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Old 09-12-2007, 02:59 AM   #2 (permalink)
SecretMethod70
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Interesting enough article, but I think it's a pretty significant stretch to attribute environmental interconnectedness to any sort of evidence for a Pagan worldview. Nor is the science of environmental interconnectedness anything new, just this particular example. Buddhism, one of the world's oldest traditions, has taught since its inception that all existence is inter-related. One of the three dharma seals (three characteristics of all physical existence), non-self, is (very basically) the understanding that nothing has a separate self, insofar as all things are touched and influenced by the rest of existence. This leads to the concept of interdependent co-arising which is, among other things, an important factor in the more modern concept of engaged Buddhism, which (again, very basically) works to apply Buddhist teaching to everyday life in the understanding that our own individual condition (insofar as it is understood to exist within a Buddhist context) is dependent on the condition of the world around us, and vice-versa.

Anyhow, that's a very basic and admittedly fairly clumsy description, but the point is that Paganism, by no means, holds any sort of monopoly on interconnectedness (and, indeed, similar philosophies can be found in many other philosophical/religious traditions, including Christianity, to varying degrees). Furthermore, strictly comparing Buddhism and Paganism, it seems to me that Buddhism is more closely related to the actual science involved in interconnectedness while Paganism relies on concepts such as the Earth mother to explain the inter-relation. A metaphorical description of an abstract concept perhaps - much like I think other gods and goddesses are - but one extra and unnecessary step nonetheless.

This isn't to say that a Pagan worldview is wrong or that a Buddhist worldview is right, but since this was posted in Tilted Philosophy and framed as evidence for a Pagan worldview ("the Pagans just maybe right" (sic)), I think it's important to point these things out. And, again, Buddhism is just one example of many other traditions which recognize this interconnectedness to one degree or another.

Now, admittedly, I've latched onto your injection of Paganism into what could have been an otherwise fruitful discussion of interconnectedness and the importance of considering the consequences of our own actions, but it's difficult to avoid doing so when both your thread title and comments place undue focus on the Pagan worldview. If you want to discuss the science from the article and its implications for how we live our lives, then you may want to consider framing your original post differently (I'd be happy to alter the thread title if you'd like), or at least re-directing the discussion with a new post of your own elaborating on the kind of things you want to discuss.
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