A lot of questions about this, lately. In the pantheist view, humans have a bit of the same nature as the source (god, if you insist). It is commonly called spirit. It is there in the most powerful dogooder to the lowest scammer, drug user, murdering rapist. Each is a soul/spirit evolving to a higher value. I believe that it was voideater who described it well. He/she said something to the affect that we are all parts through which a being is experiencing. He said it better. Perhaps he will restate it here.
Animals are seen as also having evolving spirits. Also bugs, gnats and rats. Even the grass has a form of it.
In this view, there is a familiarity, a connection felt w everything.
Of course, this is all theoretical, and cannot be proven. But, i thought that i would write this as an available alternate view.
S
Ps, they say that a pantheist is one step away from being atheist ;)
Intrinsic Human Value
by Satanus 14 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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Satanus
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Sirona
Thats my view.
Sirona
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hamilcarr
Ps, they say that a pantheist is one step away from being atheist ;)
Nice hypothesis. Contrary to theism, pantheists still believe in the intrinsic human value which is even supposed to be divine (as Sirona once explained to me). Christian posters on JWD seem to rebut the intrinsic value of every human being. I think pan(en)theism is worth our attention and appreciation.
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Sirona
Contrary to theism, pantheists still believe in the intrinsic human value which is even supposed to be divine (as Sirona once explained to me).
Someone actually listened to me! LOL
Yes, I believe that we humans are connected to and part of God and have divinity within.
Sirona
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Satanus
The vast majority of christianity holds jesus as being of the same nature as god. However, they draw the line at jesus. A pantheist merely needs to extend that principle across the universe, to borrow a phrase ;) The nonspiritual heretics have crossed jesus off the divine list.
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R.Crusoe
I 'feel' that view of panentheism but am unable to ratify it with logic since if I were in a malaria ridden country I would have no hesitation swatting a mosquitto for mine and others protection! I have had them bite me and not swat them where I live but on a day when hoards attack me I cannot put up with it!!
It is the same with battlefields - if you are in the midst of a battle that comes to a place near you, how do you behave as you see each loved one brought down? At what point does your whole inner aura react and forego all its morality?
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Sirona
Thats the point, Crusoe,
Death is part of the process and not the cruelty of a conscious god at all....
Sirona
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R.Crusoe
Sirona - you have me confused! If death is part of the cycle then narcisistic types are valued members of the whole! It is a paradox and why then, if they have equal value, do we berate their existence? I am in a circular reason over this!
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Satanus
R Crusoe
If one joins the military, there is a chance that one may kill others. Wars are a carryover from our animal past. Perhaps, if people were able to permanently transcend the ego and the mind, resting only in the spirit, wars would cease. But, being how the world is now, sometimes, you gotta do what you gotta do. If people die sooner rather than later, their evolution is cut short. They get another chance next time.
On this planet, we have evolved to be omnivores. Animals need to be killed so that we can eat. Theory is that everyone being comes to this planet knowing that it could be rough ride, and that they WILL die. Being that most animals get eaten, they must have known that that was the way the ride would end. Same w mosquitoes. Before they come, they know it's only a short ride. It must be a thrilling one, though.
In the movie about the kalihari desert pygmies, they depicted the pygmies explaining to the animals that they needed to feed their families. It shows the respect for life in general. Since humans are the most evolved,and we have the most empathy for them, their lives get the most respect.
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Sirona
I'm not saying that murder is part of the plan.
What I'm saying is that death is part of the overall process of the universe and isn't something that is "unnatural" as the JWs try to tell us. Nothing would function properly if there was no death in the natural world. To understand what light is, we need to have experienced darkness. For life to have any value at all we need to understand the lack of physical life.
Everything is cyclical. I am glad that one day I will be able to leave this life behind and probably start a whole new one.
Sirona