Re: All living Christianity is pantheistic -- "WE ARE ALSO ITS OFFSPRING"

"Libertarius" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote...

> Peter wrote:
> > "Rasputin" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:

> > >This is what most Christians believe today, that creation is imperfect
or in
> > >bondage, and has been separated from God. This does not sound like
> > >Pantheism.

> > I am aware of that view. However Paul himself also wrote:

> > Acts 17:28
> > For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of
> > your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

> > This is either a pantheist or panentheist concept of God.

> ===>Well,  aside from the fact that Paul did not write it,
> it IS an expression taken from Stoicism, an
> expression of Pantheistic Stoicism. In fact, it may be translated as
> "in it", since "EN AUTO" may be either masculine on neuter.
> So, it might read:
> "For in IT we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of
> your own poets have said, For we are also ITS offspring."
> A very good Pantheistic statement.
>
>         Libertarius
> ============

Morphologically, looking at the word's form outside of its context,
yes--auto can be translated as "it."  However, syntactically, pronouns must
agree with their antecedents in gender.  The antecedent here is God in verse
27.  He is referred to one other time in verse 27 using the masculine
pronoun auton.  Not only that, but the text continues: "Therefore, being
offspring of God..."

The only proper translation of "en auto" then is "In Him."  Of course, the
full statement attributed to Paul can and is understood theistically.

Scott