coping with crises

8/14/2019 Coping with Crises

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Issue 22 Winter 2008/9

As we face what might become the worst eco-

nomic crisis since World War II, most people on

the planet are experiencing anxiety about their

prosperity, livelihoods, families, or even survival.

It is in such troubled times that supernatural reli-

gions appeal more than ever. When people feel help-

less, its tempting to believe that there are supernatural

beings or powers that can help out when they appeal to

them. If the help requested doesnt materialize, then the

idea that there is some unknown purpose to suffering

may help believers to bear it. If all else fails, the visionof a better afterlife offers light at the end of the tunnel.

These are all psychological strategies for coping with

intense personal anxiety and distress, as well as with the

kind of individual griefs and stresses that can occur at

any time.

Naturalistic folk tend to have trouble with these ap-

proaches we know they are sugar pills, not real medi-

cine. When they work, they work only by strengthening

peoples own determination to act, or by giving them

stoicism in the face of disaster. Those resources de-

rive from human psychology, and they can be accessed

without imaginary props.

So how do Pantheists cope when life gets hard?

How do we protect our peace of mind when our foun-

dations are threatened? Are there distinctive Pantheist

strategies for dealing with crises strategies that offer

spiritual support, but without abandoning our basic nat-

uralism?

In this issue WPM members and sympathetic writ-

ers offer their own experiences and approaches. There

are some common threads.

Theheartofthepantheistapproachistondasource

of inner strength and peace in our relationship to Nature

and the Universe. We know that these are our home.

They always were, and always will be - our member-

ship in the Cosmos is the one thing that can never be

taken from us.

Nature on our beautiful planet has a special role to

play. It helps put our personal problems in perspective.

It is a source of peace, of energy and of renewal. The

rhythms and patterns of Nature go on above and beyond

the stress of daily life.

So when you feel hassled and haunted, go out into

nature and listen to the rustling of leaves. Lie on yourbackandwatchtheowingofclouds.Sitbytheocean

and feel your soul rolling with the waves. All these are

embodimentsoftheendlesscreativeenergythatows

through everything and through each one of us.

Get away from the stress and hassle of daily life

once a day, or at least once a week. Go out into nature,

or meditate with the help of natural objects, in a quiet

environment free of unnatural noises.

Pantheists tend to accept reality and face it squarely,

without seeking to deny it or minimize it. We dont at-

tribute unpleasant events to the actions of angry deities

or demons we look for their real causes.

We are realistic in our actions, too. We dont resort

to prayers to imaginary beings, or to magical spells.

We dont believe in the Secret that merely wishing

something will make it happen. Instead, we rely on our

own real resources of drive, determination and inven-

tiveness. We take pragmatic steps to deal with the situ-

ation.

We turn challenges to advantages. For example, we

can use nancialstressas the incentive tomakeour

transition to a low cost, low material input life. We can

Copin g with cr isis

DowJones1998-2008


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Pan Magazine Winter 2008/9

make the best of involuntary free time to take up a new

interest or activity.

We tend to be compassionate, and we care about

the suffering of other humans or animals so these

vast society-wide crises

trouble us for the sake

of others as well as for

ourselves, and we want

to help. However -

unless we are in unusualpositions of wealth and

power - its wise to avoid

taking the burdens of the

whole world upon our

shoulders, because we wont be able to carry them. We

needtondwaysofdoingwhatwecan,withoutletting

the need to help others destroy our core of peace and

connectedness. As Helen Keller wrote: I am only one,

but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can

do something.

Of course, there are always some aspects of a

situation that are out of our control. Realism helps here

too. In the case of dramatic events such as terroristattacks or epidemics, humans have a tendency to

exaggerate the risks to themselves at the same time as

they ignore the real risks of normal everyday activities

like driving or overeating. So try to discover the real

risks of the events that make you fearful in the area or

country where you live. In the case of war, terrorism

or violent crime, you will usually nd that they are

probably many times smaller than you would imagine.

In times like these it sometimes helps to watch the

new less often. News programs seem to present reality,

but it is a selective and

unrepresentative picture.

They focus on bad news

- a world that seems to

be full of endless threats,

disasters, diseases,conicts, murders,

abductions. Hopeful

news and heartwarming

heroism are thrown in

only as tokens. Even documentary programs obsess

about natural disasters, dangerous predators, horric

accidents. Sometimes television today seems like a

conspiracy to scare everyone out of their wits, every

day. A good maxim might be: access bad news on a

need-to-know basis.

Once we have changed what we can change, and

reached a sober idea of the real risks that remain,

Pantheism helps us to accept what we cannot change.We know that the Universe is an eternal dance of

owingenergiesofwhichwearepart.Weknowthat

endless transformation and creativity are part of the

dance, and its a dance that we love.

G r a n t m e t h e s er e n i t y t o a c ce p t

t h e t h i n g s I ca n n o t ch a n g e ;

c o u r a g e t o ch a n g e t h e t h in g s I c a n ;

a n d w is d o m t o k n o w t h e d if fe r en c e . Reinhold Niebuhr

Below: Persistence through change.

