3019 Pantheism: Using Nature as Spiritual Path (Repeat)

Speaker: Dr Paul Harrison

Sponsor: World Pantheist Movement

Prepared for UUA.org by: Dick Merritt, Reporter; Jone Johnson Lewis, Editor

An award-winning environmental writer, Dr. Paul Harrison, founder and president of World Pantheism (www.pantheism.net ), examined how deepening our connection with Nature and the Universe helps us embrace life, inspire our quest for knowledge and beauty, and guide ethics – without recourse to spirits, gods, or afterlives.

Dr. Harrison spoke of reverence of nature as a spiritual path with many names. Pantheism is just one of them. Among others are naturalistic paganism and eco-atheism.

Early in his talk, Harrison reminded us of the address many of us learned in school which went from street to city, state, country, continent, Earth, Solar system, Milky Way, Universe. He then showed a series of pictures, mostly from NASA, ranging from deep space to wonders here on the surface of the Earth. His point is that this is "awe and wonder" enough, without gods. Divinity can be found in the 26,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 stars.

Continuing with pictures like those of the aurora borealis, E. coli, plankton blooms, sea cucumbers, lichen, the rain forest, and flowering plants, Harrison told us, "the visual is what got me into pantheism." He contrasted his position with Humanism by showing insects, amphibians, birds, and deer. "They are not higher or lower – some are more complex than others, but there is no hierarchy."

"What does it take to consider something holy or sacred? It takes an awesome but fascinating mystery." The gods and God were an attempt by people to sum up their feelings.

Harrison feels that pantheism is a satisfying alternative to other religions. Names do not matter. Nature is all there is. It is awesome from astrophysics to quantum mechanics.

Much of the information Dr. Harrison presented in this workshop can be found in three pamphlets available on his web site .

The World Pantheist Movement is an "other Unitarian Universalist organization." These are organizations, often at start-up phase, that are not formally affiliated with the Association but are composed of Unitarian Universalists and are designed to support specific endeavors and interests.

The World Pantheist Movement (incorporated in 1998) is the largest pantheist membership organization in the USA. It promotes naturalistic pantheism, reverence of the Universe, love of and care for Nature, respect for human and animal rights, a celebratory approach to this life on this earth, and nature-oriented weddings and funerals. Through direct sponsorship, Internet drives and natural reserve schemes, it has saved 140 acres of habitat for wildlife. It encourages local groups and has many topical and local area-based email lists. Its beliefs and values are fully compatible with UUism and many Unitarian Universalists (including UU ministers) are members.

Full details of this group's purposes and organization can be found at www.pantheism.net .

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