Blog #11 Spiritual Ecology

I was raised as a Catholic but never really felt welcome in that religion. If I still believed in Catholicism then I don't think I would be as open to spiritual ecology since it is a converting religion. In high school I took a comparative religions course and it opened my eyes to all different spiritual views. I connected most with the Buddhist and Hindu views. They value nature more and think everything you encounter should be cherished and teach you more about yourself and he Earth. They teach to be kind to all living beings, whether it be humans, animal or nature. Our lives are gifts as is every other living being's and we are all connected and equal. This is exactly the view of spiritual ecology; we are one with nature. James Lovelock formulated the Gaia Hypothesis, basically saying that Earth is a living being that sustains itself as its environment changes. The organisms that live on Earth help sustain it, just as Earth sustains them. I agree with this hypothesis because every living organism is affected and needs one another, Earth being one of those living organisms. I definitely believe we live in a hyper-masculinized society. From the beginning of time men have always dominated. I have seen it moving more towards equality but even so, there are many people out there that do and always will see women, and all species for that matter, submissive to men.