Lock it up mankind....stop abusing the Goddess

Mary Grey's "Sacred Longings" discusses ecofeminist theology, "a union of two concerns: ecology and justice for women" (Grey 123). The two concerns, men's domination of the earth and man's domination of women, are very similar in essence (Grey 123-4). In both cases, the patriarchy is the perpetrator of misuse and oppression. Ecofeminism calls attention to the "human greed and violence" that permeates mankind's actions (Grey 123).

Prior to reading the Grey and Nagarajan essays, I had never heard of the term ecofeminism. These essays explained this concept to me and made a convincing argument that standing up against male domination of the earth benefits male treatment of women. Both articles make the valid assessment that humans need to re-examine the way that they treat the earth.

The Nagarajan essay emphasized the earth as the Goddess. She presents the paradox that the earth is divine but that the earth is also continually mistreated. People think that the earth can handle the abuse, so the behaviors continue (Nagarajan 277). Consciously continuing down this path bothers me a great deal. It is similar to a child continually misbehaving and mistreating a parent, because the child knows that the parent will love and care for him no matter what. This expresses the abuse of power that humans perpetuate through our patriarchal approach to the divine. Nagarajan articulates that the pollution that humans place on the earth, their offenses/sins, are in fact of minor consequence to the Goddess. This leads to Nagarajan's call for the earth to be continually sacred, to perform intermittent sacrality. In understanding this concept, I feel guilty about hurting the earth/Goddess. I am on my way to ecofeminism.