A few months ago, my best friend, Kayla, and I had this revelation about the universe. We talked about how everything in the universe is connected, that everything is made of the universe. We’re just a small part of an infinity and in the grand scheme of things, nothing really matters. We just have to be good to ourselves, others, and nature. It went a lot further than that, but it really stuck with us and made a huge impact on our lives. Coming from an Atheist, it’s nice to have something to believe in that’s not exactly religious. Shortly after this, Kayla showed me a post on Facebook about something called Pantheism. She said it’s basically the belief that the universe is God and everything in it is a form of God. I thought this was an amazing thing, so I decided to do some research on it.
According to World Pantheism, Pantheism “moves beyond ‘God’” and “takes Nature and the Universe as the start and finish point.” Pantheism is one of only forms of spirituality that focuses on nature and may be the only form of spirituality that embraces science. This form of spirituality is accepting of all human beings and is against any and all forms of discrimination. Pantheism also promotes positivity, unity, and a hopeful approach to life.
There are a few key principles of Pantheism. The first is appreciation and sense of belonging to nature and the universe. This is a basic summary of what Pantheism is in general. The second principle is to respect and care for all beings, not just humans. Pantheists believe that we are not superior to nature, we are just a part of it. Because we are a part of nature, we must respect it and care for it when it needs help. The third principle is to celebrate life. We need to celebrate the life and consciousness we have, and accept life at its best and worst. The fourth principle is to have a strong sense of naturalism. This means Pantheists do not believe in the “supernatural realms, afterlives, beings, or forces.” No ghosts, no life after death, no nothing. The fifth principle is the respect for science, evidence, and reasoning as the best way to understand the universe. As mentioned before, this may be the only religion/spiritual belief system that fully accepts science. The sixth principle of Pantheism is “non-discrimination, religious tolerance, freedom of and from religion, and complete separation of state and religion.” Pantheism describes itself as not being religious, but spiritual. It accepts all form of religion, but religion and politics needs to be separate.
In all, Pantheism is a very unique spirituality. While I do not believe in God and am not religious, I do identify with many of the ideas behind this belief system. I do believe that everything in the universe is connected and that being a part of nature means respecting all aspects of it. I believe in tolerance, love, and celebrating the life and consciousness we have. I am going to continue researching this spirituality, and I urge you to find something that connects with your beliefs.
All of the information in this article was taken from World Pantheism: Revering the Universe, Caring for Nature, Celebrating Life. Visit their website for more information: pantheism.net.
