Subject: Perma+culture and spirit (fwd) (fwd)

From: [email-masked] (Victor Guest)
Date: Wed, 04 Sep 1996 10:50:16 WST

ORIGINALLY From [email-masked] Mon, 02 Sep 1996 23:47:59 WST remote from eepo
From: [email-masked]
Date: Wed, 28 Aug 1996 14:39:28 -0400
To: [email-masked]
cc: [email-masked], [email-masked]
Subject: Perma+culture and spirit

Jack,

After an extended trip to the Philippines and also based on previous time in
so-called Third, Fourth and South worlds; I am ever more convinced that the
planetary crises induced by human behavior are beyond "solutions" on any
level other than spiritual. It looks like the avalanches of desire,
fabricated needs and consumption mania will continue until there is nothing
left. The fortress mentalities which rule the paranoic lives of the wealthy
mean armed guards at every door and bodyguard platoons as status symbols. 

* Give away your worldly goods and follow me* Christ/ Vic

I am delighted that here and there little sparks come up now and then: the
growth of cooperatives in the Philippines is an example. Permaculture
villages (real and virtual), these List Servs, the emerging communications
vehicles of internet and web sites, to my mind, are very positive channels. 

Permaculture itself is in controvention to Genesis. Until Genesis is
repealed, superceded, consigned to historical curiosity; I don't really see
any longer term hope among Christians (and Jews and probably
Islamacists)--the monotheists who look to the cultural creations of the
mid-east from Zoroaster forward (sorry all you wonderful Jains among the
readers of this service) which assert human domination over planet and
species--in theory or in practice.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you manipulate Dominion to mean exploitation then Genisis is the problem.

If Christians go back to "Love the lord thy god with all thy heart, soul 
and strength and mind and love thy neighbor as thy self. See God as where
and what, and with which,they live then Genesis was contradicted by Christ 
himself. Or as I beleive is the case! In the beginning was the "Word"
and we still manipulate it to let us do what ever we want to. Then we use it
to manipulate the people around us either positively or negatively.

The capitalist system is built on a slavery model which if you look at 
christs stuff is in contradiction. So whats new about Genesis.

Capitalists have taken over some of the best Co-op's in WA as well, they 
then proceed to strip the positive/profitable and leave the negative/service
parts and get "christians" to support their enterprise.

People have used Christianity as a vehicle for some of the most horrendous
crimes. The Spanish Inquisition is the classic.

Our recent WA.Inc. and coruption trials are mostly people who are hiding 
behind a christian facade, with in some cases the POPE to back up/authenticate
their lies/crimes.

Holistic Resource Management is a tool to challenge some of their 
enviromental crimes. We now have an Australian, New zealand Society of 
Enviromental Economics as well.

Currently I am Secretary to the West Australian Society for Co-operation.
We have a recognition of the spiritual part of all of us.
Permaculture. HRM, Land Management Society, Re-valuation Co-counselling,
Landmark Forum are all groups of people all going in the same direction.
Dare I include Womens Liberation (Which if we only can see it is the 
liberation of men as well)

Viva La Permaculture.

[email-masked] 
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