Comments on: Understanding Spinoza http://therationalgod.wordpress.com/2007/11/05/understanding-spinoza/ Sun, 26 Apr 2009 06:18:39 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: abaris23 http://therationalgod.wordpress.com/2007/11/05/understanding-spinoza/#comment-54 abaris23 Mon, 23 Feb 2009 23:44:21 +0000 http://therationalgod.wordpress.com/2007/11/05/understanding-spinoza/#comment-54 Correction: Harrison pretends to speak for pantheism in general, not atheism in general (though maybe he should do the latter). Correction: Harrison pretends to speak for pantheism in general, not atheism in general (though maybe he should do the latter).

]]> By: abaris23 http://therationalgod.wordpress.com/2007/11/05/understanding-spinoza/#comment-53 abaris23 Mon, 23 Feb 2009 23:41:48 +0000 http://therationalgod.wordpress.com/2007/11/05/understanding-spinoza/#comment-53 There is indeed a difference between Pantheism and Scientific Pantheism. The latter is also known as Naturalistic Pantheism, and *should* be known as Materialistic Pantheism. It is mostly propagated through the World Pantheist movement, frowns on the use of the word God, holds a 100% naturalistic (read: materialistic) outlook. It is mostly propagated through the World Pantheist Movement, which has split from another Pantheist organization (whose name I don't remember at the moment) because the latetr was too broad-minded and allowed in all kinds of non-materialists (The Horror!) The founder of the WPM, Dr Paul Harrison, has explicitly stated that the description of Scientific Pantheists as "nature-loving atheists" is quite correct, and has publicly endorsed Richard Dawkins' statement that pantheism is nothing but "sexed-up atheism". What angers me most about people like Harrison is that they pretend to speak for atheism in general. Harrison is on record as stating that *pantheism* is sexed-up atheism or atheism for nature lovers, not *Scientific Pantheism*, and he seems to be actively trying to spread that view, in effect hijacking a tradition, thousnads of years old, to propagate just another form of materialist atheism. For instance, read this article in the New Statesman: http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/the-faith-column/2008/06/universe-atheism-pantheist-god There is indeed a difference between Pantheism and Scientific Pantheism. The latter is also known as Naturalistic Pantheism, and *should* be known as Materialistic Pantheism. It is mostly propagated through the World Pantheist movement, frowns on the use of the word God, holds a 100% naturalistic (read: materialistic) outlook.

It is mostly propagated through the World Pantheist Movement, which has split from another Pantheist organization (whose name I don’t remember at the moment) because the latetr was too broad-minded and allowed in all kinds of non-materialists (The Horror!)

The founder of the WPM, Dr Paul Harrison, has explicitly stated that the description of Scientific Pantheists as “nature-loving atheists” is quite correct, and has publicly endorsed Richard Dawkins’ statement that pantheism is nothing but “sexed-up atheism”. What angers me most about people like Harrison is that they pretend to speak for atheism in general. Harrison is on record as stating that *pantheism* is sexed-up atheism or atheism for nature lovers, not *Scientific Pantheism*, and he seems to be actively trying to spread that view, in effect hijacking a tradition, thousnads of years old, to propagate just another form of materialist atheism.

For instance, read this article in the New Statesman:

http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/the-faith-column/2008/06/universe-atheism-pantheist-god

]]> By: therationalgod http://therationalgod.wordpress.com/2007/11/05/understanding-spinoza/#comment-7 therationalgod Sat, 10 Nov 2007 09:46:55 +0000 http://therationalgod.wordpress.com/2007/11/05/understanding-spinoza/#comment-7 Jpmanzi, The answers to your questions would probably depend on who you were talking to. I think the phrase "scientific pantheism" is just alluding to the fact that pantheism does not make any irrational assumptions. If science decrees some fact or idea then pantheists wouldn't wish to deny that fact. So they probably are the same, but why anyone adds the term scientific I am not really sure. The second part, is pantheism just another name for spiritual atheism is a more difficult question. I am sure that there are some who would call themselves spiritual atheists and pantheists at the same time. However, I don't think a spiritual atheist is necessarily a pantheist, nor is a pantheist a spiritual atheist. So no they are not the same. There may be some overlap between the two but there is also plenty of scope for a person to be one and not the other. Jpmanzi,

The answers to your questions would probably depend on who you were talking to. I think the phrase “scientific pantheism” is just alluding to the fact that pantheism does not make any irrational assumptions. If science decrees some fact or idea then pantheists wouldn’t wish to deny that fact. So they probably are the same, but why anyone adds the term scientific I am not really sure.

The second part, is pantheism just another name for spiritual atheism is a more difficult question. I am sure that there are some who would call themselves spiritual atheists and pantheists at the same time. However, I don’t think a spiritual atheist is necessarily a pantheist, nor is a pantheist a spiritual atheist. So no they are not the same.

There may be some overlap between the two but there is also plenty of scope for a person to be one and not the other.

]]> By: jpmanzi http://therationalgod.wordpress.com/2007/11/05/understanding-spinoza/#comment-6 jpmanzi Tue, 06 Nov 2007 04:23:18 +0000 http://therationalgod.wordpress.com/2007/11/05/understanding-spinoza/#comment-6 Geez, Took me forever to find your site again. Accidently deleted it off the blogroll. I really need to do my homework on pantheism. Is there any difference between Pantheism and Scientific Pantheism. In no way do I mean to belittile pantheism by asking this but is PAN just another name for spiritual atheism> Geez,

Took me forever to find your site again. Accidently deleted it off the blogroll. I really need to do my homework on pantheism. Is there any difference between Pantheism and Scientific Pantheism. In no way do I mean to belittile pantheism by asking this but is PAN just another name for spiritual atheism>

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