Religion/Spritial beliefs in bushcraft??

[R-J]

Cor we’re a diversified bunch.

But, we all have one thing (maybe more) in common. We ALL have a love of nature.

Andy

good point, well made.

nice to see a religiuos question to end in the usual :twak: , .

as for me (in answer to the question) i've looked and am looking into the whole religious/spiritual side of life and i have to agree that most religions have a very similar blueprint for how to live with others - and its no bad thing!

i'm thankful for everything i have, and i belive in trying to give something back when you take something. i suppose i belive in fate as much as anything, try to get buy without upsetting the order of things, etc, etc. "what goes around comes around" n 'll that.

right, i'm gonna go. hopefully thats made some sence on some level .

good thread!

 

[andyn]

Thank you all for your answers, we are indeed a diverse bunch of people. Also like Tony said, thanks for sticking to the question rather than commenting on other peoples views. I was a little worried posting the question as it cold have easily gone of track. But I now have something to take back to my boss....

Keep your answers coming, but thanks to everyone who has already answered.

 

[BorderReiver]

From my wooly minded liberal,tree hugging aged hippy point of view:

Spiritual interaction with nature - Good

Organised Religion - Bad

The Christian bible states that God gave man dominion over nature,i.e. ours to do what we want with. Hence the Bad rating.Thought I'd better explain my reasoning. There are other reasons but they are not relevant here.

 

[hobbitboy]

No can of worms, no religeous discussions. This isn't the place for it. If you feel the need, pray on it. It's about all you can do in any situation that you are not in control of.

Wise words, no matter your religious "persuasion".

I'm a Christian, but i very strongly disagree with the treatment of nature by many so-called Christians. As bordereiver stated God gave us "dominion", but i personally feel that in the context it should be seen as more of a stewardship than as the role of a subjugator. The earth was created by God, and he what He saw was good, but I doubt He feels that when He looks at the abuse and exploitation of His creation.
So on that note, which has left me relatively depressed at the thought of the state the earth is in, I'll finish.
Respect to all who honour and care for nature no matter what your beliefs.
Matt P

 

[jamesdevine]

I wake up in the morning and feel the wind blow over my cheeks maybe the soft sound of rain on my tarp, I hear the morning chorus and the trees singing their song. I can see a squrriel running around my camp. I watch him for a while.

I begin to stir get out of my bivvy bag and frigthen of the squrriel. The birds stop for a moment acknownoledging my presence and then start back up again as if I had always been there. I blow my fire back to life and make a brew.

As I sit there watching the billy boil I smile outwardly, inwardly I am dancing with joy. Joining with nature. I am alive.

James

 

[RovingArcher]

Good one James. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Ahjno]

I wake up in the morning and feel the wind blow over my cheeks maybe the soft sound of rain on my tarp, I hear the morning chorus and the trees singing their song. I can see a squrriel running around my camp. I watch him for a while.

I begin to stir get out of my bivvy bag and frigthen of the squrriel. The birds stop for a moment acknownoledging my presence and then start back up again as if I had always been there. I blow my fire back to life and make a brew.

As I sit there watching the billy boil I smile outwardly, inwardly I am dancing with joy. Joining with nature. I am alive.

James

For me bushcraft and religion / spirituality are 2 completely different things.
I got baptised at the age of 3 months (splash of cold water over my head, someone drawing a cross on my forhead and putting some salt in my mouth ). Had some Christian forming on primary school, but at home left to my own: my parents don't believe, but they gave me the change to find out some things about religion, and to make the decission for myself if I wanted to believe or not.

Due to my education I don't believe in a higher power like (a) God etc. I'm taught to believe what I see, what I can't see, does not excist. Although you you can discuss this (but we don't: this is a great thread): God is all presence / around us, in every (living) thing on earth.

I've got a very good friend at uni, and she is raised as a Christian, and she believes in God, etc. I love the discussions we sometimes have during lunch or dinner without any bad words or disrespect. As said somewhere before: live and let live.

