|
Christian Theism |
Deism |
Naturalism |
Nihilism (Denial) |
Existentialism |
Eastern Pantheism |
New Age |
| Prime Reality |
God and His Creation (Open universe) |
God and creation (clockwork, closed abandoned universe) |
Matter exists eternally. There is no God. Cosmos is primary. |
Same as naturalism (Therefore there is no value to reality). |
Matter=eternal. Reality is objective (natural and material
law) and subjective (internal mind). |
Atman (soul of man is Brahman (soul of Universe).
We are all moving toward the "one." |
The self (the soul, the integrated central essence of
man) is the prime reality. |
| Who is Man? |
Created in God's Image, thus possessing personality,
self-
transcendence,
intelligence, morality |
Man is personal but subject to clockwork universe, a
puppet |
Man is matter and only matter; a complex machine. |
Same as naturalism, therefore, man's existence is meaningless. |
Existence precedes essence-man makes himself who he is. |
To realize one's "oneness" with universe is to pass beyond
personality. |
The unifying center of the cosmos. |
| What happens at Death? |
Either the gate to life with God or to eternal separation
from Him. |
God is not concerned about man, man merely ceases to
exist. |
Death= extinction of personality and individuality-
disorganization of matter |
Same as naturalism |
Man is totally free as regards his nature and destiny
(even at death) |
Reincarnation or realization of oneness. |
Physical death is not the end of the self |
| How Can we Know Truth? |
God has spoken! He communicates with man through both
general and special revelation (the Word and Jesus Christ). |
Empiricism (observation of creation); general revelation |
Empiricism and man's reason (rationalism), but we can
never grasp reality. |
Same as naturalism |
The objective world is absurd. We can know only by authenticating
our existence |
We know by becoming, moving toward the one. |
Occult, psychedelic, conceptual, relativist approaches
to cosmic consciousness |
| What kind of Ethics? |
Based on the character of God as good. He sets absolute
standards of morality. |
Natural and general moral law |
All existence relational and so human action can be significant
(relativism) |
There is none-
morality is neither necessary nor possible. |
Morality is rooted in human choice (relativistic situational)
we create our own values. |
To realize oneness is to pass beyond good/evil Cosmos=
perfection. |
Rooted in the satisfaction of the Self (cf. below) |
| Meaning of History? |
Linear-
meaningful sequence of events leading to the fulfillment
of God's purposes for man. |
Basically determined -
man is part of mechanistic universe. |
Linear stream of events linked by cause and effect but
without purpose |
Same as naturalism
All life = absurdity |
History is meaningless
Life= absurdity |
History is cyclical |
Ordinary categories of time, space, morality tend to
disappear. |
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