Avatar, Pantheism, and You

 It was almost ten o'clock last night when I peeled myself off the couch to head out with a group of friends to go see Avatar in IMAX 3D. I feel too old for this, I thought. And yet, it was the very defiance of this thought that compelled me to go. Stumbling up to my room some three and half hours later, my head was spinning from the stunning images and breathtaking pseudo-cinematography. As a fun, lose-yourself-in-a-movie experience, Avatar is hard to rival...and, in that sense, I thoroughly enjoyed it. 

But with the spiritual leader lady channeling the Life Spirit of all living things while the community chanted, the movie provoked some thoughts about the popularity of Pantheism that I thought would make a good discussion. To be clear: this isn't about slamming Avatar or accusing Hollywood of pagan religious propaganda. I'm not asking for a boycott of the movie nor am suggesting any insidious demonic plot at work. I am simply using this movie as a cultural touchpoint, a springboard for a larger discussion on the rise of Pantheism among popular thought. And since I've just been reading C. S. Lewis' book Miracles, which addresses Pantheism quite precisely in Chapter 11 (all Lewis quotes in this article are from Chapter 11), I thought I'd take a stab at summarizing a few of his points as fodder for the conversation.

What Is Pantheism?
Simply stated, pantheism is the belief that God is "a great spiritual force pervading all things, a common mind of which we are all parts, a pool of generalized spirituality to which we can all flow" (Lewis).

How are Pantheism and Christianity Similar and Different?
On God being present everywhere:
Both Pantheism and Christianity believe that God is present everywhere, but they mean two different things. The Pantheist claims that God is diffused in all things and not an entity on Its own. As a result, Pantheists would say that the Life Spirit is not simply in a tree; the tree is part of Its essence. A Christian, however, would say that "God is totally present at every point in space and time, and locally present in none" (Lewis). He is "in" creation the way an artist is "in" his own painting: His nature, tastes, values, attributes can be seen in His creation, but He himself is not it any more than da Vinci is the Mona Lisa.

On being dependent on God and intimately related and connected to Him:
Both Pantheism and Christianity believe that we are all dependent on God and related to Him. Pantheism says this is because we are part of God. Christianity asserts that the way we are dependent and related to God is defined in terms of "Maker and made", Creator and creature. Once again, the Mona Lisa as a piece of art was totally dependent on da Vinci for its conception and creation. And it will forever be connected to da Vinci. Yet only a fool would mistake a painting for the person who painted it.

On good and evil:
Here is where the most serious dilemma for the Pantheist begins: If God is a great spiritual force that pervades and animates all things, then God "must be equally present in what we call evil and what we call good" (Lewis). The Pantheist has lost the grounds to condemn Hitler and praise Gandhi. He cannot decry sex slavery or the abuse of greedy capitalists. Why? Because if the Life Spirit pervades all, then It is in the mud as much as It is in the marble. It is equally present in rapists and scientists, teachers and murderers. If a Pantheist is going to distinguish between good and evil, he is left to words like "preference" or "public opinion".

Christianity insists that creation speaks of God and declares His glory. Man and woman, the crown of creation, are made in God's image. Hence our capacity for good, for love, comes from this imago dei. Yet creation is flawed because of mankind's sin. Nothing works as originally designed. The earth shudders and quakes, the waters rise and swell with devastating power, men and women are now bent toward evil and selfishness. So, a Christian would say that God is "not present in matter as He is present in man [humanity], not present in all men as He is in some [ie., those who have been remade, born again], not present in any other man as in Jesus" (Lewis). 

Moreover, God, in Jesus, has entered into our suffering, walked in our broken world. And He took all our wretchedness and brokenness upon Himself, died on a wooden cross, and rose again on the third day so that we now we have hope; we have new life. And one day, God will do for the universe what He has done for Christ: He will raise it up from its dying state. This is the power of the resurrection of the God-Man, Jesus Christ.

Why Might Pantheism Be Making a Comeback?
The false assumption that Pantheism is "evolved religion"
Of course, this assumption is itself based on an underlying assumption that the final state of something is the most refined state, that what is new is better, that what is modern is more civilized or true. But the assumption that Pantheism is new is quite mistaken. In fact, it "may be the most primitive of all religions" (Lewis). It is seen in the orenda of the savage tribe. It is seen in early India. Interestingly, the only philosophies or religions to have broken free of Pantheistic thought are Platonism, Judaism, and Christianity (Lewis).

The freedom from a Supreme Diving Being
Pantheism is appealing because the "Pantheist's God does nothing [and] demands nothing. He is there if you wish for Him, like a book on a shelf. He will not pursue you" (Lewis). Ultimately, Christianity is uncomfortable because it presents you with a God who is King, a God who means to pursue you out of love for you, one who knows that you ultimate happiness will only ever be in total surrender to Him.

Comments

[sarah valente]

Glen, thank you for this. Seriously, I can always count on you to say what I'm afraid to (and some things I haven't thought of). After my husband and I saw the movie, we looked at each other and frowned. "Ummm, can you take me somewhere to get clean now?" I complained. I blamed it on three hours of goddess worship, but I agree with you about the Pantheism. It was beautiful; but then, I'm told, so was Satan. I guess I'm a stiff, but it made me squirm in my seat. I flat out didn't like it.