The way James put it is the only way I can see bushcraft in this context of the thread. Bushcraft is joining nature, and knowing you are alive (and to escape crowdy college rooms & cities ).

Due to this thread I feel proud again to belong to this community, there where 2 or 3 issues over the month, but this thread proves it: :You_Rock_ really!!
Thanks guys!!!

 

[Fungi]

To me, on a very fundamental level, the distinction between 'Bushcraft' and 'Religion' is not as obvious and clear cut as one may first believe.
For most indigenous peoples and indeed our ancestors the two went hand in hand. (Reading many of the posts on this topic for some, they still do.)
Bushcraft was and still is, simply a way of living, of getting by, making life comfortable and getting the most from the resources available. Since the dawn of time, this is what it was all about.
In order to influence, aid and guide us in life, many religions and belief systems developed. Why? To help build and develop the above definition of 'Bushcraft' ie. being alive. Existing and making the most in this world, the next and the previous, or whatever context was deemed appropriate.
I think that these days our views on what denotes 'religion' are somewhat guided by the developments of the last few thousand years, many of these beliefs are being questioned by society as a whole these days. Our search for alternatives often leaves us looking for 'something' similiar to what we know about and understand.
In many ways this is making the most of what is available and trying to put it into context with our modern lifestyles.
As 'bushcrafters' though we have a distinctive advantage over everybody else, in that often we are 'out there' living (albeit relatively brief) primitive lives. We sit around the fire, forage from the land, wake up on cold frosty mornings, watch wildlife or view rainbows. In essence 'we are alive'.
The feelings and emotions we experience when out in the woods, especially when we sit alone for a time, are the very emotions and feelings that we as humans have felt since it all began.
I believe its all about getting back to basics and interpretting this in which ever way you choose, that allows you to feel alive!!!!!! Whether that be through believing in One God or many, or just looking at life on a spiritual level.
I am not trying to promote or denounce any form of religion or belief system, just to try and put an extra edge on Primitive living.

 

[Ben_Hillwalker]

I am an atheist and always have been. There was a time when I was a pretty millitant anti-religon type as well, but that all faded with the fury of my youth. These days it's not so much what people believe that concerns me as how they act on those beliefs.

I have some notions of beauty, awe, responsibility and stewardship about the great outdoors which mirror a lot of the things that already have been posted. If you want to discuss them some time over a pint of beer then I'm yer man. We can discuss your opinions and mine with candour but without rancour. What I will not do is tell you what to believe.

What goes on in your head and in your soul (if you believe in the soul) is entirely your business and everyone else should stay the hell out. If that belief gives you the spiritual strength to do good things then that's cool. If, however, that belief leads to actual harm of me or any other human being then that's a problem, but the problem is with what you did, not with what you thought.

John Stuart Mill said that we are all soverign over our own minds and that's pretty much what I believe too.

 

[andyn]

Some more interesting points of view. Thanks guys.

I too am atheist and find it difficult to believe in god(s), but find it interesting to read about religions and their beliefs.

I must say though that I often feel an emotion when im out in the woods, especially when I'm on my own (even if im just out for a morning or afternoon) that I suppose could be linked to feeling a spirital connection to everything around me.

 

[pierre girard]

Wise words, no matter your religious "persuasion".

I'm a Christian, but i very strongly disagree with the treatment of nature by many so-called Christians. As bordereiver stated God gave us "dominion", but i personally feel that in the context it should be seen as more of a stewardship than as the role of a subjugator. The earth was created by God, and he what He saw was good, but I doubt He feels that when He looks at the abuse and exploitation of His creation.
So on that note, which has left me relatively depressed at the thought of the state the earth is in, I'll finish.
Respect to all who honour and care for nature no matter what your beliefs.
Matt P

Christian. I agree with the above and I enjoy creation - as a reflection of the Creator - and I am happily looking forward to the time all creation will be fulfilled in reunification with the Creator.

PG

 

[george]

I heard a quote once that has stuck with me and which has a bearing on my love for the outdoors.

