Pantheism: The New World Religion - Part 4

By Allan E. McNabb

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.