Blog #11

Blog Questions:

1.       What religion were you raised with and how does that affect your view of spiritual ecology?

2.       What are your opinions on the Gaia Hypothesis? Do you agree or disagree?

3.       Do you believe we live in a hyper-masculine culture? If so, how do you see it changing?

I am Catholic. I was raised as a Catholic with an understanding of and an appreciation for Islam, since that is my father’s faith. I think that my spiritual background, if one can call it that, has affected my perspective on life as well as my view of spiritual ecology.  My belief, stated as it relates to spiritual ecology, is that we are all connected through our similarities and human dignity, and there is a higher power, God, who has created the universe, giving us humans a responsibility to protect and nurture the natural environment. This relates to spiritual ecology because I think both ideologies emphasize the importance of viewing problems holistically, with the natural world an inextricable component, and that achieving peace can only happen when the natural environment is respected. This is a main point of Pope Benedict’s message for the World Day of Peace 2010. In fact, my faith lead me to pursue an academic path and career that is linked to the environment.

I feel that the Gaia Hypothesis is very interesting, and I had never considered that life is what influences the atmosphere. I am inclined to agree with the interesting, beautiful notion that the entire earth is alive. Also, in reading the article on the Gaia hypothesis, I felt that the main argument was that all of these conditions that make life optimal are so unlikely that there must be some powerful force at play. I believe that this is God’s work. I also feel that the hypothesis makes it a more beautiful concept to care for and to be an interconnected part of the earth, which is in contrast to the view that we are at the mercy of some hostile, savage environment.

 However, since this is called a hypothesis, it is implied that this can be tested through experimentation and potentially become a theory. Is this possible?

From my understanding from the readings, I would say that we live in a hyper-masculine culture. But perhaps I am susceptible to the persuasive arguments of the author. I think that this culture is already changing because of the shifting of perceived roles of men and women.

Also, I took the quiz on “What Spirit Animal Are You?” and I got a Bear, but when I read the description, I did not really think that it described me. And when I asked my sister to take it she got a Crow, and ironically, the website says that Crows and Bears should “watch out for” the other.