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Gaia Worship Instead Of God

Gaia

Earth religion

Earth religion is a term used mostly in the context of neopaganism.[citation needed]

Earth-centered religion or nature worship is a system of religion based on the veneration of natural phenomena.[1] It covers any religion that worships the earthnature, or fertility deity, such as the various forms of goddess worship or matriarchal religion. Some find a connection between earth-worship and the Gaia hypothesis. Earth religions are also formulated to allow one to utilize the knowledge of preserving the earth.

According to Marija Gimbutaspre-Indo-European societies lived in small-scale, family-based communities that practiced matrilineal succession and goddess-centered religion[2] where creation comes from the woman. She is the Divine Mother who can give life and take it away. In Irish mythology she is Danu, in Slavic mythology she is Mat Zemlya, and in other cultures she is PachamamaNinsunTerra MaterNüwaMatres or Shakti.

In the late 1800s, James Weir wrote an article describing the beginnings and aspects of early religious feeling. According to Boyer, early human was forced to locate food and shelter in order to survive, while constantly being directed by his instincts and senses. Because human’s existence depended on nature, men began to form their religion and beliefs on and around nature itself. It is evident that human’s first religion would have had to develop from the material world, he argues, because humans relied heavily on his or her senses and what s/he could see, touch, and feel. In this sense, the worship of nature formed, allowing humans to further depend on nature for survival.[3]

Neopagans have tried to make claims that religion started in ways that correspond to earth religion. In one of their published works, The Urantia Book, another reason for this worship of nature came from a fear of the world around primitive man.[4] His mind lacked the complex function of processing and sifting through complex ideas. As a result, man worshiped the very entity that surrounded him every day. That entity was nature. Humans experienced the different natural phenomena around him, such as storms, vast deserts, and immense mountains. Among the first parts of nature to be worshiped were rocks and hills, plants and trees, animals, the elements, heavenly bodies, and even man himself. As primitive man worked his way through nature worship, he eventually moved on to incorporate spirits into his worship.[4] Although these claims may have some merit, they are nonetheless presented from a biased position that cannot be authenticated by traditional and reliable sources. Therefore, their claims can not be relied upon.


The origins of religion can be looked at through the lens of the function and processing of the human mind. Pascal Boyer suggests that, for the longest period of time, the brain was thought of as a simple organ of the body. However, he claims that the more information collected about the brain indicates that the brain is indeed not a “blank slate.”[5] Humans do not just learn any information from the environment and surroundings around them. They have acquired sophisticated cognitive equipment that prepares them to analyze information in their culture and determine which information is relevant and how to apply it. Boyer states that “having a normal human brain does not imply that you have religion. All it implies is that people can acquire it, which is very different.”[5] He suggests that religions started for the reasons of providing answers to humans, giving comfort, providing social order to society, and satisfying the need of the illusion-prone nature of the human mind.[5] Ultimately, religion came into existence because of our need to answer questions and hold together our societal order.

An additional idea on the origins of religion comes not from man’s cognitive development, but from the ape. Barbara J. King argues that human beings have an emotional connection with those around them, and that that desire for a connection came from their evolution from apes. The closest relative to the human species is the African ape.[6] At birth, the ape begins negotiating with its mother about what it wants and needs in order to survive. The world the ape is born into is saturated with close family and friends. Because of this, emotions and relationships play a huge role in the ape’s life. Its reactions and responses to one another are rooted and grounded in a sense of belongingness, which is derived from its dependence on the ape’s mother and family. Belongingness is defined as “mattering to someone who matters to you … getting positive feelings from our relationships.”[6] This sense and desire for belongingness, which started in apes, only grew as the hominid (a human ancestor) diverged from the lineage of the ape, which occurred roughly six to seven million years ago.[6]

As severe changes in the environment, physical evolutions in the human body (especially in the development of the human brain), and changes in social actions occurred, humans went beyond trying to simply form bonds and relationships of empathy with others. As their culture and society became more complex, they began using practices and various symbols to make sense of the natural and spiritual world around them. Instead of simply trying to find belongingness and empathy from the relationships with others, humans created and evolved God and spirits in order to fulfil that need and exploration. King argued that “an earthly need for belonging led to human religious imagination and thus to the otherworldly realm of relating to God, gods, and spirits.”[6]

Encompassed religions[edit]

The term earth religion encompasses any religion that worships the earth, nature or fertility gods or goddesses. There is an array of groups and beliefs that fall under earth religion, such as paganism, which is a polytheistic, nature based religion; animism, which is the worldview that all living entities (plants, animals, and humans) possess a spirit; Wicca, which hold the concept of an earth mother goddess as well as practice ritual magic; and druidism, which equates divinity with the natural world.

