Questions for pantheists, and people leaning that way.

If God is everywhere and in every thing, am I merely the vessel or manifestation of God, like the sun, or a cloud, or Mount Everest (or a pebble on it), or an indigo bunting, or an iris, or an octopus, or a kitten - important, even amazing, but unaware (as far as we can tell) of the divinity we see in them and entirely indifferent to human affairs?

Having human consciousness - and conscience - and the belief that God is in me as in every other thing, have I no responsibility for representing God to other people?

Have I no responsibility, as a vessel of holiness perforce of my beliefs, for cherishing and taking care of the share of divinity that is my lot to carry?

Have I no responsibility, except by my choice, for treating other people as I'd like to be treated - as vessels of holiness, as manifestations of God?

Am I so wise, talented or powerful that I see no reason, let alone need, to consult the divinity within me as I make my daily choices, big and small?

Reality Check #24 (the boundaries and call of our values)

In a world seemingly full of self-righteousness and negative judgments about others, what are the boundaries of wholesome living - the boundaries and, within those boundaries, the call of duty of the values we claim?

Are we consistently living within those boundaries, answering that call, and fulfilling those duties?

What do we - citizens in the USA and around the world - do for our society today?

"Recalling the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr., [Senator Cory] Booker said that 'the problem today we have to repent for is not just the vitriolic words and violent actions of the bad people, but also the appalling silence and inaction of the good people. This is the time Americans have to step up and let their voices be heard.'” Heather Cox Richardson, May 31, 2025.

Any government officials in the present - or any - White House administration who place opinions before facts, or submission before duty, or power or employment above the rule of law do so selfishly.

Any citizen who approves - explicitly or by acquiescence, by "silence and inaction" - such officials' behavior does so selfishly, daily life being always a constant series of choices, including how we react to discomfort or fear or the prospect of greater discomfort or fear.

It is all right, indeed unavoidable, to be selfish.  Citizens who oppose such officials' behavior, immediately or when the discomfort of "silence and inaction" itself becomes intolerable, do so selfishly, too. Service of anything we value beyond our personal comfort and gain, particularly the survival and improvement of the rule of law - of our experiment in democracy - gives our lives meaning and fulfillment.

The question is what do citizens of the United States - of any nation - who value the rule of law, freedom of speech, equal justice for all, and reasonable stability along the path to societal improvement do today? We do the best we can see to do.  As stated by Prof. Drew Gilpin Faust, "We are not being asked to run into cannon fire. We [at least] need to speak up."  

Choosing to find joy

If you want to experience more joy from the people around you, you can try choosing different people to be with.

But if what you really want is more joy in your life, let go of the belief that joy comes from outside yourself.  Seek joy within by focusing on facts and experiences that move you to gratitude.  Focus not on losses or travails, but on cherished relationships, happy memories, illnesses you or others have been spared, or accidents you have avoided.  For example, rather than dwelling on "my spouse died!", one might focus on "I had many years with a wonderful spouse - who would want me to live fully and joyfully."  

The more often you seek reasons for gratitude and joy within yourself, the more reasons, and the more joy, you will find there.  

And pretty soon you will experience joy in being with so many people it may seem as though they are the source of your joy.

March 30, 2025

I am reading the classic 1902 book The Varieties of Religious Experience, by psychologist William James.  James describes the psychological condition that precedes the making of any dramatic change in one's way of looking at Life – particularly the experience of embracing a faith of a religious nature – as "self surrender."  Someone who is desperate to escape from self-loathing for countless perceived sins, or exhausted by the travails of Life such as illness, failure, brokenness or purposelessness may basically give himself up to – he knows not what.  The unknown and invisible net that catches him is his subconscious mind, within which there is a subliminal protective power - a constantly available Source of comfort, strength and wisdom.  He may call that Source by any name, but what he has found is what we Quakers call "that of God" – the Light, the Holy Spirit – which everyone has within.  Upon that thrilling discovery, he often realizes that he is both the steward of that Spirit – and its agent.

