Are there any religions out there that worship nature?

Question

Well, I was a Christian, but have since deconverted. I have begun looking around for other answers and have realized that nature in and of itself is truly amazing and awe inspiring whether or not there is some being controlling it. I am wondering if there are any religions out there that worship nature and the power of nature and life force and things like that, because I have felt a special bond to nature that I never felt to anything in Christianity. I feel that if I should bow down and worship anything, it's nature, and I've have felt a greater and greater urge to do so in recent days.

BTW, I'm not worrying about the next life, if it exists. There's too much to live for in this life to worry about that. Even if there is no afterlife and I just rot in the ground, some other life form will benefit from my passing, again, nature's plan.

I don't think anybody knows for sure what's after death, so I don't worry about it much.

Well, ok, for those of you telling me that I did bad by leaving Christianity, here's why I did it.

I started as a child as a very devout Christian. However, as I became a teen, I saw some things that just felt wrong to me.

I saw so much intolerance against homosexuals and non-Christians. I disagreed with evangelism since I thought why should we force religion on others? I also saw a lot of sheep mentality in church. I remained a Christian, but was a very liberal one compared to others I knew (homosexuals are not bad, I should not always agree with the church leaders unless I'm actually convinced). This worked for a while, but the leaders began accusing me of being tainted by Satan, which really upset me.

I actually began reading the Bible and found out that there was a lot of God advocated killing and also, the Bible seemed to be against free thought. Also, I learned about the history of the Bible, and realized it's questionable origins, so I finally deconverted.

Answer 1

Welcome to Paganism, we who know how to have a good time! There's a gadzillion books on the subject, you may be interesting in browsing them, or just follow your own instincts - there are really no hard and fast rules.

Below is a website that goes over the 8 major holidays, or sabbats. Each celebrates an aspect of nature (sometimes symbolized as a god and goddess figure) and the cycle of life. Hope you find some interesting information here.

http://www.asiya.org/sabbats/index.html

Answer 2

Most of the Neo-Pagan faiths are nature-based.

Speaking as a Wiccan (which is one of the Neo-Pagan religions), I can say that we revere nature as being infused with the Divine presence: to us, the universe itself is the living body of the God/dess, and all things partake of the Divine.

Wiccans tend to worship outdoors if possible, in order to be fully immersed in the natural world. Some of the most powerful rituals I have ever attended have been held under the full moon, or during the height of a thunderstorm -- all outside, and all wonderful.

You might find the Belief-O-Matic quiz over at Beliefnet.com helpful in determining if Neo-Paganism is a good fit for you:

http://www.beliefnet.com/story/76/story_7665_1.html

It's fun, and it matches you up with a wide variety of religions and philosophies based on your answers, with write-ups for each one. The results can be very surprising.

If you have any further questions, please feel free to email me.

Answer 3

Some types of Paganism do. Certain branches of Wicca, Druids. If you want to hang a label on you beliefs I would look at those first and see what is closest. There are a lot of non specific Pagans who just appreciate Nature and it's beauty and don't specifically worship and upernatural entities.

Answer 4

In ancient Egypt, everything was connected to nature in some way including the gods and their purposes. That's 1 of the reasons they were depicted with animal heads. The gods were called Neteru collectively and this is where the word nature comes from.

Answer 5

I'm pretty sure that Wicca is heavily nature-based.

But as for worshipping nature, I'd look into the more animistic religions, like those of the Native Americans.

Answer 6

Buddhism has a very strong appreciation for nature. It is not an adoration or worship persay, but simply acceptance of life's natural harmony and being kind to all things. It is very peaceful and enlightening. Wiccan, I believe, aslo involves an appreciation for nature's beauty, but it is commonly associated with witch craft.

Answer 7

Animists

Answer 8

Pantheism

Answer 9

Believe it or not, Wiccans consider themselves nature worshipers. There are multiple sects within the general Wiccan religion, but most base their faith around nature.

Answer 10

Don't be duped into worshipping the created and not the Creator. You can still worship the God of all creation, and enjoy creation to the fullest extent possible.

The feeling of awe that you feel is as a direct result of the living God. Colosians 1:23 talks about how the gospel is proclaimed by all creation under heaven.

Revelation 14:7 "He said in a loud voice, "Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water."