Another perspective of earth religion to consider is pantheism, which takes a varied approach to the importance and purpose of the earth and to the relationship of humans with the planet. Several of their core statements deal with the connectivity humans share with the planet, declaring that “all matter, energy, and life are an interconnected unity of which we are an inseparable part” and “we are an integral part of Nature, which we should cherish, revere and preserve in all its magnificent beauty and diversity. We should strive to live in harmony with Nature locally and globally”.[7]

The earth also plays a vital role to many Voltaic peoples, many of whom “consider the Earth to be Heaven’s wife”,[8] such as the Konkomba of northern Ghana, whose economic, social and religious life is heavily influenced by the earth. It is also important to consider various Native American religions, such as Peyote ReligionLonghouse Religion, and Earth Lodge Religion.

Around the world[edit]

April 22 was established as International Mother Earth Day by the United Nations in 2009,[9] but many cultures around the world have been celebrating the Earth for thousands of years. Winter solstice and Summer solstice are celebrated with holidays like Yule and Dongzhi in the winter and Tiregān and Kupala in the summer.

Africa[edit]

Animism is practiced among the Bantu peoples[10] of Sub-Saharan Africa. The Dahomey mythology has deities like Nana BulukuGletiMawuAsase YaaNaa Nyonmo and Xevioso.

Europe[edit]

In Baltic mythology, the sun is a female deity, Saulė, a mother or a bride, and Mēness is the moon, father or husband, their children being the stars. In Slavic mythology Mokosh and Mat Zemlya together with Perun head up the pantheon. Celebrations and rituals are centered on nature and harvest seasons. Dragobete is a traditional Romanian spring holiday that celebrates “the day when the birds are betrothed.”

India[edit]

In Hindu philosophy, the yoni is the creative power of nature and the origin of life. In Shaktism, the yoni is celebrated and worshipped during the Ambubachi Mela, an annual fertility festival which celebrates the Earth’s menstruation.[11]

Popular culture[edit]

Although the idea of earth religion has been around for thousands of years, it did not fully show up in popular culture until the early 1990s. The X-Files was one of the first nationally broadcast television programs to air witchcraft and Wicca (types of earth religion) content. On average, Wiccans – those who practice Wicca – were more or less pleased with the way the show had portrayed their ideals and beliefs. However, they still found it to be a little “sensationalistic”. That same year, the movie The Craft was released – also depicting the art of Wicca. Unfortunately, this cinematic feature was not as happily accepted as The X-Files had been.[12]

A few years later, programs showcasing the aforementioned religious practices – such as Charmed and Buffy the Vampire Slayer – became widely popular. Although Charmed focused mostly on witchcraft, the magic they practiced very closely resembled Wicca. Meanwhile, Buffy was one of the first shows to actually cast a Wiccan character. However, since the shows focus was primarily on vampires, the Wiccan was depicted as having supernatural powers, rather than being in-tuned with the Earth.[12]

Other movies and shows throughout the last few decades have also been placed under the genre of Earth Religion. Among them are two of director Hayao Miyazaki‘s most well known films – Princess Mononoke and My Neighbor Totoro. Both movies present human interaction with land, animal, and other nature spirits. Speakers for Earth Religion have said that these interactions suggest overtones of Earth Religion themes.[13]

Some popular Disney movies have also been viewed as Earth Religion films. Among them are The Lion King and Brother Bear. Those who practice Earth Religion view The Lion King as an Earth Religion film mainly for the “interconnectedness” and “Circle of Life” it shows between the animals, plants, and life in general. When that link is broken, viewers see chaos and despair spread throughout the once bountiful land. Congruently, Brother Bear portrays interactions and consequences when humans disobey or go against the animal and Earth spirits.[13]

Other earth religion movies include The 13th WarriorThe Deceivers (film)Sorceress (1982 film)Anchoress (film)Eye of the DevilAgora (film), and The Wicker Man (1973 film). These movies all contain various aspects of earth religion and nature worship in general.[13]

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