- Omnism
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Omnism or omnitheism is the belief in all religions; those who hold this belief are called omnists (or Omnists). [1] The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) quotes as the term's earliest usage the 1839 long poem "Festus" by English poet Philip J. Bailey: "I am an omnist, and believe in all religions". In recent years, the term has been emerging anew, due to the interest of modern day self-described omnists who have rediscovered and begun to redefine the term.
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Contemporary refinements
Contemporary refinements have modified "belief in all religions" to refer more to an acceptance of the legitimacy of all religions. The OED elaborates that an omnist believes "in a single transcendent purpose or cause uniting all things or people". That is not necessarily the conclusion of those whom describe themselves as omnists. Some omnists interpret this to mean that all religions contain varying elements of a common truth, or place omnism in opposition to dogmatism, in that omnists are open to potential truths from all religions. However, as with modern physics, this does not mean that there is a single transcendent purpose or cause that unites. There may indeed be an infinite number of possibilities, or a deeper form of uncertainty in reality. There may be an influence more akin to existentialism in which consciousness is a power or force that helps determine the reality, and yet is not a divine influence.
In this regard, omnism does not appear to be a form of theology, as it neither espouses nor opposes particular beliefs about God. Instead, it affirms the necessity of one arriving at an understanding of reality based on personal experience, engagement, and inquiry, and an acceptance of the validity and legitimacy of the differing understandings of others. In this, there is, however, an implied system of values or ethics.
The actual number of omnists is unknown as there is currently no formal organization.
Pan-deism as omnism
Use of the term pan-deism (distinct from pandeism) to express this meaning is typified in the usage ascribed by J. Sidlow Baxter, who wrote in his 1991 work, Our Bible: The Most Critical Issue:
“ If the Bible is only human lore, and not divine truth, then we have no real answer to those who say, "Let's pick the best out of all religions and blend it all into Pan-Deism - one world religion with one god made out of many".[2] ” This use of the word is synonymous with omnism or omnitheism, which suppose a kernel of truth in all religions, rather than all being simultaneously true in their entirety. The Wycliffe Bible encyclopedia describes the religion of Babylon as "clearly a type of pan-deism formed from a synthesis of Christianity and paganism."[3]
In a variation on this theme, the Vatican has been accused of having a pandeism conspiracy with respect to other religions:
“ The church of Rome uses the term "pandeism", to describe her current program of bringing under her wing the non-Christian religions of the world. In this, Rome will finally succeed, because the prediction says, "all the world wondered after the beast". (Revelation 13:3).[4] ” This seemingly separate use is not necessarily diverse from the broader theological theory, for it is easy to see how Pandeism, read as pantheistic Deism accounts for all religious phenomena attributed to theistic faiths.
See also
References
- ^ http://www.encyclo.co.uk/define/Omnism
- ^ J. Sidlow Baxter, Our Bible: The Most Critical Issue.
- ^ Charles F. Pfeiffer, Howard Frederic Vos, John Ream, The Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia, 1975, page 190, ISBN 0-8024-9697-0.
- ^ Conrad Baker, The Three Powers Of Armageddon: An Exposition of Revelation 16:13-16, August 12, 2005.
External links
- "Omnist", Oxford English Dictionary, draft revision June 2004 (accessed from oed.com October 6, 2005).
- Omnism.com, a site dedicated to Omnism
- "Omnism", an essay on the subject by Ann Wilson
- The Omnist, the personal webpage of a self-described omnist
Categories:- Religious faiths, traditions, and movements
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