Pantheism and Unitarian Universalism: A harmonious match
Unitarian Universalism is based on the shared values of the Seven Principles, such as peace, democracy, tolerance and justice. However, it does not promote any particular answers to the ultimate questions about human existence is there a God or gods? Are our souls separate from our bodies? Do we have personal afterlives? Is the Universe a projection of a collective consciousness?
Most people need answers to ultimate questions, and most UUs add in these answers from some other source, such as Humanism, Buddhism, Paganism, Christianity and so on.
Scientific Pantheism is extremely compatible with the Seven Principles of UUism. If you love nature and are science-minded in your outlook, you may find that it provides a nice complement to UUism.
Many World Pantheist Movement members belong to Unitarian Universalist congregations and some are UU ministers. They tell us that perhaps a third or a half of Unitarian Universalists are probably strongly sympathetic to Pantheism.
The essence of Pantheism is a profound reverence for Nature and the wider Universe and awed recognition of their power, beauty and mystery. Some Pantheists use the word God to describe these feelings, but the majority prefer not to, so as to avoid ambiguity.
From this feeling flows the desire to make the most of our present life in our bodies on this earth, to care for nature, and to respect the rights of humans and animals in general. We choose to focus on the vibrant and urgent here and now, rather than on invisible realms, spirits, deities or afterlives.
We feel that Nature and the wider Universe are the most appropriate focus for our deepest reverence, rather than supernatural beings or afterlives. We believe that everything that exists is a part of Nature and tend to be skeptical of supernatural phenomena.
We believe that mind and body are an inseparable unity, and so we do not expect personal survival after death. Instead we look forward to a natural persistence of our time on earth, in the actions and creations we leave behind, memories people hold of us, and recycling of our elements in Nature.
Many people who have these feelings dont call it Pantheism they may call it atheism plus wonder and awe, they may call it religious humanism, spiritual humanism, religious naturalism or some other variant, or they may not have a name for it.
A related tendency often found in Unitarian Universalist congregations is Panentheism. Panentheists hold that God is present in and throughout nature and humans, but also transcends them and is much greater than them. By contrast Pantheists consider that God is identical with Nature and the wider Universe, and use the term (if at all) primarily to express their own feelings towards Nature.
Basically Panentheism is a form of belief in a creator God, while Pantheism is not. Panentheism is fully compatible with traditional Christianity, Islam and Judaism, but Pantheism is not.
The two organizations complement each other neatly. World Pantheism shares the values of the UU Seven Principles. We are strongly committed to religious freedom, separation of church and state, religious tolerance and the teaching of science free from religious interference. We filed afriend-of-court brief in the US Supreme Court case, opposing the under God wording in the Pledge.
We have collected more signatures for UNESCOs Manifesto for Peace and Non-Violence than any other US voluntary organization.
We are signatories of the Earth Charter. We endorse and greatly expand on the Unitarian Universalist seventh principle Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part. Active care for the environment is a central part of our ethic, along with human and animal rights. We aresaving rainforest via EcologyFund faster than any other religious or environmental group.
Many Unitarian Universalists, including ministers, are members and friends of the World Pantheist Movement. WPM members who belong to UU churches in some cases run courses on pantheism or pantheist services or regular small group meetings of pantheists. The WPM offers manyresources for Unitarian Universalists interested in pantheist services or groups.
Unitarian Universalism is a context where you meet sensible sociable tolerant people with varying religious philosophies for shared spiritual exploration and social action. But Unitarian Universalist congregations are focused more on broad spiritual exploration and social justice, and UUism in itself does not offer answers to lifes ultimate questions. Many people need both a social context AND a belief context in order to feel comfortable with their place in the universe.
With its special focus on Nature and Naturalism, World Pantheism can be considered as one of the main flavors of Unitarian Universalism, such as UU Buddhism, Religious Humanism, Unitarian Universalist Paganism and so on. If you consider yourself an atheist or humanist with spiritual feelings and a deep love of nature or if you are a pagan who enjoys nature-oriented celebration but does not believe in the literal reality of gods, spirits and magick then World Pantheism may be the spiritual context you are looking for.