Petried forest, Arizona Paul Harrison 2008


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Pan Magazine Winter 2008

Pantheism, unlike many other belief systems, provides its practi-tioners with an earthly understanding of how species cope withcrisis. As humans we sometimes separate ourselves from thenatural world, believing that the rules of nature do not apply tous. Fact of the matter is that what we require to survive are thevery same things that other species require food, shelter, etc.So when you see a beavers dam destroyed after an entire season

of work, or watch a child devastate an ant hill in the blink of aneye, youll quickly learn something about the natural world thatoften escapes the attention of the casual observer that there isresilience, perseverance, endurance and relentlessness to rebuildthat which was lost or destroyed.

In the animal world, self-pity simply does not exist, nor doesplaying the victim, in the hopes of others rushing in to rescue usfrom perils. This may sound harsh and unsympathetic, and I amnot suggesting that humans dismiss their compassionate charac-teristics, but it reminds us that the best medicine for times likethe ones we are in now is not to wallow in self-pity, but to startrebuilding immediately, after all what else is there to do.

A few years back I was pruning some trees in my front yard,and despite my best efforts to avoid cutting any trees down, Idecided, with two young oaks being so close together, one wouldhave to go, so reluctantly I cut the smaller of the two oaks down,leaving nothing left but a stump that barely breached the sur-face. Two weeks later there were about ve new limbs abouttwo feet long sprouting out from the stump. So I cut them all off,dug around the trunk and took off another two inches of trunk,

but yet again, the treedecided that despitethe fact that it hadyears worth of growthremoved with the

sweep of a chain saw,and that it would be atleast another ten yearsbefore it would ever

come close to its former glory, its DNA code simply stated that itwould survive and therefore grow! This cycle, by the way, wenton three more times.

A few months later 9/11 occurred. As a junior air line pilotin an industry that was bleeding to death, I found myself unem-ployed in a eld where there were no jobs, and I mean none! Iremember sitting in the pilot lounge with about ten other pilots,all of them about to lose their jobs, and witnessing each of themexpress feelings of anger, sadness and fear of what laid ahead.

I too was nervous about this new uncertain environment, andheaded home wondering what was plan B. As I walked frommy driveway I glanced over at the stump I had battled over andover again, and noticed that despite the fact that the growing sea-son was long over, it had shot out another sprout. A sprout that was absolutely pathetic, only about a half an inch long, alcurled up and twisted, but still, it was growing. I thought, doesnt this tree get it? It was done, nished, just die already.

Then, as if the tree were speaking to me, I realized: I was the one who didnt get it. The lessons for coping are providedby the Universe - we just need to know how to read them. Rule number One of the Universe: SURVIVE, Endure, Persevereand do what ever it takes to grow no matter how pathetic the results may be. I turned around and look at what I had, andI had a lot, and then I thought about how much of my trunk had been cut, not much! So I went inside, and to my wifessurprise I greeted her with hope and enthusiasm, and with a genuine smile I explained to her, that everything was going to

be just ne, and it was. Ja m e s Ca va n a u g h

Learn resilience and endurance from Nature

R u le n u m b e r On e

o f t he U n i v e r s e :

S u r v i v e , E n d u r e ,

P er s ev e r e, a n d d o w h a t

e v e r it t a k e s t o g r o w

Regrowth after wildre, Mesa Verde Paul Harrison 2008


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Do what you can and let go

Three years ago my husband walked out, moved 600 miles away back to his hometown of Cleveland, and never cameback. Instead, we divorced and he almost immediately remarried. Of course I was sad, of course I was hurt, and may-be a little mad, but not deeply. I handled this crisis in my life differently than I would have in the past before I became apantheist. Also since becoming a pantheist, my dad has had a couple of severe health crises which were potentially life-threatening, requiring surgery. Again, pantheism helped me get through these crises differently (and I think much moreeasily and less stressfully) than I would have handled them in the past.

I dont have a personal God up there to pray to no one to beg or bargain with to make my husband come back ormake my dad well. Im a pantheist. I know how precious life is. I know how easily it can change. Not because Im bad orbecause I didnt pray enough or because someone prayed harder or was better than me and got their way or maybe its

just Gods will or God is punishing me - but because thats the way of nature, and Im a part of it.Wonderful things happen. Destructive things happen. Every day. Life is one thing after another and Ive learned not

to wallow so much in the if onlys and the what ifs, but to do what I canin the situation and then let go to accept reality. Let people live theirown lives with or without me. Some relationships end: we dont own eachother. I have learned to respect and allow other people to nd their ownway to happiness without it diminishing my own life. I deeply and trulywish them well, wish them happiness, wish them their own peace of mind(in the ways they need to nd it for themselves).

Illnesses happen; surgeries happen. I do what I can and face the factthat loved ones will die, and so I will I. We did what needed to be donein terms of surgery, medicines, diet, exercise etc. A couple of times whenI thought my father would die, I felt sad yet I felt at peace at the sametime, not desperate like in the past. Beyond that, personally I hoped for the best, thought positively but at the sametime I lived realistically, cried a lot, remembered a lot, appreciated every moment, and then at some point just trusted theprocess. I dont say this in a callous manner at all all the time I was loving and supporting and loving some more.

Right now my dad is doing great. My ex-husband is living his life. And Im doing great. The added bonus in all thisto me was that it made me stronger and helped me to get know myself better than I ever have and to start loving myselfagain.

