Ouroboros Posted June 22, 2005 Share Posted June 22, 2005 I have to rush, and be back later, so I won't make my distinction between them all, but this topic should be to explain the differences between the general "God" related beliefs. What are the differences between Pantheism, Monotheism (Theism), Deism, Naturalism. And where does Pagan, Wicca and others fit in... This is a pretty big topic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qadeshet Posted June 22, 2005 Share Posted June 22, 2005 This a very complex subject. I hope the following will help. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Monotheism (in Greek monon = single and Theos = God) is the belief in a single, universal, all-encompassing deity. Pantheism (Greek: pan = all and Theos = God) literally means "God is All" and "All is God". It is the view that everything is of an all-encompassing immanent God; or that the universe, or nature, and God are equivalent. Theism, a term that can refer to the belief in a 'personal' god, that is, a single god with a distinctive personality, rather than just a divine force. Deism is a form of monotheism in which it is believed that one god exists. However, a deist rejects the idea that this god intervenes in the world. Hence any notion of special revelation is impossible, and the nature of god can only be known through reason and observation from nature. A deist thus rejects the miraculous, and the claim to knowledge made for religious groups and texts. "Naturalism" refers to a number of different topics: Philosophical naturalism: the view that nothing exists but the world — that there are no supernatural entities. Ethical naturalism: the theory that ethical terms can be defined in non-ethical terms. Natural history: a broad area of the natural sciences concerned with living things. Methodological naturalism: the philosophical tenet that, within scientific enquiry, one can only use natural explanations; that is, one's explanations must not make reference to the existence of supernatural forces and entities. Sociological naturalism: the view that natural world and social world are roughly identical and governed by similar principles. Within a European Christian context, paganism is a catch-all term which has come to connote a broad set of not necessarily compatible religious beliefs and practices of a natural religion (as opposed to a revealed religion of a text), which are usually, but not necessarily, characterized by polytheism and, less commonly, animism. Wicca refers to the religion of witchcraft. This can be a reference to both the initiatory tradition, where initiates are assigned a degree and generally work in covens, and to Solitary Wicca, where practitioners self-dedicate themselves to the tradition and generally practice on their own. Both Initiates and Solitary Wiccans worship the Goddess, with most also choosing to worship the God, and both celebrate the Sabbats and Esbats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ouroboros Posted June 22, 2005 Author Share Posted June 22, 2005 Nice, thanks Gadeshet, and welcome to the site. I don't think I've seen you before? Good to have you here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidhe Posted June 22, 2005 Share Posted June 22, 2005 There's also henotheism, which states that there's one divine power with many aspects. Hinduism is more akin to that than hard polytheism. In addition, many Wiccan groups adhere more to henotheistic views than polytheistic, in that there's one divine that is represented by a god and goddess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mythra Posted June 22, 2005 Share Posted June 22, 2005 As I understand it, the difference between monotheism and pantheism is that in monotheism, god is separate from his creation. In pantheism, he (or it) is not. Here is a little blurb on pantheism from a christian perspective. Hi Amanda Pantheism is the view that god is everything and everyone - and that everyone and everything is god. Pantheism is similar to polythieism (the belief in many gods), but goes beyond polytheism to teach that everything is God. A tree is god, a rock is god, an animal is god, the sky is god, the sun is God, you are God, etc. etc. Pantheism is the presupposition behind many cults and false religions (i.e. Hinduism and Buddhism to an extent, the various unity and unifications cults, mother nature worshippoers, etc.) Does the bible teach pantheism? No, it does not. What many people confuse as pantheism is the doctrine of god's omnipresence. Psalms 139:7-8 declares, "Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from you presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there." God's omnipresence means He is present everywhere. There is no place in the universe where God is not present. This is not the same thing as Pantheism. God is everywhere, but He is not everything. Yes, god is "present" inside a tree and inside a person, but that does not make that tree or person god. Pantheism is not at all a biblical belief. Pantheism is incompatible with faith in Jesus Christ as the Savior. For informational purposes only. Don't any of you yay-hoos go accusing me of being a thumper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueGiant Posted June 24, 2005 Share Posted June 24, 2005 Actually, a Jesuit in the 1930's, DeChardin (I think I have the spelling right), wrote a set of papers that the natural result and course of christianity was to become pantheistic. Suffice it to say that he was asked not to publish at the time (they were finally published in the 1960's I believe, been a while since the course I took where I ran into his work). It was an interesting set of papers to say the least. As far as Wicca and Paganism goes...well, saying that it is across the board doesn't do it justice. From the range of stuff you run into there (especially among the fluffy-bunny types) it is more across the hypercube. While I guess the most mainstream version of Wicca is duotheistic, there are some goddess only traditions (Dianic being the biggest) and I am pretty sure there are some god only ones as well, though I've not heard of them. Now in the more general pagan category, including a lot of reconstructionists (polytheistic, though some may hold one god/ess above others), heathens, ecclectics, and stranger beasts. Suffice it to say that a lot of people have come up with a lot of ideas. As for little-old me, I tend to see gods as more of an interface, a way to get some insight into how the universe works, what underpins it is an impersonal force of nature, almost. Not sure what that actually would make me in proper terminology. *drops the 2 cents* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scitsofreaky Posted June 26, 2005 Share Posted June 26, 2005 Oh, and don't forget panendeism, which is like a mix between pantheism and deism. Basically, it is deism, but they believe that the universe is part of god. