What is a Pandeist?
“Pandeism is another belief that states that God is identical to the universe, but God no longer exists in a way where He can be contacted; therefore, this theory can only be proven to exist by reason. Pandeism views the entire universe as being from God and now the universe is the entirety of God, but the universe at some point in time will fold back into one single being which is God Himself that created all. “
~ Allan R. Fuller, Thought: The Only Reality
O God-in-which-I-no-longer-believe, how do we understand thee? Let me count the ways: countless theisms which suggest that you created and actively intervene in while remaining separate from the universe; Deism which suggests that you created but do not intervene in the universe from which you are separate; Pantheism which suggests that you are the universe and always have been; Pandeism which suggests that you created the universe and chose to become one with it; Panentheism which suggests that you are the universe and always have been but you are also more than the universe; and Panendeism which suggests that you created the universe and chose to become one with it but not entirely.
Being a good-freak, I instinctively ruled out ways of understanding God that inferred that God was not always good and, yes, I was comfortable holding God to human moral standards. Why would a good God create a system where up was down and left was right and evil was good? If God were always good, then all theisms with their interventionist deities were out: God could intervene to save babies dying from miserable diseases but usually can’t be bothered to do so? Not my God. Deism’s God who wound up the clock and walked away seemed too cold and remote to be a good God. Also ruled out of contention were Pantheism and Pandeism wherein God is the embodiment of the universe ~ a universe which God both created and in which would be natural disasters and diseases. My God could be breathtaking sunsets, majestic mountains, and daisies in Spring; but, not tsunamis, cyclones, Ebola, brain-eating amoebas, or schizophrenia. [BTW: Pandeist Creator God, why do natural disasters and gut-wrenching diseases exist at all? Bad plan.]
On the other hand, Panendeism briefly lured me with its siren song; but, only because I was highly motivated to find a way for God to be good and all to be right in my world. Panendeists believe that somehow God is the universe; but, also greater than the universe which isn’t much of a stretch for someone raised to believe in a Trinity. Pandeism and Pantheism’s “I am the universe” God had been cast aside because I could only hold allegiance to an always good God and the universe is significantly amoral. With that extra en, Panendeism afforded a syllable of wiggle room in which I performed acrobatic logical contortions to make space for God’s perpetual goodness. I devised a God who admittedly did create an amoral universe; but, also gave us in that universe the tools for goodness thereby anointing us as the means by which goodness would be created. I believed that God called us to use our free will to attend to the good in the universe and to create good in the universe. I even developed my version of heaven ~ convergence:
“You and I exist in a space-time reference which allows for only intimations of immortality. We must make good through the reality that is ours. Our eternal God exists in part in a different space-time reference. God exists in our space-time and outside of our space-time. When we touch God, we break through our space-time to outside of our space-time. When we touch God in convergence, we touch eternity. Our eternal existence is contingent on our living in and out God's love during our time of temporal historicity. We become real within our space-time; we become eternal in God's space-time. We determine how much of our life will be lived in convergence with God. We choose whether or not or to what extent we will live in and live out God's love, goodness, and fairness. We live eternally to the extent that our choices converge with God.” (GOD-centric, Ch. 10)
Not a shabby effort; but, a blindfolded one as I will further address in “Defects In My Theodicy.”
Synopsis:
Theory of God Results from the Goodness Test
Theism FAIL: God created natural evil & does not always or even usually intervene to stop it
Deism FAIL: God created natural evil & just calmly observes as it plays out
Pantheism FAIL: God is natural evil & does not always or even usually intervene to stop itself
Pandeism FAIL: God created natural evil & is natural evil
Panentheism FAIL: God is natural evil & more & does not always or even usually intervene to stop itself
Panendeism FAIL+: God created natural evil & is natural evil & more & wants us to do the heavy lifting