As a pantheist I know that Im part of it all now, and Ill be part of it all when I die. No one can take that away. Notbelieving in an afterlife, I know how important it is to live the life I want this time around and to be the kind of personI want to be. I want to know that I loved people all I could, and left something of value to them through the way I

interacted with them,so that they are leftwith memories thatwill sustain them.

For me, pantheismis a path that ispractical, that I canwrap my mindaround, but itsalso a path of greatheart. Pantheism hastaught me to live inthe moment with

gratitude and wonder,to be at peace withreality, and to see thenatural process unfoldas it has for so longand will continue todo for so long after Imgone. I will continue tobe a part of it, just in adifferent form.

Sh a r o n We ll s

P a n t h e is m h a s t a u g h t m e

t o liv e in t h e m o m e n t w it h

g r a t it u d e a n d w o n d e r , t o

b e a t p e a c e w i t h r e a li t y ,

a n d t o s ee t h e n a t u r a l

pr ocess u n fo ld .


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Be in the here

and now

The world is going through a veryrough economic crisis, which mayaffect many of us quite badly. So it isrational to consider ways to protect

whatever wealth one has howeversmall such wealth may be. In one ofthe recent runs on the market, I panic-sold some of my equity-linked fundswhich I had hoped would allow meto live my declining years in modestcomfort, and put the sadly diminishedmoney partly into money market fundsand partly into a gold-backed fund. Idont know whether what I did is wise,but thats how I decided I might sleepbetter.

I realized that I could also benet

from paying more attention to somePantheist ideas, ideals and practices. Solet me share some which might be ofuse in dealing with hard times:Be here now! Learn from the past, planfor the future, but live mindful of thepresent its the only life youve got.

Live simply. It not only helps theplanet and simplies your life, it alsosaves a lot of money.

Dont buy things unless you reallyneed them. A Pantheist shouldntwaste his/her only life on this beautifu

planet struggling to keep up with theJoneses.

Celebrate your real wealth: notmoney but lovers, friends, family,pets, the owers in your garden, andwhatever else you love. Count as real

wealth walks in the woods, good health, life experiences, self esteem, music, art, books, science, moral and ethical values,and your web of connections to all else on this beautiful planet.

Spend more time in your kitchen cooking is a joy. You can eat out less and save money by cooking your own meals.And by cooking your own food (organically and humanely grown local food if possible) you can reconnect emotionally tothe biological reality that other living beings are what you must eat.

Treat your food with the respect it deserves by making a beautiful meal

of it. Invite friends over to share your cooking. The best conversations oftenhappen around a dinner table when a few good friends share a good mealand a few drinks.

If you nd yourself unemployed, look for work but spend some of thoseunemployed hours jogging, or walking, or making something of beauty withyour hands. You will nd yourself happier if you do.

Take up a hobby. Some great hobbies cost very little. Some can even save you money e.g. a vegetable garden.Lend a helping hand (time even if not money) to those in need who wish to help themselves (but not to freeloaders).Consider volunteering. Every community has need of volunteers.Share others joy, and listen compassionately to their concerns.Remember all is change; this hard time too shall pass.

Finally, dont forget to smell the roses! Wa l t Ma n d e ll

R e m e m b e r , a ll is c h a n g e .T h is h a r d t im e t o o

s ha l l pa s s .


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Accept the gifts that problems bring

My mother lived all alone on a farm into her 90s. I used to visit at least once a week do her shopping spend time

talking and listening to the same old stories again and again. Then one day some mini strokes took a portion of hermind. Dealing with hospitals and doctors was a nightmare but at least I learned just how incompetent the system is in

treating dementia.

WhenInallygothersettledinagoodplace,Ivisitedatleastonceaweekoftenmore.Otherso-calledfriends

andevenclosefamilynevervisitedmorethanoncefortheyearshesufferedthisterribleafictionshecouldbequite

violent and extremely abusive verbally at times. During these visits I was a plethora of characters to her, but only on rare

occasions her son. I was a shoe salesman, preacher, FBI agent, airline pilot, physician, room orderly, casino owner, my

father, my brother, her father, her mother, her brother I had been killed in a couple of wars the list is legion but it

became fun to play along and be all these people.

She told me things about her life I never knew, her long but sometimes

rocky relationship with my father, long dead, including intimate details I

probably did not want to know. She talked incessantly about her oldest son

me and how she loved him from the day he was born and all the things he

did to make her proud as a mother. Things and hardships about her life I never

knew. Many times she would end the session abruptly saying she had to get

ready because her son me was on his way to visit her.

At her funeral, all those who could not take time for her in her last year of

afictiontalkedallthatnonsenseofgoingtoabetterplaceandtheirmemoriesofherbeforeherdementia.Ijusthadto

smile inside because they rejected all those gifts she had to give in her last year. They were there to celebrate her death

when they could have shared that wonderful gift of her last year of life.

As Richard Bach wrote: There is no such thing as a problem without a gift for you in its hands. You seek problems

because you need their gifts. Pantheism faces life as it is, and takes its gifts as they arise, and accepts its sufferings as

they arise as well.

Larger organized religions have failed miserably on this issue, The best they can do is condemn the natural world,including most humans in it as evil, then posit a magical afterlife and promise it will be better there (or worse in the

reincarnation versions). All they do is turn fear inside out into HOPE not fear faced, but replaced by a delusion.

