Interview with Kelly Ware on Christianity and Permaculture - from Permaculture Voices 2 Conference!

What a great interview, Seth. It's really nice to get to know Kelly Ware, and her ideas on Permaculture and Christianity are the perfect mix for a better society. Neither one is mutually exclusive. It has been occurring to me lately, that I share many of these same views. Of course, many people who don't know God yet, or don't believe in one, still find ways to make this world a better, more sustainable place. Great job!

Hmmmm very interesting. I know this connection between Christianity and Permaculture won't speak to everyone. But it speaks to me. Fits right in with what I've been thinking about lately as I shift my focus to my homesteading.... lots of pieces of my own Christian walk are beginning to blend into what I'm thinking about as a permaculturalist. It is wonderful to hear that other folks are seeing the connections too. Again, I know it doesn't fit for everyone, but for me it is helpful to see how people bring the rest of their lives into their permaculture work. I've seen folks who bring permaculture into their Social Justice work, into their Homeless Prevention work, into their work as Educators, into their Migrant Worker support, into their work towards Empowering Women, into their Animal Welfare work etc etc etc. Seeing connections that others have made can help people connect what their learning through permaculture to the rest of what they care about. Thanks for a positive presentation of a Christian perspective (different than mine, but still enlightening).
-Kelly

Kelly expresses how permaculture intertwines with our Faith on so many different levels-custodians of creation, living under our own vine and helping the widows and orphans-reflecting and sharing the love of God through action! How precious an opportunity to spread the Word through deed. I also agree with Kelly King about connections -sharing what you are learning about permaculture whatever your motivation;Christian or otherwise. Fantastic!

Thank you for this article....
Glad to hear permies are not bashing Christians for our faith as we make our efforts to heal and bless the land

The message in this video should resonate with all Christians. The governmental system we currently live under in many ways, places financial gain above the well being of people. Reference prophecy against Babylon in Daniel 5: 23: "You praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand. But you did not honor the God who holds in his hand your life and all your ways." Reference to future Babylon in Revelation 18: Warning to Escape Babylon’s Judgment 4 Then I heard another voice from heaven say: “‘Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues; 5 for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes.

To make matters worse, the system we live under is based upon Egyptian mythology (feudal triangle, pyramid on dollar) and the concept that money reigns supreme. So many examples... Take for example the bank bailouts. The banks got bailed out with taxpayer dollars while the guy who paid on his house for years and lost it due to foreclosure got nothing. Google search the rise of debtor's prisons oppressing the poor in America. America has the largest prison population per capita in the world. Private prisons like Geo Group and Corrections Corporation of America make a profit off the suffering of people. Their lobbyists push for longer terms for lesser crimes.

Corporations overcharge for necessities like oil, natural gas and electricity. The unaccountable private bank, the Federal Reserve prints money out of thin air and crooked politicians spend America into a national debt that can never be repaid. The current system is simply not acceptable and us regular people at the bottom of our high tech feudal triangle, fortunately still have the freedom to opt out of corporate servitude. It takes a lot of hard work, but freedom is priceless.

Sounds like she's got a good business model.

Permaculture does seem like a pretty natural sell to a christian. I am most defiantly not one. I was raised by free-spirits, pagans, woods witches, mystics and scientific rationalists. I tend to be distrustful of any doctrine. I grew up around many christain fundamentalists and we were constantly at each others throats in school because I was the long haired, mohawked, purposefully profane, question all your values and smash your symbols type.

But here's the funny thing. I went on to live a life of voluntary poverty and self sacrifice (of physical and material wealth and pleasure) to pursue a life in oneness with the creative impetus of life. These kids I grew up fighting with... Their super Christain parents freaking love me. Some of them way too much. I kinda mess with some of their heads I think since I'm prone to quoting all manor of authors and scriptures and I am reminded regularly that I sorta look like a brown eyed Jesus and blowing minds is what I do.

If you would have told me back in 2001 I was going to be on super friendly terms with a bunch of George W. Christian literalists I would have laughed at you and called you crazy. Actually, I probably would have spit at you, because that's totally the sort of edgy jerk I could be back when.

Anyway, the point is that permaculture can be a really strong force to unite people who may seem to have little in common. I'm shocked how often by starting a conversation from a christainy permaculture (care about your neighbor, try not to be an asshole, respect life and lifeforms, yada yada) perspective opens doors and pretty soon we're agreeing on lost of stuff. And I actually find many self declared Christians to be way more approachable and receptive than many self declared Hippie Environmentalist.

Okay, rambling... I'm good at that.

Permaculture: It may not be bigger than Jesus, but it's almost totally compatible (minus a few of those darn planting laws in Deuteronomy) , so why not go forth and spread the word!

I've moved this thread to the cider press, which is where it should have been all along as religious discussion is not allowed in the main forums.

Normally that would mean that we would delete all messages by members who don't have the requisite number of apples. But as the mistake was ours, and the discussion has been so respectful, we've made an exception. Just this once.

I think moving it to cider press was the smart thing to do.

I thought perhaps this would be a good way to continue this thread.

This women is not a christian, but she is lecturing on permaculture in front of the Harvard Divinity School, which defiantly has a substantial christian core.



Permaculture and how it relates to religion and spirituality is a super interesting concept I hope we continue to explore it.