Some people have churches, or mosques, or synagogues, or temples. Those are the places of worship for some of the world's most popular religions. I'm sure all of you have some basic knowledge of at least Christianity. I'm sure you've at least heard of Islam through the media. Of course, you're probably familiar with the basic foundation of Judaism or have an awareness of Hinduism or Buddhism.
I would hope you would have respect for those and other religions.
Yet, how many of you are familiar with paganism and other religions like it?
I learned about the earlier mentioned religions first in my AP world history class in high school. I then touched upon them again during my foundations of history course in my freshman year of college. Yet, the only times I've heard of paganism was in it's past tense and not in the present.
I've heard my professors and teachers talk about Greco-Roman, Egyptian, and Norse paganism in it's past tense. However, most people fail to account for the recent revival of these old religions.
I distinctly remember in my 8th grade ancient history class when a fellow peer asked my teacher if people still worshipped the Gods and Goddesses of old. She replied that she wasn't sure but maybe.
I'm here to answer yes.
I consider myself an eclectic pagan. Meaning, I'm apart of an earth-based religion that incorporates aspects of many different paths. Personally, I worship deities from the Egyptian and Greco-Roman Pantheons, I acknowledge all Gods and Goddesses, and I incorporate mild aspects of Wicca, Buddhism, and Christianity.
In other words, I'm a religious melting pot and I rarely define myself as any less.
Yet, in this article, I'm not going to delve deep into my personal beliefs.
Instead, I'm going to stress on how much it despairs me to see people destroying our home. Yes, it's OUR home. As in all of us.
It doesn't matter if your Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Wiccan, Satanist, Atheist or something else, anything else.
We all share this planet.
Unlike other religious people, I conduct a lot of my ceremonies outside. Yet, I get devastated when I see litter marking the beautiful landscape.
It hinders the magick of the ceremony and reminds me of how much pain our beloved Earth is in.
You don't walk into a church and destroy its sacred walls. So why do you think it's acceptable to the trash and destroy the sacred temple of my beloved Mother Earth? It's not any different, or less- it's just as crude.
I implore you, to have respect for the Earth. To have the common decency to not litter. Throw your plastic away and not in the sea, your cigarette buds in the can and not in the ground.
It kills the planet. It kills our home. It disrespects me and my beliefs when I completely respect yours, whatever they may be.
Please. Be gentle and kind to the Earth. It doesn't have to be anything more, and certainly nothing less.
It costs nothing to be a kind and decent human being.
