I don’t know. I don’t see anything “wrong” in having a relationship with christ other than that for many people it creates a human-centric view of the natural world. I honestly have always seen Jesus as a kind of rewilding person, but mostly on a spiritual level. He never really took the hammer to civ as a whole or critiqued it’s relationship to the natural world. Like John the baptist, he rewilded his own way of life but never fully extended that invitation to his followers. I listen to the teachings of jesus today and the only life-applicable lessons i come away with are: be kind and loving to other humans, even your enemies; Believe in the “word” of the lord (there goes that “word” thing again… what’s in a label?); Repress your sexual urges outside of marriage; and be charitable. To me, these lessons seem to assimilate much more readily into civilization’s actions rather than a rewilder’s. Civ can feel good that they have united the humans of the earth in the name of a peacemaking man.
The lesson I take away from all of it is not to play with that fire. Whether Jesus intended it or not, his message has shown to be easily corrupted and interpreted, and in my opinion, of little encouragement to rewilding. Because a relationship with christ is so often based on words and symbols that bear little relationship to the natural world, I can’t help but see it as an enabler in the process of civilization and domestication. That’s not to say that the bible and jesus aren’t interpretable in a life-appreciating way, just that i chose to include them in a different story and not put those relationships above a relationship with the natural world.
[quote=“Bill, post:76, topic:426”]Is the problem that folks don’t like knowing someone is over them or that the Lord has to many restrictions? I think once Christ enters your heart you are one with Him. He is a part of your life, not to restrict you, but to help guide you. I’m sure alot of folks have spirit guides. Is that not the same. Yours may be in animal form, mine is in the form of God in the flesh. I see no restrictions on rewilding in the 10 Commandments. Yes those are restrictions, but restrictions against evil not good. If you want whats good for you why would you want to go down an evil path. I only want to travel the good road, if I can. I am no saint and stub my toe ALOT! Thank the Lord he said if we stumble He would pick us up! I do have alot to learn still, this journey is all about learning. I just think the Lord will be my spirit guide.
Bill[/quote]
The problem is that christianity can be confusing and misleading. I accept that god has restrictions that manifest themselves in our hearts and in the natural world, but I refuse to see those restrictions in a set of commandments that are supposed to be applicable in every situation. Speaking in terms of strictly good and evil seems to distract people from the quality of the relationships that are really here, in the present. Taking on only human forms as spiritual guides can distract us from other relationships that are essential to life. In my experience, the revelation that someone has chosen jesus (lord, christ) as their personal guide tells me little to nothing about how they will act in relation to the human or natural world, only that they will identify themselves as followers of christ and mention his name often.