Here is the original post:
Unitarian Universalism and Pantheism World Pantheism
- Shiv Khera and the Ultimate Value Test | MorungExpress ... - Morung Express - December 3rd, 2023 [December 3rd, 2023]
- 'She was startled by what the angel said and tried to figure out what ... - America: The Jesuit Review - September 21st, 2023 [September 21st, 2023]
- Religion in India - Wikipedia - December 26th, 2022 [December 26th, 2022]
- Ethics (Spinoza book) - Wikipedia - December 18th, 2022 [December 18th, 2022]
- Scientific Pantheism: Frequently Asked Questions - November 23rd, 2022 [November 23rd, 2022]
- Pantheism - Conservapedia - October 25th, 2022 [October 25th, 2022]
- Themes in Avatar - Wikipedia - October 25th, 2022 [October 25th, 2022]
- Theism - Wikipedia - October 25th, 2022 [October 25th, 2022]
- Animism - Wikipedia - October 6th, 2022 [October 6th, 2022]
- What Was So Incredible About the Incredible String Band? - PopMatters - October 6th, 2022 [October 6th, 2022]
- Religious and philosophical views of Albert Einstein - Wikipedia - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- God's Omnipresence: A Reassuring Reality to Rejoice In - TGC Africa - The Gospel Coalition Africa - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- Avatar Is Back, and It Still Looks Like Damanhur - Bitter Winter - September 29th, 2022 [September 29th, 2022]
- PART 3 GOD'S ABUNDANT LIFE - Block Island Times - September 20th, 2022 [September 20th, 2022]
- New York Botanical Garden In Three Hours: Here's What To See - TheTravel - September 20th, 2022 [September 20th, 2022]
- Reconciliation Pope And Paganism - Nation World News - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- Only God could join us to God Catholic Outlook - Catholic Outlook - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- Only God Could Join Us to God - Commonweal - September 3rd, 2022 [September 3rd, 2022]
- Back to school: dogs, AP classes and alarm clocks. What Colorado students are looking forward to this school year and what they want changed -... - August 25th, 2022 [August 25th, 2022]
- The Organization | [Deck Recipes] July 31st, 2022 - YGOrganization - August 6th, 2022 [August 6th, 2022]
- Thinking of the Old Catholics and the Union of Utrecht - Patheos - July 25th, 2022 [July 25th, 2022]
- Speaking the Roots - The Shillong Times - July 25th, 2022 [July 25th, 2022]
- Basic beliefs of Scientific Pantheism World Pantheism - July 9th, 2022 [July 9th, 2022]
- Plural Like the Universe - City Journal - July 7th, 2022 [July 7th, 2022]
- Seeing Peter Obi through prisms of his younger brother The Sun Nigeria - Daily Sun - June 11th, 2022 [June 11th, 2022]
- From Gnosticism to Marxism: The Spirit of Antichrist in Movement - OnePeterFive - June 11th, 2022 [June 11th, 2022]
- World Pantheism Revering the Universe, Caring for Nature, Celebrating ... - June 5th, 2022 [June 5th, 2022]
- The R&S Pantheism Thread - City-Data - June 5th, 2022 [June 5th, 2022]
- Mary Beth Edelson Celebrated the Goddess Within - Hyperallergic - June 5th, 2022 [June 5th, 2022]
- The Organization | [Deck Recipes] May 26th, 2022 - YGOrganization - May 27th, 2022 [May 27th, 2022]
- Who Is Defending and Who Is Criticizing the Nine Years of Francis's Pontificate? (2) - FSSPX.News - May 3rd, 2022 [May 3rd, 2022]
- Girls performance in maths starting to add up to boys, says UNESCO - Modern Diplomacy - May 3rd, 2022 [May 3rd, 2022]
- Declaring the glory of God - The Robesonian - April 6th, 2022 [April 6th, 2022]
- Hen Kai Pan is a comic that finds a bleak but beautiful poetry in humanitys end - The A.V. Club - March 27th, 2022 [March 27th, 2022]
- Ideology of Pakistan and beyond - Chitral News - March 27th, 2022 [March 27th, 2022]
- Universal Directives of Quran: Introducing 'The Quran Speaks to You' - Kashmir Observer - March 27th, 2022 [March 27th, 2022]
- The Organization | [Deck Recipes] March 25th, 2022 - YGOrganization - March 27th, 2022 [March 27th, 2022]
- Homage in rock to Bodhisattva - Sunday Observer - March 17th, 2022 [March 17th, 2022]
- How can God be everywhere? - Journal Review - March 17th, 2022 [March 17th, 2022]
- Baruch Spinoza - Wikipedia - February 28th, 2022 [February 28th, 2022]
- New free book from Cambridge Press: Pantheism - Religion ... - February 28th, 2022 [February 28th, 2022]
- When This Jewish Musician Visited a Church During Benediction, He Never Expected This to Happen - National Catholic Register - February 19th, 2022 [February 19th, 2022]
