This post was inspired by Question #19 from this list.

In order to judge whether I worship nature, I feel we just first understand what it means to worship something. Worship is one of those words that is often tainted by our primarily Christian culture and the images of what it means to worship something in the most vocal and visible expressions of Christianity.

In that context, worship has taken on a connotation of giving something — usually the Christian god — ultimate praise and honor, usually at the price of bowing and scraping and humbling (or humiliating) oneself before that which is being worshiped. I do worship nature in that sense. Hell, I worship nothing and no one in that sense.

However, if we look at a more general definition of the word, we see that to worship something is to give it honor and adoration. Looking at the word’s etymology, its roots suggest acknowledging worth. In this sense, yes I do worship nature. I honor it and adore it and enjoy expressing that honor and adoration. But then, seeing as I see everything and everyone as sacred, you could apply that same definition and say that I worship everything and everyone. Nature is no more or less worthy of my honor than my husband, my friend, my cat, my coworker, or the person around the world and have never met.