God as "Nature, Conscience and Emergence"

Dear Pantheists,

I have been exploring the idea of defining God as "Nature, Conscience
and Emergence".

This has led to the following thoughts.


1) Some people have difficulty connecting to Nature, or to equivalent
concepts such as "Totality of Being". Appending "Conscience" and
"Emergence" may help bridge this gap as discussed below.

2) Having a conscience is an essential human quality. A person who
lacks a conscience is felt to not be fully human.

3) Placing the word "Conscience" immediately after the word "Nature"
implicitly connects Nature with this human quality and hence with the
reader. I also feel that this is appropriate because conscience can be
regarded as an emergent phenomenon of Nature.

4) Appending the third word "Emergence" identifies this link between
Nature and Conscience.

5) The three components can be visualised as a triangle in which:
- The base represents Nature in its most fundamental
form (eg matter/energy/...)
- The apex represents Conscience as the
ethically highest emergent phenomenon.
- The interior of the triangle represents all
other emergent phenomena.


6) The extra components add a moral dimension to the definition of
God. They imply that a person can regard his conscience as "God
given".

7) Consciences vary in quality and intensity. Ordinary people listen
to their consciences, but a prophet may be one whose conscience
generates both words and images. Prophets of old who claimed to have
received revelations via angels etc., may well have reported genuine
mental experiences.
This interpretation allows us to respect ancient prophets, while
giving us the freedom to follow new "revelations" if that seems more
appropriate for us in our times.

8) The three components independently have deep significance.

9) The three components seem to be represented in the Christian
Trinity.

Father -- An imaginary figure representing Nature
(and patriachal authority)
Son -- An imaginary figure representing Conscience.
(with emphasis on love and forgiveness)
Holy Ghost -- An imaginary spirit representing Emergence
(controlled by the Father, to e.g. cause a
change of heart)


10) Defining God as "Nature, Conscience and Emergence" places any
presumed judgmental component of God within the believer. It implies
that making peace with God is making peace with one's conscience. It
is consistent with the suggestion of Jesus that "the Kingdom of Heaven
is within you".


11) Pantheists in the USA are justifiably opposed to the words "under
God" in the Pledge of Allegiance. It was thinking about this that gave
me the idea for defining God as "Nature, Conscience and Emergence".

Using this definition "one nation under God" can be interpreted as
meaning "one nation under my God given conscience".

The pledge can then be a pledge to act according to ones conscience,
and to encourage the nation as a whole to do so also.


Best regards,
Peter

.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: God as "Nature, Conscience and Emergence"
    ... > I have been exploring the idea of defining God as "Nature, Conscience ... > "Emergence" may help bridge this gap as discussed below. ...
    (talk.religion.pantheism)
  • Re: conscience - who needs it ?
    ... I think this proves Darwin was wrong, and God exists. ... obviously have a conscience, and you also think that it is a disadvantage to ... OTOH, if it is natural, it is only what we expect from nature. ... And if you should be tempted to cheat on your wife, ...
    (talk.origins)
  • Re: Prolife Question
    ... To work out all the fine details of your code of life on logical grounds is ... I have to withhold my respect for religion for that very reason. ... gave each of us reason and intuition, and His voice is our conscience. ... and when you have turned back to God again. ...
    (alt.religion.christian.roman-catholic)
  • Re: 911 5th Anniversary Link
    ... and those who consistently override their conscience and thus ... Those who are Christians have an advantage - in that they have 'God ... Christian is that such people know and affirm that their sinfulness ... while those who have accepted grace and sanctification will be in some ...
    (uk.religion.christian)
  • Re: Whos Really Behind Promotion of The Da Vinci Code?
    ... Our brain is part of our anatomy. ... Church, but not the basic underpinnings of the religion. ... believe in the Christian god. ... That's why the principle of the primacy of conscience is what it ...
    (rec.arts.mystery)