Pagans and Environmentalism

[michel]

Unfortunately, to some people, that fact is only a minor annoyance in their anti-pagan crusade

I generally avoid the terms altogether also, simply because I don't like labeling myself.

Do the ignorant deserve to have an effect on you - if you allow them to make you weary of being who you are, you allow them to win.

I am proud of the label of my belief - those who scoff and scorn have only my hopes for a better understanding.

 

[kreeden]

This is a topic on of it's own Michel . But labels are limitations that we put on ourselves , as much as others put on us . I am kreeden , and that says it all .

BTW kreeden has been many things to many people , but he has always been kreeden .

 

[Quoth The Raven]

Nuclear power is a bit of a grey area for me because, although I know it has some large risks, I am under the impression that these are not very likely and, other than the difficulty in disposing the waste, this is a very clean fuel source, pollution wise. As long as the waste is placed in a non contaminatable area, such as the middle of a desert for example or in space, then I cant really have a problem with this either.

Do you have any idea how many nuclear accidents there have actually been in the last 60 years? Other than the partial reactor meltdown at Three Mile Island (which I think is way before your time) and Chernobyl, there have been quite a few other partial reactor meltdowns, just to start the ball rolling. Not to mention the number of times there has been a critical mass created 'accidentally'. It's nasty, nasty stuff.
There is no 'non contaminable' area on earth to put the waste...it may be a desert to everyone else, but it still has an ecosystem you're screwing up by dumping nuclear waste there, and I can't imagine the people producing the waste would consider dumping in space a cost effective option.

 

[Sabio]

Mind if the newbie has a try at it?


I'm under the impression that on a very general scale, (obviously every man is his own) pagans tend to be far more apt to holding a positive environmental attitude than Christians. Here's why..


A pantheistic world view has a tendency to view all things as co-dependant or interconnected. This respect in all things allows for a more open and protective attitude toward that with all that which we are intimately connected. BUT on the other side of the fence, Christian beliefs state that mankind is set apart from nature, made in god's own likeness. They tend to believe that they are not equal to, but rather set apart from the rest of creation. This, added to the fact that the Christianity is one of the few religions that does not clearly state the believer’s responsibility to the earth, hinders them from developing a positive environmental attitude. It's a very subtitle but dangerous conviction to put human needs before that of everything else but for some, anything less is just too close to blasphemy and pantheism. I'm not saying that Christians tend to be anti-environment, just that they tend to be apathetic or hesitant to take any sort of protective action in the matter. Making things worse in this regard is their tendency to have an 'End Times' attitude, which holds the understanding that not only was the earth was made just to suit our needs but will soon be destroyed by god anyway. *shrug..


As for me, i fall into the environmentalist-pagan category.

Justa-gurl

I guess I am the token Christian here. Please allow me to comment.

I for one believe that God made us "caretakers" of His creation, and that we are to be respectful and use resources with good stewardship in mind. I own a farm and practice farming that does not harm the environment but seeks to enhance it.

I don't see any conflict between being a Christian and being environmently concerned.

The difference is that I worship God who created the environment, I don't worship the environment itself.

Does that conflict with your viewpoint about Christians and the environment?

Sabio

 

[kreeden]

I don't see any conflict between being a Christian and being environmently concerned.

The difference is that I worship God who created the environment, I don't worship the environment itself.

I don't see any conflict there neither . However , Pagans may not " worship " the environment , and more then a Christian does . Personally , I see Nature as the manifestation of the Creator , not as the Creator . But then , I may not be Pagan ?

 

[justa_gurl]

Sabio,

No, i don't believe it does conflict. Allow me to explain..
I fully understand that the underlying message of Jesus' portrayal implies by its very nature care and stewardship of the earth. None-the-less, this fact alone seems... well, insufficient. The message is there but the Christian church in whole has not only failed to teach such a value but neglected (if not completely ignored) the subject. Responsibility has been placed on the individual to figure out for themselves and do what they can. Which if you think about it, is really a pitty when as a unit the church community could be very influential in preventing unwarrented destruction of our resources.

My statement earlier was not a judgement of the message of Jesus in any way shape or form, but a possible explaination as to why the church in whole fails that message in respect to stewardship. Is it the lack of substantial scriptural backing? A reluctance to be associated with or confused as 'nature worshipers'? The view that all the earth will soon be destroyed and rebuilt anyway? or the idea that the earth was made for us to subjugate? I'm not altogether sure, but what i do know is that it's not an unfamiliar trait for the church to be cold and reluctant toward any issues considered environmental and it's seriously unfortunate.

As for worshiping nature, i'm afriad i find that topic somewhat confusing. Many of the pro-environment and pagan peoples i know also don't place nature higher than themselves that they should worship it. They simply don't consider it something to be degraded and misused. I've found that overall, that which i respect most is what i consider as equal. It's hard to respect something you find yourself feeling greater than and insuperiority is no better. Perhaps many pagans also feel this way concerning nature and so have become its equal.
Just a thought.