I think what a Pantheist perspective does is focus ones mind and spirit on the present rather than some ideal past

or more idealistic future. There is a Zen story about a man being chased by a tiger. He runs to a cliff and hangs over on

a root. He looks down and below him is another tiger. The root begins to loosen. He looks over and sees a large ripe

strawberry. He picks it and eats it. It tastes wonderful.

Thersttigerisbeingchasedbyfearsofthepast.Thesecondtigerisfearofthefuture.Therootistheuncertaintyof

life. The strawberry is grasping the present and ignoring the fears.

Modern religions tend to teach us to fear so they can sell us hope but the Pantheistic strawberry is all there is!

JB Ma d d o x ( Ve r ci )

Pan th e i sm faces li f e

as i t i s , t ak e s i t s g i ft s a s

t h e y a r i s e, a n d a c ce p t s

i t s s u f f er i ngs a s t he y

ar i s e a s w e ll .

Own each moment of experience - good, bad or ugly

E a c h p e r s o n t o o k u p t h e c h a lle n g e we e xt e n d e d t o t h e m t o live lif e a s if e a c h mo m e n t wa s imp o r t a n t , a s if e a c h mo m e n t

co unte d a nd co u ld b e worked with , even i f it was a moment o f pa in , sa dne ss , de sp a i r o r fea r . T h is work invo lves ab ove a l l

t he regu la r , d i sc ip lined pra c t ice o f moment - to -moment mindfu lnes s , t he co mp le t e o wning o f ea ch moment o f yo ur expe r ience ,

g o o d , b a d , o r u g ly .

C ult iva t ing mindfu lness mea ns lea rn ing to t ap and focus ou r own was ted ene rg ie s . In do ing so we lea rn to ca lm do wn

e n o u g h t o e n t e r a n d d we ll.

C ult iva t ing mindfu lness can lea d t o t he d isco very o f de ep rea lms o f re laxa t ion , ca lmnes s , and ins igh t with in yo urse lf .

It is e a s y t o g e t t o t h is t e r rit o r y . T h e p a t h t o it a t a n y mo m e n t lie s n o f u r t h e r t h a n y o u r o w n b o d y a n d min d a n d y o u r o w n

bre a th ing . A nd th is t e r r it o ry is a lways a cces s ib le . It is a lways h e re , inde p end ent o f your p rob lems.

O u r p s y c h o lo g ic a l we ll- b e i ng ma y d e p e n d o n b e in g a b le t o f in d s o m e p la c e in n a t u r e wh e r e w e c a n g o a n d ju s t h e a r t h e

so und s o f t he wor ld i t se l f, witho ut t he so und s o f human a c t ivity , o f a irp lane s , ca r s and machines .

From John Kabat-Zinn, Full Catastrophe Living, Delta, 1990.


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New chart of our galactic homeThe Invitation by Oriah Mountain Dreamer

Excerpted with permission from THE INVITATION. Copyright (c) 2001 by Oriah Mountain Dreamer.

All rights reserved. May not be reproduced in whole or in part without the permission of

HarperCollins Publishers, Inc., 10 E. 53 St., New York NY 10022

It doesnt interest me what you do for a living.

I want to know what you ache for

and if you dare to dream of meeting your

hearts longing.

It doesnt interest me how old you are.

I want to know if you will risk looking like a

fool

for love

for your dream

for the adventure of being alive.

It doesnt interest me what planets are

squaring your moon...

I want to know if you have touched the centreof your own sorrow

if you have been opened by lifes betrayals

or have become shrivelled and closed

from fear of further pain.

I want to know if you can sit with pain

mine or your own

without moving to hide it

or fade it

or x it.

I want to know if you can be with joy

mine or your own

if you can dance with wildness

and let the ecstasy ll you to the tips of your

ngers and toes

without cautioning us

to be careful

to be realistic

to remember the limitations of being human.

I want to know if you can see Beauty

even when it is not pretty

every day.

And if you can source your own life

from its presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure

yours and mine

and still stand at the edge of the lake

and shout to the silver of the full moon,

Yes.

It doesnt interest meto know where you live or how much money

you have.

I want to know if you can get up

after the night of grief and despair

weary and bruised to the bone

and do what needs to be done

to feed the children.

It doesnt interest me who you know

or how you came to be here.

I want to know if you will standin the centre of the re

with me

and not shrink back.

It doesnt interest me where or what

or with whom

you have studied.

I want to know what sustains you

from the inside

when all else falls away.

I want to know if you can be alone

with yourself

and if you truly like the company you keep

in the empty moments.


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8


Expect nothing, fear nothing, enjoy what you have

Observe constantly that all things take place by change, and accustom yourself to consider that thenature of the Universe loves nothing so much as to change the things which are and to make new thingslike them. For everything that exists is in a manner the seed of that which will be.

Uncontaminated by pleasure, unharmed by any pain, untouched by any insult, feeling no wrong,a ghter in the noblest ght, one who cannot be overpowered by any passion, dyed deep with justice,accepts with all his soul everything which happens. To be vexed at anything which happens is aseparation of ourselves from nature, in some part of which the natures of all other things are contained.

