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Neopaganism and the Environment: Should all Neo-Pagans be environmentalists?
Results so far:
| No | 44% | 137 votes | Total: 313 votes | |
| Yes | 56% | 176 votes |
No
by Darren Owen
Created on: June 20, 2010 Last Updated: June 26, 2011
There is one thing that no matter what religion you are or what faith you follow we can all agree on and that is the earth is sacred and worthy of respect and care. Without it we would have no home, no food, no cloths, nothing at all. Neo-paganism today can be defined as any faith or path that focuses on an earth based spiritual experience so it stands to reason that all neo-pagans should be environmentalists. By saying this though we ignore the very thing that has attracted so many people to paganism in the first place.
The modern neo-pagan paths have always stood on the fundamental fact that there is no holy book, no overreaching authority and no code of laws that every pagan must follow. Instead paganism has always been about personal and subjective experience. We follow this faith because of our personal experiences of the world, because of how we feel when we see a sunset, not because we have been baptised and followed the creed since birth. We have the freedom to work our personal spiritual experiences into our own personal framework.
Neo-pagans know the earth is more than just the planet that we stand on. We accept that the animals that cover the planet’s surface are just as important to our spirituality as the Earth we love and we know that the vegetation that shares our land is important for survival as a species. These things are all self evident to pagans. But because they are self evident to pagans we also see the web of life on the planet and know that the environment is just one piece of the puzzle.
A lot of pagans go into the health and healing sectors to help others. This is just as important to the life of the planet we love as the person who helps clear up rubbish or clearing weeds. People are after all a major component of the world we live in and they are undoubtedly the one thing on the planet that can help it the most. By spreading health and healing we are making people feel better, who then go out and perhaps spread that feeling of being healthy and happy to someone else who then spreads it to someone else and a chain is born, a chain of random acts of kindness which makes the earth a better place in so many different ways.
What about the pagans who spread ideas? If the feeling of happiness can be spread by random acts of kindness thanks to the initial work of a pagan helping out in a healing way can an idea be spread the same way? Well yes and there called memes. Memes are ideas that spread like a virus and they are most often associated with internet viral adverts or videos. So if ideas can spread like a virus isn’t the pagan who tries to spread the idea of helping the planet just as important as the person who plants trees at the weekend?
Do we as pagans have a duty of care to the planet? Yes absolutely. Should we all be environmentalists? no. To concentrate on environmental work as great and important as it is we are ignoring the myriad of small and important other jobs that need to be done to increase the happiness of life on this glorious Earth. Many pagans have a need to help make our home a better place to live for all life but because of the freedom our pagan path gives us there are many different ways we can help. It isn’t important that we all try through helping the environment, it is just important that we all try.
Learn more about this author, Darren Owen.
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Yes
by Rena Sherwood
Created on: March 01, 2009
A Pagan that isn't an environmentalist is just like a Pope that doesn't believe in God. There are very few rules in the free-thinking realm of Paganism, but one of those rules is a respect for the natural world and the other creatures living on this planet. A Pagan doesn't have to be a radical environmentalist or an activist. But they are expected to try not to harm the earth or its inhabitants as much as they can and to keep a proper perspective of humanity's role in nature.
Quietly Walking The Talk
Pagans are not expected to preach their beliefs or try to convince anyone to turn to their way of thinking. But they are expected to live by their beliefs. If a Pagan is wasteful, litters, does environmental damage, doesn't recycle if recycling is available, vote to support legislation to help the environment, then he should seriously think about not calling himself a Pagan any longer.
Taking care of the environment and other species is a core belief of any Pagan. This is one of the very few characteristics of all Pagan sects. Nature is the giver and sustainer of life. In order to be in harmony with yourself, you need to be aware of the rhythms of nature. For example, nature recycles. When a plant or animal dies, their bodies rot, which helps makes soil to grow more plants that can feed animals. Because nature recycles, so should we.
Keeping A Perspective
One thing that greatly differentiates Paganism from organized religions is humanity's place in nature. In organized religions, humans are superior to everything on the planet. Everything else is expendable to the whim of the human. This is because their God has made the world and the creatures in it for the sole purpose of serving the whims of humanity.
Pagans believe that this is not the case. Humanity is just another species on the planet. They aren't any more important, but they aren't any less important. The only difference between humanity and the rest of the planet's species is the power to destroy. Therefore, we have the responsibility to protect the environment and the creatures in it. Humans are like a puzzle piece. All of the pieces are equally important in order to make the full picture.
Everything needs to be in balance in order to be healthy and happy. Right now, we are out of balance with nature. We are working against nature and not with it. For example use the easiest ways to get fossil fuels, like strip mining, which destroys the surrounding area. That means less land available to grow plants and create oxygen. This winds up creating long-term misery for short-term gain.
Pagans need to think about the future, for they know their actions are like ripples in a pond that stretches out far beyond where they can see. This is why all Pagans have to be environmentalists.
Learn more about this author, Rena Sherwood.
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