Pantheistic Deities, Transcendent Deities, and the Problem of Evil

For those that don't know, a pantheistic deity is a deity that is identified with the universe, while a transcendent deity exists above and beyond the universe. Pantheism seems to be becoming more and more common these days. In particular, New Agers and Wiccans tend to be pantheistic, while Christians and Jews tend to believe in a transcendent God.

Pantheists tend to view the universe as a kind of living thing in itself and God is its life force. God is that which sustains the universe from moment to moment. On this view, even inanimate objects such as a rock or computer screen, are considered to be part of God.

For someone who believes God is a transcendent deity, God exists "outside" the universe. He set the universe in motion and watches it from afar. And, of course, He can intervene in its affairs at any time He so chooses. God is thus viewed as the Creator of the universe: He and the universe are separate.

Although I appreciate some of the points for pantheism, I lean toward the transcendent view of God.

One of the largest problems I see for pantheism is the philosophical problem known as the "Problem of Evil." Evil exists in the universe-that seems unquestionable. One man takes a knife and guts another man for no reason. That is evil. Evil committed by a free-willed being, but evil nonetheless. A hurricane strikes a coastal city and wipes out two-hundred people. That, too, is evil.

Pantheism has problems in both instances. In the first, the man, although free-willed, is a part of the universe and inflicting evil. Therefore, God is inflicting evil. The problem is exacerbated by those who argue that humans are gods or can become gods (a position I don't really endorse, and in fact find almost silly). In the second case, the hurricane, clearly a force of nature, a part of the universe, and therefore a part of God, is inflicting evil. Normally, God is thought to be all good. These obvious cases of evil in the universe are hard to reconcile with the notion that God is good, particularly for the pantheist. The only way out that I see is to abandon the notion that God is all-good. But then, do we really want to worship such a God?