This is a sample outline of a talk introducing Natural/scientific pantheism – a considerable expansion and systematization of a talk I gave to the philosophy society of Alleyn’s school, Dulwich, London on November 2 1999. I usually talk from outline notes rather than from a completed speech.

This outline is comprehensive and multipurpose. It should be shortened/modified/edited to use, eg for the following purposes:

  • Talking to a meeting of people who have responded to leaflets/ads in local paper
  • Making a presentation at a Unitarian Universalist church (an excellent audience and topic)
  • Giving a talk to local students or environmental group or atheist/humanist group

The talk should be tailored to the audience. Sections are indicated that can be omitted depending on the audience. The material on other religions should be used **very cautiously.** This is okay in the irreligious UK, but may go down less well in the USA. Use the material showing compatibilities with atheism and humanism **very cautiously** – in practice, these sections should only be used with  atheist or humanist audiences.

Outline

  1. SCIENTIFIC PANTHEISM: Revering the Universe, Caring for Nature, Celebrating Life
  2. 2. WHO ARE THE AUDIENCE? Ask people how they would define their previous or present religious orientation: Show of hands:
    1. Christians
    2. Other religions
    3. Atheists
    4. Agnostics
  3. THE TURNING POINT [Omit except for academics]
    1. a. The Millennium is not just a coincidence of numbers, we are at a real turning point
    2. b. Globalization of culture
    3. c. Spread of education to higher and higher levels
    4. d. Dominance and rapid advance of science
    5. e. Environmental challenge to planet
    6. f. Rising disbelief in older religions
    7. g. People are on religious quests as never before
    8. h. An age of religious ferment and creativity
      1. i. Real problems with traditional Western religions:
      2. i. This earth is merely a temporary stage – God himself will wind it up and replace it 
      3. ii. This life is only a passage to eternal life
      4. iii. The body is only a receptacle for the soul
      5. iv. Feeling of permanent guilt – you can never live up to jesus crucifixion
      6. v.  Self-consciousness: god is watching you
  4. ATHEISM/HUMANISM/AGNOSTICISM:  Education and science impel many people in this direction today. But are they enough?
    1. a. Agnosticism is, by definition, not an answer
      1.   i. Leaves doubter still seeking an answer
    2. b. Atheism is a negative answer
      1. i. No God, no greater being 
      2. ii. No soul, no spiritual side
      3. iii. No afterlife, no continuance
    3. c. Atheism provides no guidance 
      1. i. on attitude to life, universe or society
      2. ii. no means of coping with pain, stress, grief, death
    4. d. Humanism does provide guidance:
      1. i. We are responsible for our own ethics and values
      2. e. but
      3. i. Too human-centred given human atrocities & follies
      4. ii. Insufficient stress on environment
      5. iii. Lack of emotional satisfaction
  5. MOST PEOPLE NEED RELIGION – WHY?
    1. a. Many people can do without religion
    2. b. But many – perhaps most – can’t. 
    3. c. Why? Because humans are vulnerable.
    4. d. Alone and adrift in a vast universe
    5. e. Subject to stress and pain
    6. f. Face to face with one’s own death
    7. g. Subject to grief over death of others
    8. h. Needing social support & company in an isolating social setting
  6. WHAT DO THEY NEED AND DEMAND OF A RELIGION?
    1. a. A higher reality greater than self or humans
    2. b. Ways of dealing with death
    3. c. Ways of coping with life’s problems:
      1. i. Stress
      2. ii. Grief
      3. iii. Pain
    4. d. Social support
  7. 7. AN “IDEAL RELIGION” would have all these general requirements, plus:
    1. a. No improbabilities 
    2. b. Logically consistent
    3. c. Consistent with science or even, positive about science
    4. d. Concerned with environment
    5. e. Concerned with human and animal rights
  8. THE MAJOR BELIEFS AND PRACTICES OF SCIENTIFIC PANTHEISM: The major slogan is: Revering the Universe, Caring for Nature, Celebrating Life
  9. REVERING THE UNIVERSE AND NATURE
    1. a. Core belief of all pantheism is: The Universe is God
