Is there a link between your spiritual faith (or lack thereof) and how you view wilderness?

Question

please elaborate.

This is the 3rd in a series of 30 questions on Nature and the Environment which I'll ask in the following sections: Religion & Spirituality and Philosophy (for the first few questions only), Society & Culture, Environment, and Politics & Government. I will post them in the US, UK, Singapore and India Y!A sites.

Here are links to the first two:

1. http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Aoyk_RUtaC6LJ27Rvy.zFobty6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20080214064914AAwlhTE

2. http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Agdo.G3OVTUkJhRQmb_8KVPty6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20080214150756AAPzAmY

This is not for homework, poll or survey purposes. The topics are ones that interest me specifically and are strictly for my own curiosity about the world.

If you are interested in seeing the complete results of these questions please send me a message.

Answer 1

I don't have faith but i care about nature.

Answer 2

Generally speaking and looking back over history,

what is considered conventional religious people ,have been against nature  and see the wilderness as a threat something that was given to them by their god and to civilize or exploit as they wished ,for FREE.

And traditionally speaking they have had it in for Nature in  a  big way on all levels

The original Pagan God of nature (Pan )was declared an Enemy ,ousted as owner and demoted to being the Devil.

Most of mans natural urges were considered immoral or Taboo.

All of Natures people have been persecuted or hunted into extinction unless they converted to the ruling religions.

People utilizing the Natural forces of Nature have been declared evil or accused of witch craft.

In Mexico farmers have burned forest because of the witches living there.or so they said.

Animals are said not to have emotions or feel pain (this is not true)

Many animals are even considered evil,such as toads,snakes ,wolves lizards etc.

And today the mass deforestation for the production of Ethanol comes from Christian countries.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...

In South Africa it is striking to see the difference between Christian farms ,with out any trees and the other ones.

And Latin Christian countries are infamous for the contamination and pollution they cause ,oblivious of the effects to the surroundings

Christian farming is brutal with mono culture and using chemical fertilizers instead of natural fertilization.

Chemicals to kill unwelcome life, instead of Natural pest control

And brutal with soil as their plows rip the topsoil apart killing all microorganisms that build the soil in the first place

And all farming and gardening tends to be regimented in an unnatural way.

Although there are always exceptions to this rule ,and no doubt several people here will emerge after reading this.

I have met a few Christian people with beautiful gardens and great love and respect for anything to do with the natural world

.But they are the exception, in the big picture.

the majority of little old ladies with crazy gardens and green fingers the most in tune with Nature ,that i have met in my life ,were pagan minded.

Pagan people , regard it a privilege to harvest from Nature ,and some of them , in the past went so far as to even sacrifice their children for that

.I am not saying we should still do this ,but we do pay back Nature and specifically the soil with compost and mulch.

Feed the soil and it will feed you.

Nothing that comes from Nature is regarded as a free gift from the gods and should be paid for some how or be given permission.

Some Native American tribes asked their Gods for permission to take a specific number of fish.

Up North they danced around a tree chanting they were going to kill it ,then quickly turned around and cut down the neighbor ,to take it unawares so as to spare it from any pain.

Animals were spirits or even brothers.

Pagan Gardens are diverse and confusing, full of plants  crammed together ,not regimented.

They tend to treat animals with much more respect.

and were very much in tune with nature ,even the converted

Mazatecca Indians (with whom i lived for a while ) were very knowledgeable ,much more than Christian Farmers,but already less than their Pagan brothers ,

The religion had dulled their connection.

So -as far as Nature is concerned my sympathies tend to be on the Pagan side ,but this not necessarily mean that they lack faith ,it is a different quality of faith that is all

do a poll about deforestation or extinction of animals or the need for conservation or green living ,you will find that the ones who care the least tend to be Christian.

This text is a general view and excludes  the Christian friends of this planet ,they  are with us as well rooting for Gaia.

Answer 3

The more I see of religion, the more I believe in "The Wilderness ie. Nature

Answer 4

This is rather simple, yes there is but . . .

It does not exclude those without faith from having a similar and equal appreciation of nature.

Answer 5

Living in the "wilderness" of northern Minnesota, from my perspective, yes there is a link between my faith and how I view the wilderness.  There is a certain beauty to the outdoors when you sit quietly on the banks of the Mississippi River.  You can't view the beauty of nature without thinking that  (fill in the God of your choice here, i.e God, Buddha or who ever you turn to) there was a divine being who created all of this.  God hears me no doubt when I am in the big cities but I can hear HIM alot clearer in the serenity of the woods.