Replies

Hi Weidong,

It’s great to have you in the class. I have heard that process philosophy is well-respected in China. Your being in the class supports the idea. Like you, Prcoess Theology has answered many of my questions too. I no longer can believe in any other God than that described by Process Theology (or Open & Relational Theology; as coined by Thomas Jay Oord). By the way, I too have a daily mindfulness meditation practice!

Elizabeth, it’s great to have you in class. I also love the term “pan-compassionist”! I am essentially “agnostic” but I don’t like that label as much as “seeker”. Though I am a “seeker”, I have found Whiteheadean Philosophy to really resonate with me to the point that it is my “working hypothesis” though I don’t claim any certainty. The great thing is that neither did Whitehead! 😉

Thank you, Sheri and Rolla!

That definitely resonates with me too!

Thank you, Sheri. Good points. On a process view, as I understand it, even plants (or singe-celled organisms for that matter) may have something like experience or consciousness, though clearly not at the level of higher organisms. There is empirical evidence of learning and memory for plants and single-celled organisms. So, with that idea, even a vegan is “life eating life” where “life” may involve some degree of experience, consciousness or sentience at all levels. In fact, some argue that even sub-atomic particles may have a primordial consciousness or interior and all levels of conscious experience also have freedom of choice to one degree or another. This idea factors into understanding what you were calling “natural evils” like tsunamis and such that cause tremendous amounts of suffering.