I would like to write a blog about hiking. Hiking is an excellent activity. It requires few resources - only some footwear and trail to walk down, and I have both readily available. But my interest in hiking stems from my love of nature, which is a complicated matter.
The world is filled with environmentalists these days. I went to school to study ecology, and ended up with a Bachelors of Science in Natural Resources, and a Masters degree in Environmental Science. I wanted to study ecology because I thought it was an environmental science that would incorporate the big picture - that it would include people and landscapes, biotic and abiotic parts of the earth. I thought I had hit on the part of the environmental movement that would maintain some perspective from an aloof, scientific vantage point in an emotionally charged science.
Let’s just say that things didn’t work out the way I thought. I did learn a lot about the environmental movement though, and I can confirm that there is a lot of debate both over what environmentalism is, what environmental problems there are and, of course, the best way to solve them. But this is no hindrance to writing a blog – in fact, the environmental movement has spawned thousands of blogs already. The real problem I have is whether or not to include my religious beliefs in my posts.
This is a big decision for me. I have a lot of faith, and I’d like to share it with the world. But I don’t want to detract from my environmental subject matter with constant explanations of exactly what I believe. I’ve been wrestling with this question all week and I’ve come to the conclusion that my meditation, Reiki and countless other New Age activity teachers all have the right idea: its best to practice your craft publically while leaving religion to each individual. So my personal beliefs will remain, for the purposes of this blog, undefined. This way there’s no worries about resolving every theological issue before things can move forward. I hope you don’t mind. I have it in mind to create an entirely independent blog completely devoted to alternative religion, but that is for the future. I think it’s time to hit the trail.
