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Religon and Climbing


billcoe

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John Muir once said "I would rather be in the mountains thinking about God, then in church thinking about the mountains"

 

I actually think God and climbing is an excellent combination for me. When I am in the mountains I feel closer to God. I enjoy basking in his creation while I ponder the meaning of life and what a huge beautiful amazing world we live in.

 

Pretty much every religious tradition has some connection between nature and God. Afterall Moses went up Sinai, John the baptist went to the wilderness. For me nature is one of God's ultimate tools for reaching humans.

 

"For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse." Romans 1:20

Edited by XXX
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After climbing a billion peaks the luster of just being up there kind of wears off. Especially if you can name every peak you see and have climbed half of them. I remember standing on peaks and marveling at the views, but that even gets old. Then there is really no difference between the pretty view and sitting in your living room.

 

Not that I don't enjoy it still, but the spirituality of it, I think, lies in the mystery of what you see. When that mystery is gone (and when you notice the smog on the horizon), all you see is lifeless rocks and clearcuts.

 

Sometimes when I'm in the mountains I feel rather ungratified. I miss my family. It sometimes seems rather materialistic. Like there is no difference between some hick obsessing over his jacked up blazer or me obsessing over this mountain. Same thing really. At first the mountains seem like they can fill some void in your life, but after you've done it, you realize you have to fill the voids from the inside out. No pile of dead rocks can ever do that.

 

I still find myself in the mountains, but not for the same reasons. now I just go because I miss them. Kind of like that annoying best friend.

Edited by Bill_Simpkins
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Never thought about it much until one night I found myself camped out on a fairly decent sized ledge about 300 ft up a wall not too far from town. It already had another group planning to stay but there was plenty of room for both of us. Anyhow, late at night one of the guys from the other party informed me that the world was coming to an end. Well, what isn't? But, he meant soon. At any rate, I just inquired as to whether or not he thought it would happen tonight- on the ledge. I selpt easier when he said it was still a few years off.

 

 

 

 

Edited by geoff
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.........Then there is really no difference between the pretty view and sitting in your living room.

 

............Sometimes when I'm in the mountains I feel rather ungratified. I miss my family. It sometimes seems rather materialistic. Like there is no difference between some hick obsessing over his jacked up blazer or me obsessing over this mountain. Same thing really. At first the mountains seem like they can fill some void in your life, but after you've done it, you realize you have to fill the voids from the inside out. No pile of dead rocks can ever do that.

 

I still find myself in the mountains, but not for the same reasons. now I just go because I miss them. Kind of like that annoying best friend.

Wow.

Your pipe has been empty for too long.

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Never thought about it much until one night I found myself camped out on a fairly decent sized ledge about 300 ft up a wall not too far from town. It already had another group planning to stay but there was plenty of room for both of us. Anyhow, late at night one of the guys from the other party informed me that the world was coming to an end. Well, what isn't? But, he meant soon. At any rate, I just inquired as to whether or not he thought it would happen tonight- on the ledge. I selpt easier when he said it was still a few years off.

 

you know opdyke to

 

 

 

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