If you work at that which is before you, following right reason seriously, vigorously, calmly, withoutallowing anything else to distract you, but keeping your divine part pure, as if you might be bound togive it back immediately if you hold to this, expecting nothing, fearing nothing, but satised with yourpresent activity according to nature, and with heroic truth in every word and sound which you utter, you

will be happy and there is no-one who can prevent this.

Think not so much of what you have not as of what you have. Stop the pulling of the strings. Conneyourself to the present.

Take away the complaint I have been harmed and the harm is taken away.

Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius

(121-180 BCE) wrote his

Meditations during the last decade

of his life. These were not simply

theoretical thoughts about coping

with lifes gravest problems. They

were written while campaigning in

wars against Germanic tribes, in

the midst of privation, surrounded

by the deaths of enemies and

friends. Marcus was acutely

conscious of his own mortality,

and already deeply troubled by the

deep character aws of his sonCommodus who would go on to

be one of the most monstrous of

Roman emperors.


9/16


10/16

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Johannesburg 1200km (745 miles) away from my home

in Capetown. And no they did not know the contact num-

bers - or any other relevant or helpful information.

After many, many hours of studying government

websites I found a phone number for the home affairs

marriagedepartmentheadofce.TheytoldmeImust

rstgetaletterfromarecognizedreligion,requestingthe

Governmenttoallowmetositthemarriageofcerexam.

I explained that we Pantheists were a new world reli-

gious order. In the beginning, I found that using existing

religiousterminologydenitelyhelpedinopeninguptheofcialgovernmentpaperworktrail.Newtermsorwords

tend to scare and shock most civil servants. I explained

that I was actually the head of our local South African

Pantheist church and titled myself as a Pantheist Rev-

erend (celebrants is a word not used here at all).

Iwastoldthatsallne-butIwouldrsthaveto

havePantheismclassiedasareligionandthatwouldbe

by government examination of our religious organiza-

tions constitution. I therefore put together a constitution

based on the WPM information with a few choice addi-

tions from some Pagan and humanist sites.

Our stated aims were:

Tomaketheearth-honoringlife-afrmingnat-

uralistic form of Pantheism widely available as

a religious option and a rational alternative to

traditional religions.

To build up membership and promote Panthe-

ism.

To facilitate Pantheist child naming ceremo-

nies, weddings, and funerals.

To serve with love to meet human needs, car-

ing for the sick and aged, advocating dignityand justice for all people, working for peace

and reconciliation among the nations, standing

with the poor and powerless, and committing

to their needs.

To nurture Pantheist members so as to grow in

faith, hope, and love, knowledge and power;

to see daily life as the primary setting for the

exercise of enlightenment, and to use the gifts

of the universe for their life together and for

their calling in the world.

To promote an expanding Pantheist presence on the Internet and in other media of all types.

I made sure that NOWHERE in our constitution was

the word GOD used. Later I received a call from the De-

partment saying that they could not allow the constitution

to go through as a religious order as we did not have the

word God or Gods anywhere. They were adamant

that these words had to be in the constitution. Overall

theysaidtheconstitutionwasne,justaddtheword

God anywhere and they would accept it. I refused!!

A long verbal sparring match with the civil service

started.Onecivilservantwhowasspecicallydeal-

ing with our case laughed and sneered at us all the way

through our many heated telephonic arguments - he con-

They were adamant that the word

God or Gods had to be in the

constitution. They said Just add

the word God anywhere and well

accept it. I refused!

Lessons for future celebrants

The whole process taught us many lessons which might be useful to others thinking of becoming ofciallycertied marriage celebrants.Irrespective of how many times you get shot down - and you will dont worry. Just continue to climb upthe chain of command. It appears the more educated intelligent people will be higher up and these should

normally be more understanding of our cause.A lot of our initial success was based on using terminology that conservative government ofcials couldunderstand - like calling ourselves a church and using the title of Reverend. This denitely opened up thepaper trail a bit in the beginning if really needed and can be changed or amended later anyway.We made a huge mistake in proclaiming too much of a divine belief in plants and rocks etc. We shouldhave stuck with the excellent WPM belief statement.Religious discrimination is a very real and nasty affair once you are on the wrong side of it. Be prepared do not lose your cool no matter how much they bait or rile you up. My saving grace was to think of Gandhiwhen stressed.


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tinually referred to the fact that in an opening paragraph

in our constitution we had stated that we believe the di-

vine is in everything including plants and rocks.

How I regretted ever putting that paragraph in! Con-

tinually he would ignore our declaration of faith which is

the WPM core statement and sniggeringly say: But you

believe in plants and rocks! like we were really dumb

people. I could not now deny that statement; there was

nothing for it but to take the punch on my chin and juststick to my course.

I realized I was getting nowhere with the lower grade

civil servants so I continued up the chain of command.

I knew that SAs constitution guaranteed me religious

freedom on paper but securing religious freedom with

predominately conservative and Christian civil servants

is a different matter. In the home affairs department I was

continually told: I am not allowed to transfer your call to

my supervisor, or My supervisor does not deal directly

with the public you must deal with me, or I may not

directly refer you to my supervisor but I will discuss yourcase with them when next they are back from holiday/

hospital etc etc.

Months and months went by as we were transferred

from one civil servant to another. By hook and by crook

and just by phoning enough times using different callers

andaskingunrelatedquestions,weeventuallyguredout

howthedepartmentworksandmanagedtondoutwhos

who. By this time one and a half years had gone by - I

was beyond angry and was threatening legal and constitu-

tional action. I had had enough and was prepared to take

this case to the highest court in the land if need be irre-

spective of what it would cost me.

