Pantheism is an ancient spirituality with the basic tenet that all is God. Pan means all and theos means God. There are many forms of pantheism. Rational pantheism (RP) is an attempt to reinvigorate classical pantheism while being strictly aligned with science and reason.
Is Rational Pantheism Deterministic?
Determinism is the doctrine that all events, including human action, are ultimately determined by causes external to the will. Classical pantheism is generally regarded as deterministic. Since everything is God, God alone determines everything. Is this a rational outlook though? From science we know that a great many things are determined by forces outside our control. But simply because many things are deterministic this does not mean that everything is.
Our bodies are composed of tiny living creatures, cells. We don’t control every aspect of their existence so why would God control ours?
By claiming that everything is determined because everything we have looked at this far is determined, is a sweeping generalization fallacy. Pronouncing that the pantheistic God controls every aspect of our existence is a faith-based belief with no evidence to support it. Thus determinism is an irrational outlook that must be rejected by RP. Until the concept of free will can be proven false, it is a possibility that rational minds must remain open to.
Is Rational Pantheism Compatible with Atheism?
Atheism is a belief system that, at the very least, rejects a belief in any concept of God. Since the existence of God or the Universe is a fact under RP, atheism is entirely incompatible with it. Atheism and RP do have a common ground in that both reject the notion of a personally involved God, i.e. a supreme being having a personal relationship with people.
Is Rational Pantheism Compatible with “Scientific Pantheism”?
The misnomer “scientific pantheism” (AKA “naturalistic pantheism) is atheism’s dismal attempt at assimilating pantheism into its irrational fold. “Scientific pantheism” claims to have a reverence for the Universe while denying the reality of the pantheistic God. So “scientific pantheism” is neither scientific nor pantheism, it’s merely a pathetic disguise of atheism.
Is Rational Pantheism Compatible with Religion?
Most if not all religions entertain the notion of a personally involved God, a God that is concerned with the activities of humans. Since there is no evidence that such a God exists and no rational basis for such a belief, rational people must reject this notion until evidence is forthcoming. Thus, all known religions are incompatible with RP. All religions do have a common ground with RP in that RP recognizes the existence of a supreme being, which in our case is the Universe.