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Pantheism is the reverence of nature, with scientific
Pantheists believing that the universe and nature are
divine.
This ideology is quickly permeating our culture, both
socially and religiously.
Religious Green Movement
Just this week, I received an unsolicited email from
Sparkhouse, advertising their Vacation Bible School
curriculum called ReNew: The Green VBS, which
was created to empower kids to "change the world" (wearesparkhouse.com/renew).
The two testimonials on the ReNew website demonstrate
what I'm talking about in this series. The first one
is from a man who is one of the VBS writers. And the
second is by a woman who also seems to be on the team
that created the VBS, but she doesn't make such an admission
in the video.
In the first testimonial, the man says the ReNew VBS
is practical, fun, and a hands-on-way to get kids outside,
into nature and the environment. He says students immediately
see ways their actions can make an impact in their community
and the world at large. As a result, he hopes to see
kids doing all sorts of wonderful things, to get out
there and fall in love with the environment, to embrace
God's creation, to go forward and make a difference,
and grow into adults who create a nurturing place for
future generations.
In the second testimonial, the woman says the VBS
is one of the more groovy ways to reach a large, wonderful
population of people who really want to make a difference
in God's world. She thinks the best way to make a difference
and make a change is through the children -- if you
can teach the children all sorts of ways of sustainability
and green practices, especially if you can reach a wide
audience, it could take over the world.
There are other green Bible study curriculums circulating
about, and there are green Bibles containing the verses
in green believed to be relevant to climate and ecology.
As Christians, we must realize that groups of people
around the world see the green movement as a religious
movement. The spiritual Greens believe that using churches
to indoctrinate people, especially children, is an effective
way of changing the world.
Pantheism: Worship Through Participation with Nature
Pantheists' worship is not obeisance to a supernatural
being, as Christians' worship of Jehovah, because they
don't believe in supernatural beings.
To Pantheists, nature and the universe are divine.
Therefore, their participation with what they believe
to be divine, is their worship.
The second and third belief statements of the World
Pantheism Movement shed light on this topic (http://www.pantheism.net/manifest.htm).
- "All matter, energy, and life are an interconnected
unity of which we are an inseparable part. We rejoice
in our existence and seek to participate ever more
deeply in this unity through knowledge, celebration,
meditation, empathy, love, ethical action and art."
- "We are an integral part of Nature, which we should
cherish, revere and preserve in all its magnificent
beauty and diversity. We should strive to live
in harmony with Nature locally and globally. We
acknowledge the inherent value of all life, human
and non-human, and strive to treat all living beings
with compassion and respect."
Pantheists seek to participate with nature, be unified
with nature, and live in harmony with nature. Therefore
they worship nature in this way, by rejoicing in their
existence and seeking to participate ever more deeply
in this unity through knowledge, celebration, meditation,
empathy, love, ethical action and art. This worship
may include anything a Pantheist deems helpful, including
prayer, meditation, contemplation, and visualization.
When Christians worship (make obeisance to) Jehovah,
we participate with Him, have union with Him, and live
in harmony with Him. Our worship is based on the truth
revealed in God's word (Jn. 4:24; 17:17), not upon seeking
unity with nature.
Pantheism: Immortality Through Participation With
Nature
Pantheists' don't believe in personal immortality.
They don't believe in the resurrection, or that their
spirit is eternal.
Rather, Pantheists believe they are personally
mortal, but impersonally immortality. They
strive to elevate to an immortal level of life, so their
impact on the universe is everlasting, as the goodness
of their deeds continues for eternity, although they
are dead. This immortality comes by being one with nature,
thereby participating with the divine unity, and participating
with nature to bring about what they perceive is good.
C. Amryc writes in his book, Pantheism, The Light
and Hope of Modern Reason that Pantheists believe
the level of their participation with nature reflects
their intellect and immortality.
- "As we participate in all those more complex
units of intellect and emotion, to just that degree
will we be immortal, as the unit to which they belong
is immortal. We only call immortality the next
higher step of existence, which, by degrees, brings
us to still higher ones" (Pantheism,
The Light and Hope of Modern Reason, by C. Amryc,
1898).
God's Word: Worship and Immortality
The Bible doesn't tell us to worship through self-contrived
ideas of participation with nature, which results in
impersonal immortality.
God tells us to worship in truth, which is only revealed
in His word (Jn. 4:24; 17:17). In other words, when
we obey God's word, we humbly submit ourselves to Him
in everything, and thus worship Him.
God also tells us that all men are personally
immortal. People who obey Him will live forever in heaven,
and those who disobey will live forever in hell (Matt.
25:31-46).
As Christians, our faith is grounded in God's word.
We worship God rather than nature, and seek to live
forever with Him in heaven.
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