness - the mind of "God." Thus both spiritually and scientifically, everything can be seen to emanate from one unified force.

While quantum physics may be a modern development, pantheism is in fact an ancient spiritual path that holds everything in the Universe to be sacred. Eastern philosophies, Native American, pagan and Hawaiian beliefs that view all of nature as divine and interconnected can be said to be pantheistic. "God" here is not a bearded white man in the clouds, but more like "the Force" in Star Wars; the sum of all that is, and every aspect of existence at the same time. To pantheists, God is holographically everywhere at once.

The second Webster's definition of pantheism is "the worship, or toleration of worship, of all gods of various cults." Pantheists acknowledge that there are many paths to enlightenment or God, and therefore both respect others' beliefs and embrace a diversity of spiritual practices themselves. There is a sense of freedom and respect for the individual, but this does not mean that there is no sense of right or wrong, good or bad. Pantheists respect the duality of nature, and recognize that without darkness, we would not know light, without evil, we would not know love.

Pantheism emphasizes the individual, both in terms of the path one chooses, and responsibility for one's every action and decision. As a creative facet of "God" with free will, every person is responsible for his or her influence on the whole. There is a sense that one must remain ever mindful and responsive to the particulars of the moment or situation, rather than looking to dogma or doctrine for hard and fast rules governing "right behavior." Also, if we are each "God," then every other person is also "God," and therefore must be treated with the utmost respect and care.

Pantheists clearly come in many forms and hold many different beliefs, though all revere nature and life on Earth. Since they believe that God is everywhere in nature, what one does to the Earth, one is doing to "God." Anthropomorphic pantheists even go so far as to see every part of nature as holding personality or consciousness in some way. Every aspect of nature is therefore as worthy of respect as every other creation. A rock is as divine as a flower, a flower as divine as a child. There is equal reverence for all.

Scientific pantheists tend to set logic and physical experience above what we might call intuitive or spiritual knowing. They may or may not believe in "life after death," though certainly if they are true to their ideals, personal experience of spirit communication or other "supernatural experiences" should open their belief systems to such matters. It is certainly possibly to have pantheistic reverence for life in the physical, and still believe in other dimensions, past lives or an afterlife.

Throughout history, great cruelty and violence have arisen out of religious differences. From the crusades to modern terrorism, the past illustrates that an "I'm right, so you must be wrong" attitude is a recipe for conflict and destruction. It is clearly ironic that so much evil has been and continues to be done in the "name of God." Pantheism's emphasis on personal responsibility, tolerance for others and respect for all may be the winning combination that allows each of us to walk our own paths in peace and harmony with all of creation.

Julia Jablonski is an ordained Spiritualist minister, medium and clairvoyant. Please Visit Julia's website here: http://www.muse-net.com/