Religion and Homesteading
 

I'm wondering how many of us are out in the woods or down a country lane out of religious conviction? While it wasn't central to my sojourn to the woods, it seems to be a focus now. In many ways simplicity allows for more meditative/contemplative states. You don't need to mention your religion, was just wondering if others felt more religious ( or we can call it "spiritual") after they started homesteading and/ or if it was part of the original plan, to dedicate more time to religious matters?

part of our plan - we wanted a more simple life that would allow our focus to be on things other than possessions and busyness.

Tango, I can't wait to hear some of the replay's. It's also a loaded question. I was born in the mountains of Va. but raised in the foothills. Where I was raised, was also Mennonite country. I can remember seeing a hundred buggies every Sunday, going or coming from Church. They were and are, wonderful people who live their religion.

I was a Methodist and when I married joined the Episcopal church. I freely admit that I do not attend church often. I hate the politics in the Churches these days. To the utter amazement of most people I know, I am also deeply Religious. (I'm also colorful).

When asked once why I was in favor of allowing hunting on Sunday, My reply was that I feel closer to God in the woods and fields than anywhere else. After all, he made them. The low bidder built my church.

Sooooo...the answer is that it is a big part of my return to the more remote country. It is not the overwhelming point but is an important one. Others include quality of life, a true dislike of city (Suburban) people and a pure hatred of Government breathing down my neck.

Ditto to the above.

As for politics in today's "churches", perhaps this will shed some light on the subject....

http://presys.com/~ekklesia/bvb.htm

:rotfl:



I did not choose my path for any spiritual reasons but I find the time to sit and think and enjoy life has greatly improved my health in the realms of mind, body and spirit.

To answer the original question, my answer is yes.

No religious reasons for me, before or now.

I grew up on a homestead, so for me, this was how to get back to the peacefulness I knew then. This is just the way life is supposed to be.
Meg

I do not now have a "homestead", but my interest in and desire for such a thing definitely has roots in my faith.

Homesteading or farming is hard to do without a belief in God. Who would plaint seed and count on what will come from it?

I've always loved the idea of simple living, I suppose this is also a refleciton of my spirituality. Umm so yes to the original question. The sound of country rain distracted me for a bit there :D

Church had nothing to do with it for me, it was the stories I grew up hearing about the struggles my folks went through during the depression and war. Since I was a kid I wanted more control over my life, I look for that in our place. Church on Sunday with the smell of incense or candles just dovetails real well the smell of lichens, moss and leaf mould in the woods. I find both real peaceful. Our plans include a stone chapel on the place, someplace quiet to pray with a fenced yard for our ashes when the time comes.

It may be hard for some, but not for us. We are entirely without religion. Atheists, in fact.

That doesn't mean we can't enjoy the beauty of nature and the peaceful countryside. :baby04:

Does a person good to read the replies :) I realized the question may be loaded when asking but thought it worthwhile to ask anyway. We have many religions on these boards and also some non-religious folk. The lines blur between some religions and some spiritual inclinations. What some may consider a nice moment might be a positively religious revelation to another- same location, same time, very different mental process. I've studied a few religions in my day: raised Catholic and embraced Catholicism as a young adult, formerly studied Wicca, was solitary for close to ten years, formerly studied Mahayana Buddhism and am now a Theravadan Buddhist and feel like a lot of questions finally have answers. Living in the woods, off grid has freed up a lot of time. The other day I found a gorgeous spot on the creek to meditate. Nothing else was more importatnt at that particular moment.

We're going the homestead route partly due to spirituality (Buddhism). Other part... for independence.

I felt it would be hypocritical to practice what is commonly referred to as an "earth-based religion" without having some earth under my fingernails. Also, industry and self-reliance are considered noble virtues in my religion and homesteading seemed the best way to obtain these goals.

When I was a child in California, I went into the Redwood forests where the lowest branch was 100' up and went WHOA! It felt just like a cathedral!!!!

Am I more religious in a rural area? No, the twig was already bent before I ever came out here. It is just easier for me to talk to God when the pedestrian next to me is not crossing in front of me!

Do I spend more time now talking with God?

Yes, but only because it is easier!

To me, the farther away from mankind and the distractions caused by such, causes me to atleast feel closer to the Creator. The earth beneath, the trees and wildlife around, and look up and see the blue sky,{without a plane or tracks} all created by him. For this short time with out distraction, its just me and God. I cherish those times. :)

Even though I haven't moved completely out of the rat race yet I find my spirituality to be stronger now than it ever has been. I suspect when we finally do get the homestead of our dreams that it will become stronger still.

The natural world is my religion and the outdoors is my church, so I never have to go to church, I just have to step outside. At one point in my life, I had much more leisure to be contemplative than at present. I miss that, and I hope to regain it again in a couple years, when we are free and clear again on our place after an expansion of acreage, and I can afford to loosen my ties to the artificial construct of the busyness world.

The beauty of a farmer's timepiece is that it has only four measures: spring, summer, fall and winter. The farther from the farm one travels, the more divided up time gets, into months, weeks, days, hours, and now in the digital age, even minutes and seconds. So in traveling farther and farther from the natural world, time goes from 4 seasons in a year to 31,556,926 seconds a year.

And we wonder why we feel so harried. :)

Check out this British article I found online yesterday:

indeed, I think viewing the world through scientific eyes makes it even more wonderous and complex. you can have the joy of having real answers and understanding, wherein with religion the answer is always "because god made it that way" . how boring. :)

No. I did not start this endeavor for spiritual reasons. I did it because it seems the natural thing to do. Long line of farmers. If I didn't have 4 little ones I would have more time for spiritual meditation and prayer.

Let's not simplify a person's faith. Religious wonder is no less awe-inspiring. Science has barely a grip on explanation so it may appear more "wonder full" but it would be a useless endeavor to volley "wonder" back and forth now, wouldn't it?

If you consider "freedom" to be sort of a "religion", then, in my case, it does come into play.

I tend to be "religiously tolerant", although there are a couple of 'em that I don't have ANY RESPECT FOR.

I feel CLOSEST to God when I am outside caring for the small piece of Earth that he gave me. My favorite time of the day to work outdoors is in the evening, after dinner. I think about how God walked with Adam and Eve, in the cool of the evening - asking them about their day...This is when I do the most praying :)

Religious belief wasn't the reason we moved to our farm, but I've gained a renewed appreciation for the gifts of nature, since we moved out of the city. I thank the Creator everyday for what he's given me - just the simplest things like the Indian Paintbrush that's blooming on the side of the road now - things like that. It makes me feel like I have my own private chapel to worship in.

Organized religion and I parted company quite a while ago. I still believe in the Oversoul, but my homesteading has nothing to do with religion.

We're atheists, and getting quite curmudgeonly about it, but we came back to the country because we can be surrounded by our animals, grow our own vegies, walk in the woods whenever we like and the neighbors are a neighborly distance away. Oh, and at night we can actually see the universe!!!! Now if only our neighbors weren't afraid of the dark and turn their yard lights off it would be perfect.

Took me a long time to come to terms with the word "religion." Having grown up and lived in the American South, it left a bad taste in my mouth. I used the word "spirituality" for all those years thinking the problem was the word. For me, religion or religious mind is a spontaneous mind that has nothing to do with a particular congregation, service, ritual, or building.