    2. b. In our case: the Universe is the supreme reality
      1. i. Religious reverence for the Universe and Nature.
      2. ii. You get an idea of this looking at the ocean or Milky Way – just involves taking that feeling a little bit further.
    3. c. Second core belief: The Universe is a unity.
      1. i. Originated together in Big Bang. Linked by gravity, light
    4. d. Life on earth is a unity.
      1. i. We share core DNA with all organisms
      2. ii. We evolved together with Earth
      3. iii. Earth co-evolved with life, now forms a system – Gaia hypothesis
    5. e. We are an inseparable part of that unity.
  10. THE ETHICS OF UNITY
    1. a. All things are of value – living things have interests which should be respected
    2. b. Loving care for the environment
      1. i. Respect for animal rights
      2. ii. Preservation of diversity of nature  
      3. iii. Sustainable ways of life
      4. iv. However, humans also have rights (eg, life, security, shelter), so sometimes there are difficult conflicts to resolve.
    3. c. All humans are equal centers of awareness of Universe
      1. i. Equal right to dignity and respect 
      2. ii. Respect for human rights, justice, freedom
      3. iii. Freedom from poverty
  11. CELEBRATING LIFE
    1. a. Positive attitude to life
      1. i. Not just a staging post towards heaven
      2. ii. Our only life, so make the most of it
    2. b. Positive attitude to body
      1. i. Not just a container for the soul
      2. ii. No disapproval of private activities that do no harm – Wiccan principle: “If it harms no-one, do what you will.”
    3. c. Positive attitude to earth
      1. i. Not just a theatre for God’s plan
      2. ii. The only paradise we will ever see, and it really is a paradise
      3. iii. Provided we take care of it
  12.  CELEBRATION AND CEREMONY
    1. a. Ceremony: celebration and strengthening of belief 
      1. i. Seasons of sun, moon and earth
      2. ii. Seasons of life
        1.    (1) Child dedication
        2.    (2) Marriage
        3.     (3) Funeral
      3. iii. Daily practice
        1.     (1) Rising and retiring
        2.     (2) Mealtimes
      4. iv. Meditation and practice of union
    2. b. No salaried permanent priesthood. Freedom of religious expression
  13. 12. ACCEPTING DEATH
    1. a. No dualism of mind and matter
      1. i. Mind and spirit are aspects of the body 
      2. ii. There is no separate soul
    2. b. But there is natural continuance
      1. i. Memories of the living
      2. ii. Actions
      3. iii. Heredity
      4. iv. Recycling of elements
    3. c. Natural death
      1. i. Natural burials and cremation
        1. (1) Simple coffins or shrouds
        2. (2) Natural places for burial or ashes
  14. COPING WITH STRESS – PAIN – GRIEF – DEATH
    1. a. Stress: 
      1. i. Nature therapy
      2. ii. Meditation, practice of “union” or “grounding” in one’s physical nature.
    2. b. Pain: Stoicism, acceptance
      1. i. The Universe is what it is
      2. ii. Not set up for our convenience, not created by a perfect mind
    3. c. Grief: entering fully into grief and transcending it
    4. d. Death
      1. i. Recycling in nature provides idea of rest
      2. ii. Real persistence provides idea of continuance
  15. NATURALISM & PHYSICALISM
    1. a. Naturalism
      1. i. There are no supernatural entities.
      2. ii. Everything that exists is part of the natural order
    2. b. Acceptance of science
      1. i. Recognition that science is always evolving
      2. ii. Does not mean we endorse any technology
    3. c. Physicalism or materialism
      1. i. There is only one kind of substance, energy/matter
    4. d. Possibility of feeling Union with nature/universe
  16. ADVANTAGES OF SP
    1. a. No faith requirement
      1. i. What you see is what you get
      2. ii. The truth is in front of your nose
      3. iii. Believing in your senses and science
    2. b. No split personality
      1. i. Rationality in ordinary life, rationality in religion
    3. c. Positive attitude to life, body, earth
    4. d. Deep emotional satisfaction that most religions provide, perhaps even deeper since it encourages deeper appreciation of one’s daily life, body, natural world.
      1.    i. Absence of usual costs to reason