Eventually I managed to get the big boss lady in

chargeoftheentiremarriageofcersdepartment,who

reported directly to the Minister of Home Affairs. Shewas actually very nice and helpful, and quite shocked at

how badly we had been treated. She repeatedly apolo-

gized for her antagonizing staff. She even gave me her

direct phone number and told me she would inform/con-

sult the minister and their in-house legal department abou

our case. A few days later she called back and told me the

good news that our constitution would be accepted with-

out the word God in it. However I would also have to sit

Civil Union exams in addition to the usual basic religious

MarriageOfcerexams.Thiswasactuallyablessingin

disguise because it meant I would be able to marry gaypeople and lesbians as well as is every humans right.

Evenafternalgovernmentapproval,thereligious

discrimination did not end. On the very day of writing my

nalmarriageofcerexams,theheadofmylocalhome

affairsdistrictofceactivelyharassedme.Shesarcasti-

cally enquired whether I believed in God? Did I believe in

The Capetown Pantheist Group


12/16

12


the Bible? I was outraged, but tried to stay as cool as pos-

sibleandjustfocusandconcentrateonmynalexam.

The exam covered all the laws and regulations regard-

ing marriages, in technical and legal language that you

CAN ONLY learn like a parrot. Get one word wrong and itchanges the whole law. It was like banging my head against

a brick wall for almost two and a half years to achieve the

above, but it was worth it if I help just one other person to

see the planet and universe as it is magical in itself - with-

out the need for supernatural fairy tales and special dietary

rules, without the need for a God who is going to send me

to be tortured for all eternity because I mowed my lawn on

a Sunday.

In the end I passed, and the SA Government issued me

withcerticatesthatconrmthatIamaSAgovernment

recognized and registered Pantheist Minister and an of-

ciallyapprovedMarriageOfcerforalegallyregistered

Pantheist church of South Africa! Pantheism is now an of-ciallyrecognizedreligioninSouthAfrica!

Now I plan to grow our small pantheist group, ap-

proachingUnitarianchurches(Ialreadygavemyrst

sermon), targeting environmentalist meetings and organiza-

tions, University students like freethinker clubs other Athe-

ist groups. Mostly I would like to focus on 18 to 35 year

olds-thisisthemostdifcultgrouptoreachbutIbelieve

it will pay off the most in the long term.


13/16

13


From the membership secretary

Mine is one of the rst names that new members will see asI send out welcome letters and a copy of Pan magazine, andthen, of course, you will hear from me again when its timeto renew. I wanted to let all the members know that beingmembership secretary is a role that I take seriously, and Iconsider myself fortunate to volunteer with the WPM in thisway and get to talk to some of you and hopefully answeryour questions or direct you to someone who can.

All the WPM board members feel strongly that ourmembers should know we are an active and supportivegroup and when you have questions or concerns they arentfalling on deaf ears. In fact, sometimes you will get answersto your questions from several people, including the WPM

president, treasurer, or our resident computer expert, andwe all work together to get things resolved. We try to get toall questions in a timely manner; unfortunately sometimesit make take a little longer than you hope but please bepatient, and if you think its taking too long, just email usagain. I have had several people tell me they are so gladto know that there are real people working for the WPM,so know that when you email [email protected] reaching a group of people who are committed tomaking your membership in the WPM a good experience.

I also serve as a moderator on some of our lists and youwill occasionally see me post messages to the lists aboutmy own personal journey as a pantheist. Mostly, though,

I answer your emails and snail mails, send out welcome/renewal letters, and post our monthly membership lists. Ilive in western North Carolina and have a small local WPMgroup and share my home with two cats and a dog.

My two grown daughters are my pride and joy, andI enjoy spending time with them when I can, along withbeing outdoors in these beautiful mountains (my pantheistnickname is daughter_of_the_mountains), writing,wandering through antique stores, volunteering for thelocal cat shelter, and learning about my Celtic heritage,while working full-time as a medical transcriptionist.

The WPM is made up of a wonderful group of people,

intelligent, curious, knowledgeable, and willing to share,and Im glad to be a part of it, for almost 6 years now. Ifyou have questions or concerns or any kind of feedbackabout your WPM membership, I hope to hear from you

Sharon Well s

WPM membership: Join or RenewThe World Pantheist Movement depends on the generous sup-port of its members to sustain, improve and expand its activitiesand services. If you would like to join or renew by check in US $,please ll in the form below and mail check and form to us. Oth-erwise please renew at http://members.pantheism.net/imdms/or join at http://www.pantheism.net/join.htmPlease tick as applicable if this is an address change and if youwish us to correct the database entry for you.

Name

Address 1

Address 2

City

State etc

Zip code

Country

New? Yes No

Change it? Yes Ill do it

Membership level:

Basic ($30) Family ($60) Low Income ($12)

Other amount

Please mail this form with your check (US $ only) to:

World Pantheist Movement

P.O. Box 103, Webster, NY 14580 , USA

So you want to be a celebrant?The WPM has a two-tier scheme:

Onrequest,supportingmemberscangetfreecerticationto

ofciateattheweddingsoffriendsandrelatives.Alltheyneed

to do is sign a statement that they will faithfully respect the

wishes of participants, and represent the WPM faithfully - or

not use the WPM name at all.

