Is environmentalism a religion? Guest Post by Amanda Kidd

The following is a guest post by writer/ blogger and environmental enthusiast, Amanda Kidd.  I was intrigued by her proposed topic, “Is environmentalism a religion?” …please share your thoughts in the comments below!  

~Thanks so much, Amanda, for the excellent piece~

Do you think environmentalism mirrors organized religion?

Is environmentalism a religion?

A quest for finding meaning and order of the things that surrounds us is what distinguishes human beings from animals. It is a continuous process and reason behind the origin of religion, philosophy or science. The growth of the concept of environmentalism needs to be understood in this context. It has not yet acquired the status of a religion but there are enough reasons that may pave the way for it to become a religion of the future; or rather religion of the turbulent times , which environmentalists believe humanity may face in the near future.

However, the concept of environmentalism need not be of recent origin. Almost all the religious texts of the world have preached a symbiotic relationship with the environment and many of the social practices in past were actually aimed at reinforcing this relationship. At present, environmentalism defines our renewed faith in the power of nature in the light of imminent dangers that human beings face because of our activities that have intercepted many natural arrangements. Be it through the excessive use of fossil fuels and exploitation of other natural resources, construction of the weapons of mass destruction and our continuous interest in conflicts instead of co-operation, through the production of noxious gases and chemicals or by constructing machines that defies the pattern of nature and works irrespective of any consideration. We have certainly interfered with the natural process.

Not only this, the growth of education and science has made the erstwhile religion of past obsolete for many urban citizens and made them atheists. They now refuse to accept the notion of ‘God’ as they fail to establish the veracity of the fact that God exists and that he has designed the entire universe. What is more intriguing for many is what could have been the reason behind the creation of the God, if he really exists. Some also believe that God is a construction of our imagination and nothing else.

But, mankind’s fascination with religion dates back to the beginning of civilization. And the rising doubts over the empire of God and a perception of an imminent threat to the humanity has created a kind of void. There are many questions that exist in theology fail to answer satisfactorily. As, theology explain things only after you have accepted certain assumptions as facts, but they are not as they are actually preached. Physicist Stephens Hawking in his book A Brief History of Time says that people have craved for  understanding the underlying order of the universe ever since the dawn of civilization. Even today we yearn for finding the reason of our being here and where we have come from. And, our deepest desire for knowledge is justified enough for our continuous quest.

We can conclude that environmentalism may become a religion of the future. It will be rational to serve and pray to environment for our own good. It will justify our ability to stay resilient in the face of all kinds’ adversity and reaching slowly towards the better. Any atheist would always love to worship nature that is in itself vast and intriguing. At the same time, its vastness challenges the human capacity to explore it to the fullest. This vastness may actually provide the solution to the entire problem we face today. Environmentalism would not only be limited to rituals but it would be an inspiring cause for finding solutions to our problems.

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About the author: Amanda Kidd is a passionate blogger and a health buff. She frequently writes health articles which generally focus on ways to improve physical and mental health.