A dream: changing the script

In my dream this morning, March 1, 2025, there is a tradition that, in a certain situation, one must have a certain kind of dream: a martial dream, a dream about triumph, power over others, domination.  One in that situation receives a script, a psychic template, for that kind of dream: though the details are created by the dreamer, it is always a dream of at least psychological violence: of power over others, but also insecurity, isolation from others, loneliness.

In my dream, I have  - I happen upon - the power to change the script or template that is given to people in that situation.  What the script or template will be is up to me. Changing the script will be to break with tradition - a revolutionary act and, as I see the alternative, a liberating and joyful one of giving the dreamer the freedom to choose their dream using a script or template of peace, joy, play, and beauty; of love and appreciation of others, not domination; of connection and cooperation with others.  

I choose the new script.

Belief is Enough

I do not know –

Whether God, however named, exists in any form, dimension or place other than everywhere – in every human being and other creature, every planet and star, every law of Nature – and always.

Whether God, except by operation of Nature and choices of our parents, caused you and me to be born; had any purpose in doing so; and now has any purpose we are to pursue other than whatever purpose we choose.

Whether God, except by random operation of Nature and by individual and collective human choices and actions, afflicts anybody or saves anybody.

I do know – at least I am comfortable and confident in my convictions – that ...

What other people know – others’ truths – are as valid to them as mine are to me.

The true personal experiences of every person – physical, mental and spiritual, waking and dreaming – have always been, are, and always will be as real to them as mine are to me.

Not everything happens for a reason other than the random operation of Nature, sometimes together with choices made by one or more humans.

To my great benefit and comfort, “I have drunk from wells I did not dig. I have been warmed by fires I did not build.” I have traveled on trails and highways I did not plan or create. I have been protected by laws I did not make. I have enjoyed freedoms and opportunities won and protected by champions over the centuries – military and law enforcement, public servants, and nonviolent civic activists – often at great personal cost, even their lives. I should, and I can, do my best to live up to the countless heroes who have served humanity with devotion and at great sacrifice – and to the examples of ethical living within my family and circle of friends.

I believe:

My beliefs and values about God, service and responsibility, summarized here, are well worth living by, whether or not they are objectively correct, or even unreasonable, in the eyes of others.

Anyone who serves humanity motivated by beliefs and values different from mine deserves my gratitude and support. If belief in God, however named, is part of others’ motivation to act for the good of others, such service will keep them right with God. (See https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44433/abou-ben-adhem)

God, as a spirit an innate holiness, is in the heart of every human being.

So, each of us – believer or atheist – is, consciously or not, an agent of God. People’s individual and collective choices and acts – and inaction – are, at least in effect, God at work in the lives of individuals, families, communities, and nations.

I am not responsible for any other person’s values, beliefs, judgments, decisions, or actions.

I am fully responsible for my own values, beliefs, judgments, decisions and actions – so I strive to choose them consciously and with care.

I am responsible for every choice I make and for their consequences, whether or not I foresee them.

Whether or not I am aware of it in the moment, I best represent God as a source of peace, justice, love and joy by striving to foster peace, justice, love and joy wherever I go.

Fostering peace, justice, love and joy is much easier when I am unburdened by thoughts or feelings of entitlement, injustice or deprivation.

Whether to focus on what I might feel entitled to but do not have or to focus on what I have to which I’m not entitled – that is, whether to focus on reasons to be cranky and sorry for myself or reasons to be grateful – is a choice. I choose to cultivate gratitude. After all, other than what is provided by law or by reciprocity in my relationships, to what am I entitled but life (for a while), liberty, and the pursuit of happiness?

Happiness comes from being the best agent of grace – or God, if you prefer – I can see to be.

I have neither need nor reason to strive to earn an eternal spiritual existence, however pleasant it might be. For me, it is enough to seek and experience grace, peace, justice and joy in this life when they come; to do what I can to have them come more often; and to experience, as I do from time to time in this life, what seems to be the most that can be hoped for in heaven: that everything is all right just the way it is.

This is an edited version of my post at https://afriendsthoughts.substack.com/p/belief-is-enough