Funny thing these discussions about the outdoors and spirituality... pro's and con's...
Funny how many people get jumpy and nervous when something like beliefs, feelings, the inner self or spirituality are brought up.
Funny how especially the con's make the harshest comments and make the most fun of the opponents.
Funny how hard it is to describe what this spirituality actually might be.
Funny how these discussions keep popping up. How people keep asking questions and seek answers..
Funny how nonbelievers are so eager to jump in and tell others it's all a load of bull.....
Doesn't it all come down to belief?
There are those who believe in the presence of spirits in nature, there are those who believe in modern science. For many those spirits are sheer nonsence, but for the native Americans for instance they were fact. As did and still do many other cultures not living in big societies or concrete jungles. Some believe in the facts of science, but have to revert to take someone else's word for it, believing what is said or written about these facts. And every once in a while they get proven to be wrong.
And yet we all claim to love nature. Than what is this love? Is it a fact? Or maybe a belief? Many would say it is an emotion. But what is an emotion? How do you describe that? But we all believe that these emotions exist, are a fact in out lives. If spirituality is nonsense, since one can not describe it, than so is love. I for one can not describe what it is, even though my heart is full of it. Any of you? And how do you prove it scientifically? Seems quit hard, doesn't it? Certainly earlier men had no way of doing that, so love did not exist in those early days, right? Yet everyone knew it was there. That was a fact....
It all makes me wonder..... If today's outdoorpeople claim to feel no connection to the land, then what are they doing out there? Trying to run away from society, their jobs, families? Themselves? Trying to prove that they are real men, who can cut it out there? What?
And how can you respect or even claim to love something you feel not connected to?
And if even outdoorpeople feel no connection, then how can they expect the non-outdoorpeople to have that? Let alone respect it?
As for me; yes, I do believe in a spiritual connection between man, animal and plant. Each of these have a spirit, a mind, a soul. yes, I do believe that there is even a connection between living organisms and "lifeless" things. I believe there is a connection between man, animal, plant, rock, air, water etc. I believe it is a connection on a very basic level. It is the spirit of these and within these things that connect us. And I confess that that belief is almost religious to me. Not in the shove-it-down-your-throat-way many of the larger religions do, but it is what I firmly believe in.