does your religion influence your selfsuficientish life?

[Super.Niki]

thefriarandme ...that was beautiful....

[Wombat]

Christian here!

Our local church is catching up with me! The have accepted that climate change is upon us and want to do something!

Nev

[yugogypsy]

Another Hedge-Witch or "Lone Practitioner" here. (I am also occasionally to be found at the Catholic Church for Midnight Mass out of respect for family tradition)
My self-sufficient roots are the basis of my life, my Dad's family were all raised on a farm through the First war and depression, my Dad always had a big garden.

I prefer the fresh and better flavor of our vegetables and knowing everything that went into the soil it grew in.

I believe I'm healthier for it, and I'm growing mangel beets to feed chopped up to the horse and donkey, so they get a return for all the wonderful fertilizer they make.

A hint to those with aphid problems-plant lots of dill, it attracts lady-bugs, which take care of the aphids.

I like the independence of my lifestyle, and I laugh when I read some of these budget cutting books on saving money.

All paper products except toilet paper were abandoned long ago in favor of rags, vinegar and salt do a lot of the cleaning, and I do use biodegradable laundry soap.

I don't use extra plant foods or any kinds of chemicals and use my car sparingly.

I like the Mormon philosophy of having a years food ahead. In time I should be able to accomplish that, between preserving vegetables and selling eggs, veg and crafts to buy the perishables.

I need a few more kitchen gadgets, like a pasta machine or roll and cut my pasta by hand, we go through a lot.

It will be nice to be independent for milk and cottage cheese again when I get my goats.

My religious as well as personal beliefs blend well with the self-sufficiency because all 3 have been there all my life.

I was brought up to respect nature (though Dad was a logger) and I was brought up with preserving food, being a Hedge-Witch came a bit later, but all is in harmony for me.

Lois

[QuakerBear]

The lecture on Quakerism and Enviromentalism is going to be held at 7.30 in Guildford Meeting House (it's on the street parralel to the high street, near the top of the hill, on the left if you're walking up the hill) on 31st October.

As it's Halloween, scary costumes will be obligatory.

[Stonehead]

[red]

A few days ago, I published a humorous post on my blog about the possibility of fairies being found around the croft as we have a stone circle here, plus there are alleged to be a "fairy" spring, ley lines and the like.

I've since received three emails, two from the US and one from the UK, from bloggers saying they have stopped linking to my blog as I espouse paganism and/or Satanism. As Christians, they feel that linking to my blog is no longer appropriate and could expose them, their children and other people to harm.

that is a real shame - for these people to have such closed minds. their loss, not yours. Not everyone who is religious takes the same stance.

In another example, the previous headteacher of our sons' school observed "of course, your wife is Irish isn't she" when we said we didn't want them taking part in church services and religious observances at school. We live just outside a mainly Protestant village, the school - despite being a state school - is openly Church of Scotland and, while my surname appears to be both Scots and Protestant, the OH's appears to be Irish and Catholic. In fact, those assumptions are not correct, but that doesn't stop people reaching conclusions and making judgements.

I dont think religion should be a part of school at all. It is for the parents to take responsibily of, until such time at the child can make a decision for themselves. I deeply resented the fact that there were no non-church schools available for my son to attend in our area. (irrelevent now as we home ed anyway - but still... hardly freedom of choice)

[QuakerBear]

Dear Stonehead,

I'm really sorry you've had such negative experiances recently.

I agree with you that 'religion' can often refer to, "a set of codified" beliefs and practices; don't eat this, stand up, sit down, say these words. But I would also suggest that the word 'religion' can be just a shorthand way of refing to a far more deeply internalised range of beliefs, feelings and way of living, something which effects every moment of your waking day. As such I'd really hope that you don't feel excluded because your beliefs/spirituality/philosophy are just another expresion of the same human experiance.

