Do you call yourself a Pantheist?

[Lunaine]

After reading many of the posts in this forum, it seems like a lot of us were relieved when we found out that there is a term for what we've been believing for a long time. So, now that you know the term and what it means, do you call yourself a Pantheist? After finding out all you can about this path, do you think the term "Pantheist" is all-encompassing enough for your beliefs?

[peggyelizabeth]

The relief that a lot of us felt is a "I'm not alone in my beleifs" as much as it's a "I have a name now." The two have a lot in common, having a name to use is an important step tword understand one's identiy. I remember feeling as if something that I'd always known, always felt was real for the first time, b/c it had a title & others thought it was worthy of a word all its own.

Belief is an evolving thing for me. Each day I learn or realize a bit more. In my experience, pantheists are open to the idea that discovery is a part of the belief process and that is something that I not only respect, but that is a nessasary part for me.

Does "pantheist" encompass all that I believe?
Sometimes it does & sometimes it doesn't. B/c my beliefs are always evolving, my personal relationship to the word changes as I change. As a term to use with other pagans, it encompasses enough to deliniate me from a Wiccan or a Greek Recon, and that's really very helpful.

ETA: that's a great avatar!

[Kylie]

I think Pantheist pretty much covers all of my beliefs.

I have called myself a Pantheist for two days! :lol:
In the past, I have called myself a Pagan, a Unitarian Universalist, a Buddhist, and a tree hugger, and all of those names still apply, so I'm really just adding Pantheist to the list.

The relief that a lot of us felt is a "I'm not alone in my beleifs" as much as it's a "I have a name now." The two have a lot in common, having a name to use is an important step tword understand one's identiy.

This is so true, and I think you're awesome for actually admitting it. A lot of (most!) people say names don't matter, and while they probably shouldn't, it does feel good to be able to say, "I'm a Pantheist." or something, rather than just "Well I'm kind of all about nature, and I don't really believe in god...."

[MoonLyte]

Yea, I've called myself a Pantheist for only a few days too.Of course i've been one for a lot longer,i just didn't realise there was a name for it :lol:
I used to call myself Pagan,but that really didn't feel right but calling myself Pantheist feels perfect.

[Xentor]

Not me. I've had a name for my path since I first started documenting it. Besides, pantheism is just one property of my path... there's a couple others that don't fit pantheism afaik.

[Diotima]

Usually I call myself just Pagan. While my beliefs are very Pantheistic, my spiritual practice tends to concentrate more in just one aspect of All That Is, namely Light (which I understand to be the sum of all genuinely good in the Universe).
Besides, the term Pagan is derived from latin word paganus, which means a peasant or a country dweller. Me.
Often I feel that names bring both clarity and confusion. If someone is interested in my religious beliefs, he better be prepared to hear a little longer than one-word explanation.

[Eleisawolf]

I call myself any number of things. Pantheist is one of them. There's also Pagan, Pantheist Pagan, Mystical Pantheist, Witch, Liminal Walker, Just Spiritual, and former-but-recovering Catholic.
:lol:

It usually depends on who I'm talking to (including their level of understanding of other beliefs, their receptiveness, etc.), how ornery I'm feeling, and, like Peggyelizabeth, what new twist my beliefs have taken. More develop all the time, and some fade. Some leave and return, changed.

I think I just added another: Human Being (a.k.a., one who gains understanding through observation and categorization). Heh...

:boing:

Peace

[Windsmith]

I have called myself a Pantheist for two days!

Yea, I've called myself a Pantheist for only a few days too.Yay! Welcome to you, newly-identified Pantheists! I am quite excited by this.

Me, I call myself a "Pagan Pantheist" or a "Reclaiming Pantheist." As others have said elsewhere around this here forum, Pantheism is what I believe. Paganism (specifcally, Reclaiming-tradition witchcraft) is what I do. That encompasses my spirituality quite nicely.

[Silverfangs]

I tend to call myself a Pagan, since pantheism is just one (major) aspect of my beliefs. But I find "pantheist" to be what describes me with most accuracy.


By the way, welcome to the new "fresh" pantheists! :)

[peggyelizabeth]

It usually depends on who I'm talking to (including their level of understanding of other beliefs, their receptiveness, etc.),

I agree. Within Pagan communities, I use Pantheist, but with my Christian friends, that's a word that gets used after Pagan to help further define my beliefs.


By the way, welcome to the new "fresh" pantheists! :)

Welcome from me too! :wave:

[airmist]

Sorry to be contributing a little later than everyone, but I am really enjoying this forum for the first time and am making my way through it. I don't have anything particular to add. I am most at home spiritually with a pantheistic base. I do identify myself that way. Echoing what peggylizabeth said, I do add pagan to it for non-pagan people I may be talking to.

Over the last couple of years I've been looking at a sort of polytheistic explanation for connections with spirits or other deities and have found some useful ideas with the druid groups, but I can't get away from the pantheistic spiritual connection I've had for a very long time. So I'm in a state of exploration trying to find a comfortable explanation for the other spirits I know are here, but the divine is still most clear for me in the unity of nature. (Of course, then I question whether this is a throwback to my monotheistic upbringing, then I confuse myself, so I go off and read a good spy book.)

[Exloration_La]

At my base and foundation I am a Pantheist HOWEVER I believe SOO much more then that term includes. I pull form many schools of thought but pantheism seems to be the most agreeable to me so far as a general rule of thumb. At latter time I might come and add more. I have some good links about pantheism my MySpace profile, but I could write allot about my spiritual beliefs, but for now I will just say I really like the Pantheist views etc.