"There are times, when no matter the position of the body, the soul is on it's knees."

I've probably misquoted it and I've no idea who said it, but I can distinctly remember the times when I've experienced moments like that.

All except three of these moments have been when I've been outdoors.





The three times that I've felt like that indoors were at the birth of my children.

I don't "do" religion, but I do "do" personal responsibility and I do "do" integrity. I believe that we must all take personal responsibility to try to ensure that we leave this earth a little better than we found it and we must each question our actions and integrity according to that simple "law".

I have no quarrel with religion as such - I just prefer to keep things simple.

george

 

[nevetsjc80]

I am not a druid as such but i am intrested in pagan beliefs esp wyrd and wicca as they are closely linked to nature. I do reiki and i am about to go on a shamanic course soon. I involve my beliefs in my bushcraft and work (as a woodsman) too. I have started my path as a spiritaul warrior and its great .

 

[RovingArcher]

For what it's worth, here's a few thoughts on the subject. Certainly not mine in origin, but I try to remember and adhere to them as best as I can. These thoughts came from the indigenous peoples here in the states and were shared by the indigenous peoples all over the planet at one time. Not in their exact words, but I believe that their thoughts are here.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Before we make a decision, or take an action today, we as a people must consider how that decision, or action, will affect our children's children for 7 generations.

All life is sacred and all things that move, are alive. Since everything on the Earth moves, all of Creation, then all things live and all things are sacred. We don't destroy those things that are sacred to us.

Life is like the web of the spider and what one species does, will have an affect on all others in that web. We humans are only a very small thread and the more actions we take that break the other threads around us, the closer we come to collapsing that web and the closer we come to our own demise.

 

[sodajoe]

I'm a Buddhist, I think. Although I don't agree with some aspects of Karma and being vegetarian. I would kill animals if I had to, but not for sport or bushcraft purposes. I enjoy learing about snares and traps but hope I never have to use them. I have leather goods and eat healthy portions of all types of meat. I like the idea of live and let live and not preaching to others which seems to be pretty much a core belief in Buddhism.

 

[BorderReiver]

I would kill animals if I had to, but not for sport or bushcraft purposes.

Bushcraft purposes Explain please.

The only bushcraft purpose I can think of for killing an animal is to eat it and/or use various body parts to make living possible.

Oops,that looks a bit abrupt. Question is just for clarification.

 

[BorderReiver]

Not taking sides - my beliefs or lack of them are my own affair - but an alternative translation is:

'God gave man stewardship over nature' which entails a sense of responsibility for the natural world.

Regretably the alternative translation is seldom given credence in today's world.

 

[sodajoe]

Bushcraft purposes Explain please.

The only bushcraft purpose I can think of for killing an animal is to eat it and/or use various body parts to make living possible.

Oops,that looks a bit abrupt. Question is just for clarification.

No sweat, what I mean is I wouldn't kill an animal on a regular basis just to practice bushcraft skills regardless of whether the animal or fish in question is eaten. But I hasten to add that I make no judgment on people who fish, hunt or shoot.

Hope that's a little clearer

 

[BorderReiver]

No sweat, what I mean is I wouldn't kill an animal on a regular basis just to practice bushcraft skills regardless of whether the animal or fish in question is eaten. But I hasten to add that I make no judgment on people who fish, hunt or shoot.

Hope that's a little clearer

Agree with the sentiment 100%.

Thanks for the clarification.

 

[Matt Weir]

Hi,

I was brought up as a Catholic but now class myself as a Pagan. In the intervening years I considered myself an Atheist. I now know that I have always had Pagan tendancies but only in the past few months have I actually read up on what paganism (some call it neo-paganism) is all about but I'm certainly no expert. I dont really want to label myself with a specific title such as Heathen, Wicca, Druid etc as I recognise all forms to some degree within myself.

For me it's the reverance of Nature that strikes a chord which is why I have stumbled onto the bushcraft path.

That's my tuppence anyway.

There are some fantastic posts on the thread btw that I have really enjoyed reading.

Matt.