  17. COMPATIBILITIES [**OMIT THIS ** unless audience is mainly full of atheists/humanists/sceptics] — Scientific Pantheism is 100% compatible with
    1. a. Atheism: there is no personal creator God
    2. b. Humanism: humans alone are responsible for choosing our values. No God can do it for us.
    3. c. Existentialism: We choose our own purpose, we are not given a purpose.
    4. d. Philosophical Taoism, Western Zen, paganism minus magic & polytheism
    5. e. Effectively fills the emotional gap in atheism and humanism
  18. WHY ORGANIZE?
    1. a. To put pantheists in touch with each other and to create local groups
    2. b. To make pantheism known as a sane and healthy religious alternative
    3. c. To create a network of celebrants for pantheist namings, weddings, funerals
    4. d. To provide for pantheist funeral services/burial places/nature reserves.
    5. e. Other religions organize, why exclude this set of ideas?
    6. f. Christianity has 5 million full-time workers
      1. i. 415,000 missionaries, 4,700 missionary agencies, mission income $12bn
      2. ii. 33,700 Christian periodicals, 3770 Christian radio & TV stations
      3. iii. 68m complete bibles per year, 106m New Testaments, 2 billion Bible selections
      4. iv. We have a long way to go to catch up!!
  19. WHY HAVE CREDO?
    1. a. Not dogma, not a requirement of membership.
    2. b. Should be regarded as a “Notice on the Door” to tell people what we are about, so they can decide whether to join us or not.
  20. ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?ADDITIONAL MATERIAL ON OTHER RELIGIONS, DEPENDING ON AUDIENCE
  21. Let’s look at the main options [Omit if looking solely at Sci-Pan]
    1. a. Traditional Western religions
    2. b. Eastern religions
    3. c. Agnosticism, atheism, humanism
    4. d. Scientific Pantheism
  22. THE MAJOR WESTERN RELIGIONS: Christianity, Judaism, Islam
    1.   a. Problem of God
      1.   i. Absence of God: invisible. No clear signs. No clear proofs.
        1.    (1) Ontological definition –
        2.    (2) Cosmological: cause
        3.    (3) Teleological: design 
        4.    (4) Ethical: basis for morals
        5.    (5) Experiential: I have felt God
      2. ii. Problem of evil: how can a loving God create beings capable of evil?
        1.   (1) Free will – but why not limit free will to choices among good actions? Eg, where I should go on holiday – not whether I should massacre 20 schoolchildren.
      3. iii. “God’s evil”: disasters, epidemics, death of innocents.
      4.    (1) “God’s unfathomable wisdom” is no answer.
    2.   b. Grim perspective
      1. i. These are Doomsday religions: the end of world is nigh
        1.     (1) Doomsday has been put off for millennia, but still nigh. Claim can never be disproved.
      2. ii. Heaven & Hell give preachers powers over minds and purses
        1.     (1) Fear of Hell & hope of heaven makes people believe things they otherwise would not. 
        2.     (2) Makes people contribute high share of their income
    3.   c. Miracles and improbabilities
      1.   i. Christianity: virgin birth, miracles, resurrection
      2. ii. Judaism: Moses’ revelation & miracles
      3. iii. Islam: Mohammed’s revelation & miracles
  23. PROBLEMS SPECIFIC TO CHRISTIANITY
    1.   a. Illogicality: trinity/unity; human/div 
    2.   b. Inadequate concern about environment (esp xtianity – fig tree and gadarene swine)
  24. 23. EASTERN RELIGIONS [**OMIT IF PRESENTING ONLY POSITIVE SIDE OF SCIPAN]: Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism
    1.   a. In philosophical form, far fewer impossibilities and logical contradictions. No God, no miracles.
    2.   b. Environmentally concerned
    3.   c. Excellent methods for stress reduction
    4.   d. Some problems: 
      1. i. Reincarnation (to be avoided)
      2. ii. Idealism, world as illusion, world rejection
      3. iii. Guruism, arduous spiritual training
      4. iv. Esotericism and complexity
  25. PAGANISM [OMIT IF PRESENTING ONLY POSITIVE SIDE OF SCIPAN]
    1.   a. Environmental
    2.   b. Emotionally and aesthetically exciting
      1. i. Good ceremonies
      2. ii. Good settings
      3. iii. Nice costumes & props
    3.   c. But again, drawbacks:
      1. i. Magick
      2. ii. Many gods, or at least two: Goddess and God