emotional

The creator and creation are one and the same; the creator is immanent in the creation, not transcendent from it; God is the universe; all is one.

What is peculiar is that New Agers and I both take NDEs as literal descriptions of what happens after bodily death, but New Agers see the Loving Light Being of NDEs as a pantheistic force whereas I see that being as a transcendent, personal Creator who is distinct from His creation.

Pantheism is as old as the Greek Stoics and the Hindu Upanishads, and later refined by Baruch Spinoza.

brighid

I would definately agree with others who entered paganism/new agism as a stepping stone from Christianity into agnosticism/atheism. This is how it worked for me. I would see it as a weaning process of sorts. It is very difficult to give up the entire notion that no God exists (as it is currently defined) even if you find religion to be bunk. It seems logical for most people to move to a lighter version of religion they can adapt to their individual, person needs and from there explore the inconsistencies in all religion.

Brighid

TomboyMom

Well, can't say I'm an expert on it, but...
The three main branches of Judaism are Orthodox (traditional), Reform (more modern) and Conservative (in-between. ) [Someone who knows more about this will probably clarify what my reductionist definition.] Reconstructionist is even more modern, and may I simplify and say left-wing. It's more radical even than reform Judaism.
To say exactly how is not completely clear to me, but Reconstructionist groups and synagogues tend to be small and created and maintained by the individual community. The group/community is very important--the central focus of the reconstructionist community is the community itself. It does incorporate tradition and often they spend a lot of time and energy on Jewish traditions, but the law is seen more as a guide than a commandment. The individual/group can question a tradition or law and adapt it to their beliefs and modern life.

It's a bit analogous to the Unitarians of Judaism.

Here's a link:
http://www.rrc.edu/reconstructionism...ructionism.htm

Rene



Reconstructionist Judaism, the newest of the four major religious movements on the North American Jewish scene, defines Judaism as the evolving religious civilization of the Jewish people.

Spaz

I kinda went through that as a stage between christianity and atheism as well. Mine was more deist though, which means no intervention, so I didn't think a higher power would save me anymore anyway. Then after learning more about evolution, etc. it was just like that's one lazy-ass creator, so now I'm just atheist. I think new-agers are just scared like most.

Vylo

My one friend has a similar belief. I think it is a way for people to deal with ambiguity, which is a reasonable esire for any human being.

Hubble head

I wavered in and out of that too.

But now I'm always a little dissapointed in people who don't give themselves all the credit they deserve. By passing much of their own strength off to some magical force they really short change themselves in life.

Marduk

“When I was deconverting, I went through a stage where I wanted god to exist so that I wouldn't feel alone and to have something that knew what was going on. When I did let go the god concept, for awhile I felt overwhelmed by being alone in the vast universe, kind of like being on a plane and the pilot dies and noone else knows anything about flying”

I hear ya. I’m reminded of the scene in Apocalypse Now where Martin Sheen arrives at the bridge in Cambodia, and a small platoon of GI’s are shooting off mortars. Sheen asks “whose in charge here?” and the soldier replies “ain’t you?”

Diadectes

Indeed, and this is precisely the point where the New Agers and I have to part company. Spinoza's pantheism is a metaphysical position, not a religious one. As I am sure you know, he was of the belief that there is no dualism between 'God' and the world; we do not need to go beyond the immediate present experience to seek for a being outside of it. Nature, or 'God' is its own cause and is self-sufficient. Nature does not love or hate. The totality of existence, Nature/'God', is far above us and therefore indifferent to our desires and aspirations - there is no personal God and therefore nothing to 'worship'. But if a belief in the unity of existence moves one to dance around ancient stones or hug trees, then I guess there's nothing wrong with that. There are other religions that require a lot worse from their adherents.