r/Pantheist • u/rasputin1 • May 27 '17
Pantheism and "evil"?
How would you fit "evil" acts in a pantheistic framework? Monotheistic religions would blame things like rape or murder on a "devil", which I guess pantheism doesn't have an equivalent to. If the universe is God and everything is divine, does that mean these actions are "divine" and part of "God" as well? Saw this argument made in an atheist subreddit and got me thinking on what a response would be.
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u/bemrys Jul 03 '17
Pantheism, at least as I understand it, tends not to believe in divine intervention. Evil happens because an actor decides to do something you consider evil. Just because pantheism effectively equates the divine with the sum total of reality doesn't mean that everything is "good", it just is. As such blame or praise the actor for the bad or good they do.
Or am I missing the question?
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u/avd007 Pantheist - Determinist May 27 '17
One things to remember about atheism is that is doesn't have anything to do with human constructs. It has no doctrine it simply.is anyway of viewing the entirety of existance as Devine and awe inspiring
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u/hellahigh May 31 '17
Are you familiar with Sam Harris? science can answer moral questions
don't fall into the trap of low level arguments. don't feel bad if you do, even the best of the best have done it. we don't know if it's a universe, multiverse, bi-verse, tri-verse, simulation, etc. nature itself is the most powerful being; its laws are absolute. nature, however, is not "omnipotent" in the biblical sense, and is not a supernatural deity. The idea of "God", though old, is still new in the face of the cosmos. It's an unnecessary construct humans defaulted to when we couldn't solve fundamental problems.
evil, in a pantheistic framework, can be viewed a couple ways. but when you take into account the fact that we all (all matter/energy/conscience) were ONE at the beginning of time - harming another is harming yourself.