What does your religion say about loving the natural world?

Is a love of the animals and plants ever mentioned?





I love and respect, and try to conserve, birds, animals and plants from around the world and see the earth as ther greatest gift we could have been given- but nobody of a religious orientation ever seems to discuss anything apart from human life.





Is a love of the natural world (and the vocation to defend and preserve it) smiled upon in your religion? Can you provide empirical back-up to your claims?





Thanks!

What does your religion say about loving the natural world?
I%26#039;m a wiccan and my personal orientation of this religion is almost completely earthly based. Treat the world with the respect it deserves.
Reply:I garden for food and beauty...both of which I share. I also respect and enjoy observing animals, birds, insects etc that God has given us and imazingly enough it%26#039;s all tied together. Never thought I%26#039;d like bugs until I learned why they are here and the job of each so having respect for all of God%26#039;s creation isn%26#039;t really a spiritual struggle for me.





I would think where dogmatic practice is going on there could be no respect present from those who are very closed minded to their surroundings. Some people just don%26#039;t think outside the box and mistakingly see those who notice as worshipers of the earth . Starting with an heirloom seed God given to fall to the earth to reproduce that of which allows stir-fried vegetables on the table...imagine that, food falling from the sky ;)





Look at all the churches....are they really without beauty on the outside? Do they let grass go to weed/seed and landscape perish void of flowers and trees that is sometimes preserved via transplant? In most cases I would say no so I wouldn%26#039;t allow those who claim not to have respect destroy your God given interests. Just because some individuals wouldn%26#039;t get caught dead with dirt under their fingernails yet ironically, we all need to eat, doesn%26#039;t mean green thumbs should ignore their calling. Every natural gift that God designed requires food right down to our soil and we should all respect those gifts.
Reply:Most Pagan religions are nature-based. The Old Ways require an understanding and acceptance of the rhythm of the universe. In addition, some religions of Man require a deep respect for the natural world and its inhabitants (Buddhism and Taoism, for example)
Reply:Its says that the world has been given to us and we should look after it, but we are allowed to eat the animals, but not allowed to be cruel or kill them unnecessarily.
Reply:No as long as you have not started placing the needs of people on an equal level of human beings, with animals. Should bears be allowed to come into areas where people live or rodents given precedence over a farmer and his crops? Genesis 3:17, Romans 1.





In fact in Genesis God told Adam to take care of the world...to be friends with the world is to be an enenmy of God and actually defy the Natural laws of God through inordinate affections...Hebrews 1:4,Colossians 3:5
Reply:I%26#039;m Wiccan. My religion has a great deal of love and respect for the natural world. It even recognizes that we aren%26#039;t above the natural world, but part of it. Nothing is put on this earth solely for us to use. My religion teaches that without nature, we are nothing and would cease to exist.
Reply:Not only is it not mentioned - its antithetical to the ideas in the bible. If you are ignorant enough to believe it was all put here for our benefit then there%26#039;s nothing wrong with making any animal go extinct unless we need it for some reason such as food.





Its so egocentric. I doubt very many christians give a damn about the environment. One of the problems is best shown with george bush senior%26#039;s response to a question if he was worried about damaging the ozone and effecting the climate - he replied he didnt think it mattered since the rapture was going to take place soon.
Reply:My religion says that we should indeed love the natural world, and that even plants and animals have souls. But I%26#039;m Wiccan. You seem to be hearing from a lot of us :-)
Reply:nohas ark , claim back up, yes the earth is currently crying for us to help her shes having to much global warming
Reply:I am a Catholic, and the world and and everything in it is a sign of God%26#039;s love and gift to mankind.It also shows a little of His awesome power.
Reply:Nature is what our God has created. Christians are very much into the study of nature and the preservation of it. Jesus used illustrations from nature continually to teach His doctrines. Most christians that I know have real love for nature.
Reply:that sounds like my belief system


I am wiccan
Reply:In our religion Islam, it is said that nature is creation of almighty Allah, that each and everything points out towards his single ultimate Creator of all Allah, as signs of His ultimate quality of being a Creator.


Allah almighty loves His creation 70 times more than a mother loves her child.



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