There's a thread now in the archives from 2006 with this header.  I thought I would revive it on here since I couldn't reply to it over there.

Azalea originally posted this response.
"Its my equivalent of going to church/temple/mosque/...

As a scientist, I personally can't buy all the baggage in mainstream religions.  For a long time if asked, the only honest answer I could give was that I was an atheist.  But I was watching Charlie Rose one night and guest Daniel Dennett gave me a better answer. He pointed out that one definition of god is a power greater than that we can imagine (at least that is the gist of what I remember). Given that definition, I find it hard for anyone to be an atheist.  Certainly, the structure and complexity of nature is beyond what I can imagine.  I believe in evolution. That we are the result of billions of years of "growth" certainly speaks of a system of unimaginable power.

So going to canoe country allows me to get closer to the natural environment than I usually am, which given my thoughts on god, are equivalent to why some people attend their form of religous service."

I feel the same way.  I certainly love the fishing and the cameraderie of a trip but it's the process of unplugging from our hectic culture that I love.  Feeling the silence and seeing the brilliant stars in a black sky.... I just see the place as a sort of church.  I'm not one for organized religion but definitely am a believer in a higher power. 

I've always wanted to take my canoe out on the lake when there's a clear sky and no moon.  Just float out in the middle and take in the sky.  That's going to be a goal on this years trip. Maybe the wolves will howl in appreciation. 

TomT, ST & All -

My thoughts on the subject are perhaps best summed up in the very LAST line of a post made on QJ by a young 20-something - he went by the handle of "Akula" - back in November of 2008.  It may be my favorite all-time post on QJ.  Here are the contents of that entire post:
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"Personally speaking, I think I was born in the wrong century.

In today's world of technological sorcery, instant gratification, wanton waste, and reckless consumerism, the feeling of being human has become something of a rare and fleeting thrill. The wilderness, and canoe country, remind me that wisdom, grit, and self-reliance are the only things that will grant one a seat at life's poker table - at least those of us whose last names don't matter, and who don't measure the depths of our pockets in fathoms.

The wilderness represents freedom and FAIRNESS; the latter of which, it seems, is in short supply outside of its borders. There's too many people with too many nonsensical convictions; and in our attempt to simplify the world through progress, we have only managed to lead ourselves toward the path of self-destruction. My heart aches for the future, and the horrible things we will have to overcome, if we can.

In the future, I fear that a place of wilderness like the BW/Q will be looked at only as a security variable that must be eliminated, or a tract of land that must be developed in order to support our already over-capacity population.

I fear that the invisible borders of adulthood are fading into obscurity, and that the lines between right, wrong, and legal have become an incomprehensible mess of gray space and bullshit. I fear that as a society, the things we respect and admire are things that get us nowhere; and serve only to reinforce a standard of living that is both selfish and destructive.

But for now, we can treasure these wild places and the secrets they tell us. Perhaps with conservation and smart legislation, these public oases of solitude will remain just that, but only time will tell if this is only a pipe dream. We may have to start traveling to the Far North to get the same kind of escape that we now enjoy so close to home.

Am I rambling a bit much here? I'm just trying to be realistic. I guess everything I feel can be summed up in a sentence:

By the light of a simple campfire, I can see all the way to Heaven."
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"Akula" is no longer 20-something.  Several years ago he quit his job in the Dakota oil fields, sold his canoe, and found a job in the mountains of Montana (where he could do some serious fly-fishing).  We haven't heard from Akula in a very long time.  Nevertheless, every trip up north since, I've watched my sparks ascend to the stars and contemplated on what that young man had to say.

Jimbo   

Akula's post is interesting and very thought provoking.  I only found 3 words that were bothersome.  "Sold his canoe"

MossBack

Jimbo, that's a great post from akula.  I read that in the former thread and your comments there and it is what inspired me to bring the thread back to life.

Gavia, I love your post and wrote up a lengthy reply but deleted it.  The "God" topic is similar to sports and politics.  To each his own I say.

TomT wrote on Mar 20^th, 2017 at 12:17pm:


TomT -

I appreciate your comment.  We all come from different places yet, every year, we choose to visit the very same place. 

This thread is a good one to the extent we can be respectful and uplifting of each other.  I expect that's why most of us come to QuietJourney.

By no means do I wish to dissuade provocative thinking and discussion.   However, if we do not exercise some care, mindfulness and respect, the tenor of such discussion can go south in a hurry.

When I find myself "trailing off" or leaning a little much one way or another, sometimes I find it best to take the discussion off-line via PM's.

So far, I couldn't be happier with what I've read in this thread.  Spartan 2's re-post of "The Silence" got it right (for me) right down to the Maker's Mark!

Great stuff to read on this very first day of Spring, 2017!  The year feels promising....

Jimbo