I know what you mean about being wary about introducing religion into conversations and relationships, it can ruin them big time! But... it can also be great fun. As an undergrad I lived with a Muslim Pakistani and an Indian Hindu, they were best friends and did EVERYTHING together, this included going to the Temple for festivals and fasting for Ramadan. Other people of either religion would be abit suspicious of this, why is this Muslim doing puja?!?!?! But the point is they were confident enough in their own religion that they didn't feel threatened by another set of beliefs and practices being introduced so intimately into their lives. Instead they could take joy in their friends spirituality and enjoy the curry that must go with every festival. They would have really missed out, on a deep friendship as well as parties if they hadn't had the courage and confidence to allow religion into their lives.

I did the same with a Jewish housemate a year latter. I enjoyed some of more codified aspects of living and it brought me closer to my friend.

So to conclude this ramble, sometimes it's worth jumping in with other peoples religion/beliefs/spirituality/philosopy, in the long run, the pleasures outweigh the disapointments.

[Stonehead]

[hedgewitch]

I'm not religious but I am spiritual. The main part of my spirituality is my connection to nature. Harmonizing with, working with, respecting and accepting nature. Going on this, then the way I live my life is greatly influenced by my beliefs yes.

[frozenthunderbolt]

Hmmm tricky one.

Gota say definitly spiritual, probably pagan (eclectic?) with wiccan/drudic tendancies . . . (wee that should wind someone up lol )

Yup i think it does influence the way i live, and why ive chosen to live this way: mutual respect for the earth and what it provides for me means that i try look out for it too.

I have loathed plastics with a fiery passion for as long as i can remember and much prefer anything done with natural materials.

brought up aethiest by gardening hipp,y not drugs and spriritual hippy, type parents so i guess ive always had that natural interaction.

Likely that it fed my interest in naturistic religions/philosophies/spirituality wich then fed back to imporve my conection with self-sufficiency / sustainability ideals.

dont know if that answers it but a darn good ramble, no?

[getting there]

(non denominational, faith-based as opposed to religion-based) christian here. My faith isn't the reason I started getting into eco ethical living. It started with allergies to skin and hair products, then it spread to laundry and cleaning products, then replacing disposible things with reusable things, then to (organically) growing food and is still spreading now. So my faith isn't what started my current lifestyle thought I believe its in keeping with my faith. I feel we should look after the earth, its inhabitants, our children and ourselves. Genesis 1: 26 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."

[Rainy]

Hi
I'm a christian and although my religion didnt influence my choice of hobby / lifestyle, I am much more aware of God and his creation when I see nature at work - the seasons, weather, how animals and nature work together.

I think my faith did influence me this way though .... I was a strict vegetarian for 16 years but when I became a christian [ 8 years ago] I realised God made animals for a reason so I started to eat meat again. Although I am very careful to make sure that any animal had a good life before it died - my turkeys and chickens have a fab life !

[hamster]

I've long had a complicated relationship with religion, and I haven't been inspired in my self-sufficientish life by it as such.

In fact, I'm finding the opposite - as I go further down this road, I am more in touch with nature and more aware of other people, and I feel closer to what I feel are the (often betrayed) fundamental principles of most faiths: that we should respect the earth, and that we should be good to each other.

[possum]

I can't answer the question as it stands. If it had been more along the lines of "your personal beliefs" "your spiritual beliefs" or "your personal philosophy", then I'd find that more open and encouraging of discussion.

By restricting the question to religion, the question restricts meaningful answers to those people who subscribe to a codified (and often prescriptive) set of common beliefs and practices.

I think you are using a very narrow definition of the word religion. see http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/religion
for various definitions.

[frozenthunderbolt]

I can't answer the question as it stands. If it had been more along the lines of "your personal beliefs" "your spiritual beliefs" or "your personal philosophy", then I'd find that more open and encouraging of discussion.

By restricting the question to religion, the question restricts meaningful answers to those people who subscribe to a codified (and often prescriptive) set of common beliefs and practices.

I think you are using a very narrow definition of the word religion. see http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/religion
for various definitions.

Possum, no disrespect, but stoney is obviously very careful about what he writes, if he wants to interpret the question the way he has and reply accordingly might it not be better to let him?
No direspect to stoney or you and i'm sure your intentions are good, it is just i have seen little things like this get blown up on other forums . . .

In my opinion better just to accept the answers as they fall with this kinda thing, or if you are realy curious, or want to offer advice it may be better to PM the individual

Just my 2C . . .