Memberswhocandocumentsuitablepriorqualicationscan

getcerticationtomarryanyone,andhavetherighttouseourname in advertising, on signing a similar statement.

Itisthecelebrantsresponsibilitytondoutthelawsand

requirements, which vary from country to country and in some

federal countries such as the USA, from one state to another.

WPMcerticationdoesnotconferanyindividualtaxprivileges

or free parking rights!

If you are interested write to [email protected]

with your detailed needs.

Other options:Spiritual Humanism (http://www.spiritualhumanism.org/)

The Universal Life Church (http://www.themonastery.org/)

Both these organizations say they will ordain anyone regard-

less of beliefs. Both make money by selling clergy materials,

some useful, many - in the ULC - spurious, frivolous or humor-

ous. Spiritual Humanism has a CD on the marriage laws of all

50 US states, in its advanced clergy service pack.The Humanist Society (http://www.humanist-society.org/

celebrants/inquiry.html) has a network of celebrants in 33 US

states who will perform Humanist, nonreligious, and interre-

ligious weddings, commitment/same-sex unions, memorials,

baby namings, and other life cycle ceremonies. You can apply to

become a celebrant, which requires answering a questionnaire,

providing four references. There is an annual fee of $100.


14/16

14


Presidents Report

In 2007 our income and expenses contin-

ued to be roughly in balance, leaving us

with bank balances that would allow for

occasional experimental spending. They

are modest - the grand total would not be

enough to buy us a one-time one-third page

ad in Scientic American.We have no staff costs because all our

ofcers and directors are unpaid volunteers.

Our major cost continues to be search ad-

vertizing when people search for certain

words, they are shown short ads with links

to the World Pantheism website.

This serves two purposes for us. The

rst is informative - the snappy three-line

entries get the name pantheism better

known, and transmit the World Panthe-

ist message in condensed form to people

who are seeking information about closely

related areas. They spread our message

even if nobody clicks on the ads and in

that case the message costs us nothing.

The second purpose is to get more people

interested in joining our free and member

lists and adding their details to our geo-

graphic database. At present we are rather

widely scattered, which makes it more dif-

cult to create local groups. Increasing our

numbers would make forming local groups

and special interest sections easier, and wewould also have more person-power for new

and existing WPM services.

We have search ad accounts with Google,

Yahoo and Microsoft. Google gets 8 to 10

times more impressions (showings) than the

other two. Altogether, since we started with

Google, our messages have been shown over

394 million times and our pages have gained

over 323,000 visitors. Its the cheapest and

best-targeted form of advertizing: the cost

per 1000 messages (CPM) has averaged $0.05, or just one cent for every 200 impressions. The cost per direct visitor to our

site has averaged $0.07. Currently we are enjoying 6.6 million impressions per month. In August 2006 Google tightenedits rules and started to disable keywords if the ads did not achieve a minimum clickthrough rate. However, the threshold

was set quite high, especially for our type of activity which is not a specic product or service. Gradually almost all of

our keywords were disabled, and to re-enable them we had to pay more.

Our Internet costs will be lower in future years as all our pages are now hosted in one excellent low-priced place

Site5. My own scientic pantheism site on pantheist theory and history also moved here after AOL suddenly closed down

their Hometown service where this site had previously been located.

Printing costs per issue of Pan have been lower since we shifted to using Fedex-Kinkos, and the print quality has been

much better. We would like to put out more issues of the magazine each year, but since its all done with volunteer labor,

this depends on securing enough help to do it. If you would like to help please email [email protected]

Pa u l H a r r i so n

WPM Summary Accounts 2007

INCOME

Dividend From PayPal Money Market $232.25

Interest on Bank account $52.01

Membership Dues $11,299.02

Other (transfer from former UK bank acct.) $227.07

TOTAL INCOME $11,810.35

EXPENSES

Keyword advertizing $4,708.05

Web hosting & domain names $483.00

Postage and shipping $608.81

Printing Costs $2,248.99

Incorporation fees $77.50

Finance Charges:

Credit Card processing fees $144.00

M and T Bank fees $25.26

PayPal fees $102.09

Credit Card service renewal charge $449.18

Auto Fuel Reimbursed $8.60

Equipment $184.01

Services $149.00

Supplies $77.19

Misc (transfer from UK bank acct.) -$227.21

TOTAL EXPENSES $9,038.47

Net increment for 2007 $2,771.88

Account Balances - As of 12/31/2006 $24,651.18

Account Balances - As of 12/31/2007 $27,423.06


15/16

15


Why I am

a PantheistNew members write

When they join, new members

have the opportunity to make

their statement for publication.

Icelebrate life, I cherish theearth, I am a child of the

cosmos.Va l e r i e W h i t e

Ihave always felt that thereis a ber that runs through

all of us and ties us to theearth, nature, the universe aswe know it and beyond. I havenever been able to nd a wayto express this feeling or be-lief, but then I found the WPM.The beliefs of the WPM ts likea glove with how I perceivethe world and my place in it.

T. D.

Ibelieve all of mankind needsto fully understand where

they "t" in the universe. Themore we understand and rec-ognize the "magic" going onaround us everyday, the more

we will respect and honor it.

