Are there any ecocentric folks on this forum?

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I'd like to hear from folks who believe in ecocentrism, which is the belief that ALL life has inherent value, not just humans and the beings humans ascribe value to. American Indian philosophy, Buddism and Taoism are examples of organized ecocentrism.

Most people in the western hemisphere belive in anthropocentrism, which is the belief that only humans and the beings humans ascribe value to are of any inherent value.

I've been a ecocentrist since I was a small child, and have spent the last 30+ years looking for another one.

-- debras in ks (solid-dkn@msn.com), January 29, 2001

Answers

I guess I've been one without knowing there was a name for it!

-- Shannon at Grateful Acres Animal Sanctuary (gratacres@aol.com), January 29, 2001.

If me thinking dogs, cats and other animals are the nicest people I know counts, then I guess I fit that catagory.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), January 29, 2001.

I agree that all life has inherent value; but I don't think it all has equal value. For example, if the neighbor's dog comes after my child, the dog will die. It's not that the dog doesn't have a right to live, it's that my child is more important to me than that dog is. A fly or mouse has less value to me than a deer or a great blue heron. A chicken has less value than a bald eagle, even though there is nothing that I can put the eagle to use for. Bacteria and viruses are valueable in their own right, but it is entirely natural for us to try to kill themif they endanger us. An example would be our body's ability to get a fever to kill off the virus.

I would think that any sensible person wold agree that all life has inherent value, if they thought about it for a while. Even the bacteria is essential to our own life, and life doesn't have to be something exploitable to be worthwhile.

-- Rebekah (daniel1@itss.net), January 29, 2001.


I believe that there is a different level of energy in all things created. I don't worship rocks or pots and pans because they contain this energy as I don't worship and bow down to my pets either. But, I recognize in everything created, an Energy that cannot die...that is perpetuated into eternity. When we are taken down to the smallest form known and unknown, we are still a part of that Energy Source. This is my spiritual belief in a nutshell.

-- Joanne Schaefer (JoOhio1@aol.com), January 30, 2001.

All is alive, all is sacred. Worship is what an insecure creature wants from you because it has no sense of SELF worth. My people try and make working relationships with all things around us, but life, on lifes' terms, does require that one form of life feeds on another.....doesn't make 'em good or evil, just what they are. We don't believe that we were put here as the top dog of a hierarchical setup with all other things in creation being subservient to our needs.We think we are one strand in a web of life, cut too many, the whole web goes.Use what you need - give equally for what you take, & just show simple respect.Amazing what please & thank you can do.

-- Sparrowhawk (Sparrowkiak@yahoo.com), January 31, 2001.


Debras I guess I am not one..thought about this.. I destroy every tick, chigger, mosquito, and flea that I come in contact with. Wish you well though and know you adapt to your surroundings in a peaceful manner. You are very lucky to have such an outlook.

-- Lynn(MO) (mscratch@semo.net), January 31, 2001.

I consider myself to be a pantheist, which means I believe every natural object has a spark of divinity inside it. I don't worship rocks and trees, but I do say a prayer of thanks and appreciation to the herbs I harvest for medicine. I also honor the cycle of the seasons as a further means of connecting with the divinity of nature. Sherri in IN

-- Sherri C (CeltiaSkye@aol.com), January 31, 2001.

Sherri summed it up for me too (mostly). Is this what you consider ecocentric, Debra? If so, I think you've found a few others.

-- Joy Froelich (dragnfly@chorus.net), January 31, 2001.

As an evangelical Christian, I believe God, the Creator of all things, has given us instructions for proper balance in our dealing with His creation. We are made in God's image as spiritual beings. Animals are not. God commanded us to subdue the earth. That is not the same as abuse. I might call myself a conservationist, but definitely not an environmentalist. I don't worship the environment or any living thing, but I honor the Creator by being a good steward of what He has created and provided for me to live. I raise animals for meat, but while they are alive I treat them with loving care. I do not allow the animals in my charge to suffer. They eat well and live happy contented lives. When it comes time to butcher, it is done humanely without inflicting suffering. Death is instant. Non-meat animals are also treated with care and affection. Their health and contentedness are as important as their production of eggs, milk, honey, or whatever. To my animals I am like a god. I treat them with the same loving mercy and tenderness with which God treats me. Only by knowing the one true Creator can you truley understand your place in His creation. I guess you could call me a theocentrist, for God is the center of all things.

-- Skip Walton (sundaycreek@gnrac.net), February 04, 2001.

I believe you can be a theocentrist and still believe ALL life has inherent value. I believe that God created everything with a purpose in mind and that he didn't make anything "worthless". I have spent my whole life trying to walk gently on the earth and have respect for what he has made. I personally believe that too many Christians take the passage "subdue" as a reason to feel free to stomp all over creation, thereby giving rise to the opinions as voiced by debras of humans in the western hemisphere.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), February 04, 2001.


Skip wrote: "I might call myself a conservationist, but definitely not an environmentalist. I don't worship the environment or any living thing" [snipped]

Skip, I might be interpreting your words wrong, but it sounds like you are saying that being an "environmentalist" is the same as worshipping nature/the environment? If so, I have to disagree. While I know folks who practice nature spirituality and call themselves environmentalists, I also know many folks who identify themselves as environmentalists, but it doesn't have anything to do with worship or religion. They see it as pragmatic self (and selfless) interest, viewing preservation of the environment as necessary to survival (or enjoyable survival) of the human species.

-- Joy Froelich (dragnfly@chorus.net), February 05, 2001.


Wow Joy, I couldn't have said it better myself. Thanks.

Skip, I have never known ANYONE who worships nature, although I have read that wiccans do. Worshipping nature would be putting another god before God and I can't do that. What is your definition of a conservationist? What is your definition of an environmentalist? I never thought of them as being much different but apparently you do.

JOJ, Haven't heard from you yet. Got any good thoughts? (I know you do).

-- debra in ks (solid-dkn@msn.com), February 05, 2001.


I have long believed that everything has been put on this planet to fulfill their destiny which I guess in turn means that eveything even the smallest organisms have an inherient value.

However should anyone or anything endanger my life or the lives of those who are close to me then i'm afraid stuff their destiny that person or animal will die or suffer.

should anyone wish to get intouch then please feel free.

-- michelle jennison (jennisonmichelle@hotmail.com), March 12, 2002.


When I first read the thread title I thought it said "are there any eccentric folks on this forum?" and my immediate response was "are there any normal people on this forum?"

Yes, I do believe that all life has inherent value. The real question seems to me to be HOW MUCH value does a given life form or species have?

There's where the real bone of contention lies.

All forms of life have value but we have some folks who seem to believe that a rat = a dog = a boy which I think is lunacy. When they try to force this on the unwilling it invites those who feel otherwise to value THEM as they would value a rat.

.......Alan.

-- Alan (athagan@atlantic.net), March 12, 2002.


I believe that all THINGS living or not have equal value to the world at large. But...... I also believe that some things have more value to me. While a bug may have as much value to the universe as my husband, I try not to point the can of Raid his way ;~)

-- Diana in FL (dvance4@juno.com), March 12, 2002.


I've had the same firmly held beliefs since my earliest memories, didn't know there was a label for it. Look into a dog's eyes and tell me there isn't a soul in there! BTW, I have many, many Christian friends who believe that too.

-- Jorja Hernandez (jorja@color-country.net), March 12, 2002.

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