World Religions to become Leaders of Nature Conservation!

The start of a new year gives all of us a renewed opportunity to consider how things might be instead of how they are at present.

Nature is in deep trouble. My last blog asked that the great religions of the world would consider setting aside one day in the year to be a special day for ‘conservation’. On such a day the various church leaders in their mosques and synagogs and temples and churches would talk to their millions of followers on why and how we might better protect the wonderful other species that share this planet with us. I received many favourable responses to that idea so it might be useful to take the idea further.

World religions are not comfortable with each other. This is largely due to past circumstances and past history. And in part it is due to the certainty that each is the true way towards the Supreme Being and of the need to harvest souls into the respective boats. But are religions forever to remain at a distance one from another? Are not all following the true way but doing so along different paths?

If strangeness between religions is to be eliminated it must start with clerics meeting together in relaxed and non-confrontational circumstances. And where better than in a place of striking natural beauty that is a manifestation of the hand of God?

It would be a wonderful thing to do if the great religions of the world were to agree to create between them a wilderness reserve to be owned and managed by the major religions on the planet. It would be a place where such spiritual people could visit and draw inspiration from what they would find there. And in such a place, on meeting others of different beliefs, discover that they are not strangers but are all simple human creatures trying to find closer contact with the God of All. No beliefs would be compromised. Substantial benefits to the greater world from the increased harmony among religions would result. And clearly there would be advantage too to the wildlife that would live undisturbed in such a protected wildlife area.

Those among us who are religious people might wish to think about this. If religious people were to discuss what is proposed here and agree to come together to create sich a wilderness reserve what a wonderfil thing that would be for wildlife – and for religion too. A little more on this can be found in Planet Dancing. Come on – please think about this – then come together – and go for it.

Patrick

2 thoughts on “World Religions to become Leaders of Nature Conservation!

  1. Pat,
    I have just read your wonderful book and the great ideas that are proposed. I have thought for a long time about how one can promote a closer understanding of nature among people. For many years I have been teaching permaculture at the DIT Bolton St. MSc course on sustainable development but I think it is not hands on enough. I am also invloved with setting up a permaculture association in Ireland with others.
    Recently I have been involved with Carraig Dulra in Wicklow running skills exchange workshops which attempts to put over such ideas in a practical way.
    What response have you had to your suggestion of a nature reserve for children? Should each country, including Ireland, set up such a reserve?
    Best wishes
    Richard Webb

    • Dear Richard:
      Many thanks for your kind views on Planet Dancing.I am quite sure that the global conservation ideas suggested in this book if acted upon would dramatically change perceptions about nature and how it might be protected. The book is only in publication a short while so it will take some time for these ideas to be embraced and then acted upon.

      The idea for the creation of the First Children of the World Nature Reserve, as offered as one of the proposals in the book, I believe is a bold one that would take considerable organisation but the effects would be felt through many countries and be of considerable benefit for the protection of nature. A reserve by its nature tends to be large. Confining the idea to a small country like Ireland would not generate sufficient donations from children to make this possible. Too, a world event of this nature and scale would galvanize many into concerns for nature.

      I also believe, as per my last two blogs, that organized religions could do great things for conserving species and do so with little effort on their part.

      I thank you again on your generous comments on Planet Dancing.

      Patrick

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