Spinoza Pantheism Defined

No, I don't think there is any true spectrum. There looks to be from a purely sensorial view of life, but in my theology, there is not.

Not yet, but here is as close as I have come to the traditional EvC faith statement. Message 129

Sorry about my late reply, have been a bit distracted. One who seriously and actively seeks God beyond the constraints of church or conflicting authorities seeks communion beyond tradition. Any complete loss of subject/object distinction would require a perfect knowledge of God and Nature, an impossibility. Spinoza is about democracy, equality, and knowledge, not royalty, deference, and willful ignorance. I'm not completely sure what you mean here, please feel free to elaborate.Clearly, despite the dualism, Christians seek a unity with God. Perhaps instead of often cursing themselves as fallen, they should start by looking within for the sake of an honest assessment.Edited by anglagard, : clarityEdited by anglagard, : spelin

It is something of this looking and striving for unity, such a necessary element of christian daily life, which innately leads to the average christian's distrust of pantheism. How strange, they feel, to think there is nothing to strive for! How strange to say God is already here!Ovbviously you have shown that there is something to strive for in pantheism. Something of a 'fallen' nature perhaps as well? Since we are in a sense called to be 'better' or more in touch with unity, than our purely physical senses can unite us, we are 'fallen' from this union in much the same way as christianity?

But is it your theology or your perceptions? Your theology flavors your view of life, but it is not the sole source and foundation, eh? Your view of life also influences your theology.Do you agree that actions can be classified as {good\bad\indifferent} depending on personal sensorial (ie subjective) views -- with a different view for each person? This is the only way to avoid a spectrum - by having a matrix that is tied to subjective viewpoints.Any reference to an absolute viewpoint would be a spectrum. And only with an absolute viewpoint could there be an absolute evil, and without an absolute there really is no evil ... just the appearance of it?Enjoy.

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I am not entirely sure of what you are asking. I will again explain my perceptions of God, i.e., my theology, and can only hope that it will cover your query.God/Source is absolute Good. There is on earth no absolute knowledge of good. We perceive a spectrum of relative morals ranging from very good to very bad. On one end we see no absolute good because we have not yet known such. We do believe that absolutes exist, and we call these ideals. Ideals do not exist outside of our imagination.On the opposite end, we see no absolute evil. There is no absolute evil, as in, there is no Source of Evil waiting at the other end. Our perceptions of evil are relative to our understanding and view of Absolute Good.