Welcome to a question-answering node of the Pandeism index!!


A friend commented to me not long ago that I "try so hard to sell" a belief that (by its own terms) there's no need to believe. And indeed, more than once I've been asked why I persist so heartily in promoting knowledge of Pandeism, and in arguing for its logical ascendancy over theistic faiths. After all, unlike those theistic faiths, Pandeism offers no revelatory call to arms, no divine commandment to go forth and covert, and indeed no punishment (eternal or purgatorial) for those who go to their graves without adhering to its tenets. I have plainly stated before that there is no Pandeist 'hell,' no punishment for lack of belief, no judgment of 'sin.' Nor does Pandeism claim any oracle, require any scripture, demand donations, or support any priests or preachers or ornate monuments to the faith. If Pandeism is true, then everybody in the world may safely remain ignorant of it -- even actively disbelieve it once it is introduced to them -- and suffer no eternal condemnation on that score.

So why, then, why do I carry forth with what is sometimes perceived (even by some fellow Pandeists) as an almost- evangelical fervor, in the explanation of a theological model which demands no evangelism, which dismisses evangalism itself as a symptom of faiths steeped in vanity and misconception? Well, I guess I could suggest some long-term gain to be realized from a world wherein people generally understand that all things are part of our Creator, and all life ought to be accorded the respect due to even a fragment of our Creator. And surely mankind would benefit from the elimination of the most objectionable excesses of theistic faiths, from the witch burnings and suicide bombings to misguided efforts at scripturally justifying racism, sexism, homophobia, and other bigotries.

And even as I bear no club with which to threaten 'disbelievers,' imagine how you might react if you felt there was a possibility -- a reasonably high probability even -- that if ours were a created Universe at all, then it would be the sort of Universe in which your own actions towards others (and, more largely writ, everybody else's actions towards everybody else) directly dictated the experiences which would be had by your Creator; and not only by your Creator but quite possibly by every entity ever existing -- including yourself, to some immeasurable extent, all of these being your Creator, which has momentarily become fragmented apart. If there is any possibility that we are creating experiences to be shared with by our Creator, ought we not by this knowledge to be motivated to create positive experiences, for ourselves, and for one another?

There is, naturally, bound to be some repetitiveness in these musings. Even if only meaning to elucidate one original point, I may lead up to it with some measure of explanation already set forth elsewhere, for I expect that the readers of any one fragment may never see or have seen any of the others. And so, to make clear what I mean with the introduction of any new argument, I must make clear what exactly Pandeism is, for the many who've never before come across it. I confess, in putting forth the idea in other forums where lengthy ruminations are restricted, I have frequently offered to my counterpart, "I'll post an essay on Everything2 explaining in full the point I'm trying to make." Which, I think, makes for an outcome with multiple positives; for it entices me to write, and brings my philosophical jousting partners here, possibly to like what they see and wish to look over more of what is offered here. And so, what may seem to be similar propositions repeated over and over to the general population are often nuanced distinctions made towards arguments raised by many diffent people in many different fora.

And though all of these are, in my view, respectable reasons for my advocacy and regular formulation of new arguments, the simple truth is that I am in love with Pandeism, and I don't care who knows it or what anybody thinks of this!! I love, love, love the idea for its elegance, for its simplicity, for the strength of its explanatory power wrapped in extrapolations from a few simple assumptions of logical necessity. Because, when you fall in love -- even with an idea (heck, perhaps especially with an idea) -- well, you want to tell the world!! You want to tell everybody out there in that big ol' world every wonderful thing about your love, everything about it which captivates your mind. You want the world to see, just as you see, precisely what it is which is so special about that which you love, so that others too can appreciate the natural beauty and the philosophical radiance of this object of your affection. And I so love the world as well, that I wish these loves to meet.

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