Religious Naturalism

This page is an effort to sort out the range of beliefs that feel right for the new category of "religious naturalism". Since not all people drawn to the term have the same sensibilities, we can expect that the "big tent" of this religious meme and community will end up including a range of beliefs, as tends to be the case with most religious movements and traditions. So here we will attempt to sort out which beliefs are central and shared by all, which are common and shared by most, and which special (and possibly mutually exclusive) beliefs are shared by people in different branches of religious naturalism.

What all religious naturalists believe

All religious naturalists have a profound religious, spiritual, moral, ethical and/or an ecomoral response to nature.

All religious naturalists find inspiration in many or most scientific facts about nature, and consider scientific inquiry a process of sacred revelation.

In particular, all religious naturalists celebrate the Epic of Evolution, the Great Story of the Universe, as a sacred story.

What most religous naturalists believe

Most religious naturalists are most concerned with how we can thrive sustainably and with joy in an evolving universe.

Most religious naturalists believe that the universe is evolving toward greater complexity, cooperation, and consciousness.

Most religious naturalists have some form of "personal relationship" with the Creative Force of the Universe, such that they engage in one or more of these:

• experiencing this Creative Force at work in their lives and their world,
• standing in reverent awe of this Creative Force
• praying to (ask for clarity, guidance or help from) this Creative Force,
• singing praises of this Creative Force, and/or
• having communion with others who revere this Creative Force.

What some religious naturalists believe

Theistic religious naturalists call the Creative Force of the Universe "God."

Strictly scientific religious naturalists tentatively believe only in falsifiable ideas for which there is measurable, repeatable, and empirical evidence, and hold no positive belief in anything which does not meet those criteria

Other religious naturalists believe in phenomena (especially "spiritual" or "psychic") -- such as a soul that survives physical life -- that are not currently part of mainstream scientific belief and inquiry