Whither Religion

In chapter two, “Congregating around Nature,” the notion that American environmentalism was motivated by a spiritual affection for nature. This seems to hold true in 21^st century America, especially recently with certain groups pushing to counteract climate change and decades of scarring the earth from deforestation, mining, and oil rigging. Even in the beginning of the 20^th century, when the National Park Service was developed by President Woodrow Wilson, and towards the turn of the 20^th century when the Environmental Protection Agency was founded, there was a large push to undo what had been done to America. Now, with natural disasters being broadcast throughout the globe no matter where they occurred, the concept of a mission trip to help restore and replace what was destroyed becomes much more frequent while still enjoying the nature of countries visited. Even in America, there are mission trips that bring teenagers of particular churches to national parks and help clean vandalism, remove barbed wire, and make the pathways as pleasant as possible for future visitors. Hiking, camping, and exploring untouched wilderness is in many ways considered viewing God’s gift to mankind, as most people can feel a spiritual connection and affection to nature without necessarily being religious or belonging to a church. Open air masses and church services are common in temperate climates as it seems to amplify God’s wonder. Even a cardinal rule of many denominations of Christianity is to be a stewardess of the earth, and take care of it as best as possible. Perhaps it is mainly because we cannot fully understand the wonders of nature and credit it to a higher being, but for many, nature holds a special place in their heart.