D. D .

Iam at home tending nature,in awe of everything that

grows, at home alone in na-ture, the sky in unbelievable,I do not attend a church ortraditional religion as it makesthe power of the Universe andNature too small. I am upliftedby being outdoors. I wish my

knowledge was much largerbut I'm learning and enjoying

it.

Ju l i e H o m a n

My spiritual requirementsare met, not by abrogat-

ing my intelligence to revealed

religionand rituals, but ratherin the awe of natural science.

Sh a i ya B a e r

The grains of sand on thebeach that I walk upon

are made of the same atomsand energy as the waves thatlap at my feet, the wind, theearth, the moon, the stars andall of the most amazing thingsI could ever imagine are allpart of and within us all. Allconnected but with a differentdestiny. Born from the sameuniverse that is trying to g-ure itself out - to better itself.Knowing this gives me a greatrespect for nature and human-kind. The belief in self, in theworld and the universe will setour true potential free.

Eu a n Wa k e n sh a w

Isee a numinosity in thewonder of the natural uni-

verse that dwarfs all supernat-

uralist conceptions of deity.

A. G.

Iam a lover of nature and Ibelieve we should be giving

and not taking from the earth.We should be living in har-

mony with mother earth, notabusing her for our own self-ish needs for material thingswe could live without. I be-lieve god is nature and we areall interconnected. Thereforemore compassion should bespread. There is nothing morebeautiful than the truth. Na-

ture is the truth.

Ju l i e Ch a p e lh o w

My deepest experiences ofpeace and wonder have

always come from consider-ing the details of the amazingmacrocosm and microcosmfrom which we arise, are sus-tained and, at the end, re-

turned.M i ch a e l Yo n k e r s

I've always felt a connectionto nature that could not be

explained by reverence to anysupernatural being. My beliefscenter around how all livingthing coexists with each otherand with nature in a timelesscycle. I feel that, as individu-als created by and returning to

nature, we are each part of auniversal consciousness that ismanifested in the peacefulness

and power of nature.

B. E.

Ijust am. Always have been.

K. S.

I

have studied the Tao Te

Ching for many years, andafter discovering the WPM site,realized I was a Pantheist allthese years as well, and didn'teven know it. I'm always inawe of the stars, the summerstorms, the trees, the ocean,the air - I feel such a part ofit all, down to my innermostsoul; it's a great and calmingfeeling. I'm glad I found somany others who feel it too.

Thanks.

Ch r i st o p h e r N o l i n

The world reveals itself tomy senses as a source of

wonder and even at times, ec-stasy. Because of the scienticpicture of an ancient cosmosunfolding wonder after wonderthrough time, including stars,microbes, living planet, blue


16/16

Pan Magazine Winter2008/9

skies, animals, rainforests,oceans, and humans. Be-cause of the great power andbeauty of nature. Because ofits rational breadth and depth,comprehending the place oftraditional religions while giv-ing a wider scope to religiousfeeling that does not divideinto the humanistic and scien-tic. Because it gives a placeto our imagining as well as ourknowing and doing and seesour imagining and acting aspart of the creativity of the liv-

ing universe itself.

A m y H a n n o n

Ibelieve in the unity andthe individualistic nature of

all things, organic and non-organic on the earth in theatmosphere and in the wholeuniverse, and that we and allthings move within and are of

the same rhythm - and thatrhythm is afrmative.

W i ll i a m Fe l l- H o l d e n

Ind this difcult if not im-possible to answer, much

as if you asked me why I amright handed. As Popeye so

often stated "I Yam what IYam!"

R a n d y H o l m e s

Istruggle with the concept ofGod as an individual, with

human characteristics. I be-lieve the energy that is withinus and all of creation is God.The universe and all within itis breathtaking and awesomeand lls me with love and

wonder - this energy makesme strive for compassion and

respect towards all beings.

E. F.

Ibelieve that everything onearth, and in the universe,

is connected. Everything ismade of the same elements,constantly recycled in differentcombinations. If we value our-selves, we must value every-thing else as having the same

components as ourselves.M. P. K.

Ihave a reverence for allof Nature. I have always

thought the same spirit of liferuns through all things of na-ture. You, me, the mountain,the tree, the very earth her-

self.

Yv e t t e T i l le m a

December1 World AIDS Day2 International Day for theAbolition of Slavery3 International Day ofDisabled Persons10 Human Rights Day25 Birth of Isaac Newton [1642]

29 International Day forBiological Diversity

January11 International Laughter Day16 Martin Luther King Jr. DayFocus on non-discrimination

22 Surrender of Native lands byChief Seattle

February2: Imbolc12: Darwins birthday: Evolution14: Valentines Day: Day of partners15: Birthday of Galileo: Solar system17: Giordano Brunos martyrdom:Religious freedom

March1: Yellowstone Park established:focus on parks8: International Womens Day14: Einsteins birthday: the Univers

Full Moons

Calendar & AlmanacSpecial

events

Equinoxes

& Solstices

Winter solstice

December 21 12:04

Spring EquinoxMarch 20 11:44

December 12 16:37January 11 03:27February 9 14:49

March 11 02:38

All times Universal time =Greenwich Mean Time

coping with crises

Documents