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Theological/Ecological Intersections

Submitted by sfairfield on Tue, 02/19/2019 - 16:02

In Ethiopia, those who follow Woga traditions and those who follow Protestantism differ in respect to their view on the land both spiritually and in utilitarian ways. The Protestants believe God gave the land to people to be used as they see fit, while followers of the indigenous practices of Woga believe that the sacred forests should not be tampered with and the grazing fields for local cattle should not be opened up except for special occasions, such as their seasonal festival known as Masqala. Also, sometimes the elders decide to deny access to certain parts of the land and allow them to regrow, meaning people must leave that area of land and its resources alone until further notice. People must ask before they cut down the trees and offer tribute as recompense. In contrast, many of the younger farmers are Christian converts who engage in forest clearing to make room for their growing fields as well as to discourage the presence of monkeys who steal their crop.

 

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