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In Greek mythology, the word Gaia stands for the earth. Today, Gaia is a philosophy taken from a mixture of paganism, eastern mysticism, science, and feminism. James Lovelock introduced the Gaia hypothesis in the 1970’s when he perceived the earth not as a giant rock but rather as a living being who acts as a self-functioning, self-organizing, and a self-regulating living system that maintains the conditions fit for life.
Lovelock claims that this living system existed in our planet billions of years ago and began transforming our planet into its own substance. Thus, according to him, all living forms in our planet are a part of Gaia – the one spirit goddess that sustains the earth. And humans can have mystical experiences with the Gaia spirit.
Gaia, also teaches that the male God – specifically the Christian God – is seen as detached and transcendent, whereas the new feminine spirituality affirms not a transcendent God, but an immanent goddess – a goddess who is the earth.
The Gaia belief is not new for it was first taught by Plato who said, “We shall affirm that the cosmos, more than anything else, resembles most closely that living Creature of which all other living creatures, severally or genetically, are portion; a living creature which is fairest of all and in ways most perfect.”
Today, the Gaia belief is at the center of the environmental policy. This is seen in government policies, such as the Endangered Species Act, The United Nations Biodiversity Treaty, the President’s Council on sustained Development and in many other NGO’s, that promote saving “Mother Earth.”
Vice President Al Gore in his book “Earth in the Balance” taught the deity of nature and accused Christians for being unfriendly to the environment. The “Green Earth” proponents assert that Judaeo-Christians have their opposition to this hypothesis rooted in the belief that God set man to rule over the earth and subdue it.
This hypothesis, is similar to Darwinism in that it eliminates the idea of a personal God who loves His creation, as taught in the Judaeo-Christian faith, and attempts to produce a “scientific” answer to existence without really succeeding in producing one.
Our modern world today is a live example of what becomes of a civilization that abandons faith in God and worships nature and adopts such pagan beliefs: “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness… For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God…and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man… For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due” (Romans 1:18-23,26-27).
Today, the Gaia faith has infiltrated even some of the Christian churches and organizations like the National Council of Churches and the National Religious Partnership for the environment. For this the Bible clearly warns His children: “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ” (Colossians 2:8).
In His service,
BibleAsk Team
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