[Matt O'Connor]

I must say that I disagree that Avatar is Pantheist. Tho the Na'vi believed they were worshiping a nature goddess or their ancestors or whatever, Sigourney Weaver's character states that the trees are all connected in a way that makes them a giant brain capable of interconnecting all of the species on the planet thru their hair things. They aren't all part of some mystic universal (or even planetary) god. But there is a planet-size intelligence that can do things - like transfer consciousnesses between bodies & communicate with them somehow to encourage the stampedes at the end.

[Glenn Packiam]

Matt...I really feel no need to insist on Avatar embodying a Pantheist view since my goal is not to vilify Avatar...but for the sake of discussion... :)

...A "planet-sized intelligence" is precisely the sort of life-force, cosmic mind idea found in Pantheism. The interconnected energies of things (which they allude to), and the presence of ancestoral spirits in the other living things (like the tree of souls) is again consistent with the idea that our spirits live on in the Spirit of all things...

[Bruce Hutcheon]

Welll spoken Glenn,

Interlectual comment based on a God centric heart who speaks truth

[tim bergren]

It's so much easier to worship the creation rather than the Creator. After all, we can see it, feel it, hold it, wrap our minds around it. And it IS good inasmuch as it reflects the Creator's goodness. It all makes sense except for the fact that we were built for relationship. So rather than seek out the Creator at that point, we personify the creation and desperately seek to "relate" to the tree, the animals, the earth.

The Deceiver makes hay with this misappropriation of our devotion from the Creator to His creation. It enticingly simulates what we should be seeking: relationship with the Creator.

PS--Avatar was awesome in 3D! I'm pretty sure I'm still on solid ground with my Creator even though I enjoyed the film because I love Him with all my heart, soul, mind and strength! Avatar doesn't come close to changing that, nor will it ever...

[Thomas]

Thanks for the perspective!

I'm not a Pantheist but do live in Santa Monica and interact with quite a few (though they would probably prefer the vague and comfortable title "spiritual").

I feel that the morality question may be more complicated than you and Lewis present above: the common response to the claim that they can make no judgments is that people such as Hitler were not embracing the life force; that they live(d) in a state of disharmony, negativity, and unfulfillment. It goes along with the evolution claim; that people such as Ghandi and Jesus were in touch with the flow more powerfully than someone like Pol Pot, but that we're all working towards such a state. That perspective allows them to feel morally superior to anyone who disagrees with them - they can feel more enlightened and "conscious," whether they really are or not.

Also, I think there's a difference between Pantheism and Spiritism, the latter of which doesn't say everything is one but that everything has a spirit (including trees, rivers, blades of grass and such). Pantheism may have been more common in the East, but Spiritism also has a potential claim for being just as old in other parts of the world.

Appreciate the thoughts! Best wishes.

[Glenn Packiam]

Thomas...good stuff. Thanks for sharing. You're right about how they would respond-- I've heard that too. But my question to a guy a few weeks ago when he said that was "On what basis do you affirm that Gandhi and Jesus were great moral teachers" In other words, why are they good and Hitler and Pol Pot were bad? Because you prefer their "morality"? Because their "morality" is the broad social norm? Even the answer of "it affirms the Life Spirit" implies that even though each of us may have the Life Spirit in us we have the free will to disobey or violate it...But technically, Pantheism doesn't allow for free will...So, they're caught affirming "god" in all of us, yet insisting individual autonomy from the Spirit.

The truth is, as you've no doubt discovered, there's no way to win someone over by debate...but I think it's fair to pose questions to them. The assumption is that Christianity is fantastical and fairy-tale-esque and needs to give answers...but their belief system ought to be questioned as well...and, in my opinion, it comes up quite a bit short.

[April Suits]

Thank you so much Glenn! I went to see the movie because we had received rave reviews form Christian friends, even pastors, who insisted it was the best movie of the year, etc.
I almost got up and left during the movie when they started praying at the trees and saying earth has "no green there... they killed their mother." It was like Disney's Pocahontas on steroids. The New Age movement and the green machine snuck this movie out there; nothing in the previews tipped me off to the fact I was about to watch a film full of nature worship and pantheism.
Thank you for being one of the only people, Christian or otherwise, who has had the guts to say there was anything objectionable in this film.

[David Bowser]

Thanks for calling this out.

[Stephanie Foos]

Thank you for talking about this. I did really like the beauty of the movie and it's love story but I walked away definitely sensing that there was a deeper agenda. Not only a spiritual agenda but also a political agenda to demonize capitalism and promote the "green" agenda, as well as, "comment" (judge) on the last administration's decisions made in the Middle East. Everyone said how much they loved it and I agreed but always felt there was something off deeper inside. Ever since seeing advertisements for the movie "MILK" (about a gay politician that supposedly pushed thru political bias against all odds--which was an over-exaggeration of the real story) and recognizing that the title in all capital letters looks like "MLK," I realized that movies are more than just entertainment and should be watched with a deeper awareness of who we are and where we're going socially, spiritually, and intellectually. Thank you for tactfully pointing out the trap that one could so easily fall into. Blessings to you, Glenn! Keep up the wall-watching!

[Peter Whitaker]

This is an interesting subject but it has gotten off on a false step. Pantheism is the belief that God is everything and everything is God.

Panentheism would be defined as "a great spiritual force pervading all things" leading to a worship of gods in individual things such as trees, animals, rivers, etc.

Avatar promotes a Panentheistic message. For a Pantheist there is no individual multiple representations of God in the forms mentioned above because God already is everything.

God is the substance from which the universe and everything it contains is made. To say that God pervades other objects is to suggest that God is somehow seperate, but for me God is the fundamental particles that are the building blocks of the universe, matter and energy, and from which all else is derived. There's no room for transendance.