- Hymn Notes: All Creatures of Our God and King - Longview News-Journal - January 27th, 2022 [January 27th, 2022]
- His Blood Cries Out From the Ground!: Climate Change And Moral Corruption - Patheos - January 9th, 2022 [January 9th, 2022]
- Respect for the Body: A Response to Archbishop Jackels - National Catholic Register - November 19th, 2021 [November 19th, 2021]
- AFRICA - "It is on the old mat that we sit and weave the new one": Cop 26, for a return to the sacred - Agenzia Fides - November 9th, 2021 [November 9th, 2021]
- BANGLADESH Rising number of baptised among tribal people in Rajshahi - AsiaNews - October 19th, 2021 [October 19th, 2021]
- Did Einstein Believe in God? - bethinking.org - October 17th, 2021 [October 17th, 2021]
- Three Decades Later, This Classic Book About the New Age Is More Relevant Than Ever - National Catholic Register - October 1st, 2021 [October 1st, 2021]
- Book of a Lifetime: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight - The Independent - September 26th, 2021 [September 26th, 2021]
- Meditation Isnt Mere Therapy Its a Living Relationship With Almighty God - National Catholic Register - September 4th, 2021 [September 4th, 2021]
- Is Everything That Exists Part of God? (Pantheism) - August 28th, 2021 [August 28th, 2021]
- Home - Universal Pantheist Society - August 28th, 2021 [August 28th, 2021]
- 8 Major Worldviews (Part 1) | CrossExamined.org by Brian ... - August 26th, 2021 [August 26th, 2021]
- You shall have no other gods, including 'trivial' ones - The B.C. Catholic - August 26th, 2021 [August 26th, 2021]
- Religion Is Far Too Complex to Have a Single Evolution Story - Walter Bradley Center for Natural and Artificial Intelligence - August 6th, 2021 [August 6th, 2021]
- Is the Enlightenment Still a Foundation for Working-Class Liberation? - LA Progressive - August 6th, 2021 [August 6th, 2021]
- The Revival of Stoicism - VICE - July 5th, 2021 [July 5th, 2021]
- Jane Goodall Meets the God Hypothesis - Discovery Institute - May 27th, 2021 [May 27th, 2021]
- Parramatta Laity Make Their Voices Heard in Dispute With Their Bishop - National Catholic Register - May 14th, 2021 [May 14th, 2021]
- Matthew Wong Ink Works, Never Before Exhibited, Will Alight in New York - ARTnews - April 19th, 2021 [April 19th, 2021]
- Double Blind by Edward St Aubyn review in pursuit of knowledge - The Guardian - March 31st, 2021 [March 31st, 2021]
- How to Sound Like a Catholic When You Talk About Ashes and Death - National Catholic Register - February 25th, 2021 [February 25th, 2021]
- The consolation of philosophy during Covid darkness - Offaly Express - February 25th, 2021 [February 25th, 2021]
- What Is This 'QAnon' Thing They're Talking About? - Calbuzz - February 21st, 2021 [February 21st, 2021]
- Manifestations of Higher Meaning: On Dana Gioia's The Catholic Writer Today and Studying with Miss Bishop - Los Angeles Review of Books -... - February 10th, 2021 [February 10th, 2021]
- Arts Pantheon - The Daily Star - January 17th, 2021 [January 17th, 2021]
- Christmas and the birth of truth on earth - TheCable - January 1st, 2021 [January 1st, 2021]
- Pantheism | Definition of Pantheism by Merriam-Webster - November 29th, 2020 [November 29th, 2020]
- No writer was better suited to chronicle the Depression than John Steinbeck - Spectator.co.uk - November 29th, 2020 [November 29th, 2020]
- A world of mysticism and spirituality - Times of Malta - November 29th, 2020 [November 29th, 2020]
- WHAT IS 'SPIRITUALITY OF PLACE'? | Bret Thoman - Patheos - November 29th, 2020 [November 29th, 2020]
- Do Not Offend the Gods: 8 SFF Books Featuring Deities - tor.com - October 7th, 2020 [October 7th, 2020]
- Religion, Non-Reductive and Saturated, Gains Respect in Post-Modern Academic World - Patheos - May 29th, 2020 [May 29th, 2020]
- What's the difference between pandemic and epidemic? - ChicagoNow - March 31st, 2020 [March 31st, 2020]
- Porfiry Ivanov: what Stalin said the main freak of the USSR - International Law Lawyer News - March 24th, 2020 [March 24th, 2020]
- World Pantheism Revering the Universe, Caring for Nature ... - March 5th, 2020 [March 5th, 2020]
- Freeman Dyson: The Passing of an Iconoclastic Physicist - Discovery Institute - March 5th, 2020 [March 5th, 2020]
- Pantheism | Britannica - February 27th, 2020 [February 27th, 2020]
- Dan McCaslin: Nature and Shallowing the Mind - Noozhawk - January 28th, 2020 [January 28th, 2020]