Monotheism, Trinity theism and polytheism cast humanity as childlike, with a Heavenly Father, Mother, or Group of Gods periodically observing our actions. As God’s children, we are prone to making mistakes. This view of humanity as permanently immature suggests we are incapable of addressing our own problems, and must rely on a Cosmic Parent to do the heavy lifting.
On the other hand, the pantheistic message of ‘Everything is Connected,’ implies that we are responsible for everything around us. Racism, sexism, environmental degradation, greed — all of these societal ills and more are our burden. There is no Greater Separate Entity to forgive or fix the mess, because we are One with All.
Given our survival instinct favors self-preservation and self-indulgence, we as pantheists have a major challenge to overcome. Even the times are against us: Our current political and cultural environment make it clear that we are in the midst of an individualistic, ‘Me First’ wave. How can the idea of personal responsibility for everything compete with a belief that offers absolution to problems we find too difficult to address?
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