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sokudo Ningyou Posted June 26, 2005 Share Posted June 26, 2005 Actually, a Jesuit in the 1930's, DeChardin (I think I have the spelling right), wrote a set of papers that the natural result and course of christianity was to become pantheistic. Suffice it to say that he was asked not to publish at the time (they were finally published in the 1960's I believe, been a while since the course I took where I ran into his work). It was an interesting set of papers to say the least. Teilhard De chardin. A Jesuit who theorized that mankind was evolving towards the Godhead, or Omega Point; basically, that all organic consciousness was moving to become one with God, and that Jesus Christ was the perfect example of such. The ultimate consciousness. Definitely an interesting man, who inspired some favourite fiction books of mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NimbusBirdMgp Posted June 29, 2005 Share Posted June 29, 2005 ... From what I am gathering. Biosphere Earth (To Me.), Is a Vivarium in the Universe to a Deist. I think the Earth is just going about in life possibly as an experiment to some Universal Deist. ... As Science has discovered there was Dinosaurs 70 million years ago on this Earth without man. The Diversed Life and Fictional Like creatures we would think of today. Seems like Nature has beat us on those imaginations in the Past. I think some of this Life has to have some Intelligent Design to have the Adapations to live with the biological features all life gets to exhibit. ... As for us, it seems like we are in another period for Entertaining this Universe Deist. Just to see what the Outcome would be, by how all the elements and chemistry can behave in the matter that this Universe is unraveling and unspiraling. And in this we can see how evolution works. ... So I'm getting a little convinced that there is likely a Universe Deist and we simply need to find our Life with this Nature Earth. Biosphere Earth. Just be what we are and live to the fullist. Would only be the means of making this Universe Deist happy. ... As I observe the ancestry of Dinosaurs, which are Birds today. They just live to their own hearts content and I find happiness in their happiness. Seems to make better sense than living on Morals. There is a Natural moral if we just keep ourselves in tune with it. I don't think we have to work up a system like Religion has been made by man to find it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NimbusBirdMgp Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 I think this Thread got lost of view after Posting in it yesterday (?) So I'm bumping it ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Arcos Plage Posted August 24, 2006 Share Posted August 24, 2006 Oh, and don't forget panendeism, which is like a mix between pantheism and deism. Basically, it is deism, but they believe that the universe is part of god. There are a few more. Panendeism extends from the much older term, Pandeism (just as Panentheism extends from the much older term, Pantheism). Pandeism, of course, is just a Deistic perspective on Pantheism. The universe is god, with the Deistic twist that god was around before there was a universe, and god created the universe (but since the universe is god, obviously god created the universe from himself). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaura Posted August 25, 2006 Share Posted August 25, 2006 In my experience, Wiccans tend to run in the duotheist category (the Lord and the Lady) although there are a lot who see the love of the Lord and the Lady make them "as if one". Druids are mostly polytheist, as are Asatru. More eclectic souls of Pagan thought can also be pantheist or monotheist. I think it's important to mention that the nature of the Gods/ God/ the All/ Spirit etc is something that Pagans (outside of a specific set tradition that is) have a fair amount of flexibility about. I suppose that's one reason why Wicca and Paganism is so popular these days-- there's not a lot of "thou must believe" like there is in Christianity. There are huge portals between the sketchy lines that await the individual practioner's inspiration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abiyoyo Posted August 25, 2006 Share Posted August 25, 2006 Theres also fitinrejectisism.(Greek - Infitio-rejectai-isism) This a belief founded on the direct reject from peers in which causes a life altering experience into a scenerio where that person feels like they fit into another group, causing a haulucination of some sort resulting in a feeling of freedom or an eye opening experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ouroboros Posted August 25, 2006 Author Share Posted August 25, 2006 Is that related to Nonpeerism then, or maybe Aloneism? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asimov Posted August 25, 2006 Share Posted August 25, 2006 Pantheism, Monotheism (Theism), Deism, Naturalism. 1. Stupid - Monotheism. 2. Meaningless - Pantheism. 3. Intellectually dishonest - Deism. 4. Congruent with observations - Naturalism. And where does Pagan, Wicca and others fit in... Somewhere between stupid and meaningless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crunk Bishop Posted August 27, 2006 Share Posted August 27, 2006 there's also "monism" or the belief that the universe is all "one substance." Leibniz played with it some. it's like pantheism, except "divine reality" is imagined as that material substance rather than some spiritual essence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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