Hunting and Religion, By James Swan Ph.D

[El_fuego]

Great article James. Enjoyed reading it alot

 

[James A Swan Ph.D]

Thank you all, one more for your quiver.

Great article James. Enjoyed reading it alot

I really appreciate the feedback I have been getting regarding my article on Hunting and Religion. I want to be able to give hunters some support, as well as "ammo" to feel strong and confident about hunting because today, more than ever, hunters have become a target, in part due to modern media. I would like to give you hunters some more "arrows for your quiver" in case you need them. One that comes to mind is in response to what I have seen on Topix and FOx News, which seem to want to highlight hunters as bad people. One way they do this is to focus on accidents. I have yet to see major news talking about how safe hunting has become. Thanks to having every hunter in all 50 states, required to take and pass a Hunter Education Class, hunting has become a very safe sport, in fact safer than golf, tennis or skiing. According to the National Safety Council, hunting is as safe as ping pong. We see articles about hunting accidents with firearms, but in reality falling out of treestands has become the most common kind of hunting accident .

Happy new year, and happy hunting.

James A. Swan, Ph.D.

 

[Akwoodchuck]

Great food for thought...up here in AK there are still regulations allowing traditional Potlatch hunts for cultural and religious purposes. The Australian Aborigine have some fascinating beliefs intertwined with a very long history of hunting as well....

 

[gbflyer]

Good reading. Any real hunter I know is a spiritual being. Some call that religion, some would rather not.

There are sadly so many spiritually empty today.

Thank you for sharing.

 

[PA-R]

A very well written article, I too, think that there is some spiritual aspect when hunting, Many thanks.

 

[Akwoodchuck]

Also some interesting rules in Islam concerning hunting with dogs or weapons, slaughtering animals, etc:

Slaughtering and Hunting of Animals | Islamic Laws | Al-Islam.org

....and I thought the regs alone were bad!

 

[dakotaduner]

Thank you for sharing that

 

[Kelk]

Good read.

 

[Woodsman44]

Great article and I’ll be sure to check out some of your books. I can relate to the pastor who mentioned the birth of his child and his first deer. Another read that comes to mind is “Wild at Heart” by John Eldridge. Moderately related though it’s more about defending men’s desire for adventure, hunting being one type of adventure. I normally read at least the first 5 chapters once a year as a breath of fresh air in a society that is determined to emasculate men. Christian book and always gets me jacked up for hunting season.

 

[James A Swan Ph.D]

Great article and I’ll be sure to check out some of your books. I can relate to the pastor who mentioned the birth of his child and his first deer. Another read that comes to mind is “Wild at Heart” by John Eldridge. Moderately related though it’s more about defending men’s desire for adventure, hunting being one type of adventure. I normally read at least the first 5 chapters once a year as a breath of fresh air in a society that is determined to emasculate men. Christian book and always gets be jacked up for hunting season.

From JAS:

The comments readers have contributed certainly support the idea that many hunters see hunting as a deep act of spirit, as well as getting some good exercise, enjoying nature, and bringing home some healthy meat. So, I'm adding a little more along the same lines.

A Jesuit priest, Mitch Pacwa, has penned a number of hunting prayers. Here’s one titled “Prayer for successful hunt.” “Lord, I pray that I may take down the game in as painless a way as possible. May I recognize my limits and take the shots I know I can make, not taking a shot that risks maiming or wounding an animal unnecessarily.”

Another hunting prayer comes from rocker Ted Nugent. This is Ted’s -- “Prayer for the Wildthings
"Oh Great Spirit, give me guidance to take in all your wonderment. Help me observe and embrace my role as a Bloodbrother to nature. Teach me to use my gifts of reason and intellect to better connect with the fruits of the earth. Inspire me to practice diligently so as to receive your hoofed, furred, and feathered gifts of sustenance for my family, by killing cleanly that which we can utilize and share with our neighbors. Bless me with the rewards of full participation in your grand creation. Make all our hunts safe, peaceful and complete. Fill me, great father, with the Spirit of the Wild. Thank you for life."

A Spanish outfitter SpanisHunters told me that the traditional Spanish hunt for fallow deer, red deer, mouflon, and wild boar, the "Monteria," is a driven hunt with beaters and dogs. Typically before the "Monteria" begins, he or someone else says a prayer as a member of The Royal Brotherhood of the Most Holy Virgin of the Head Savior of the Mountaineer. The entire prayer is a page long and can be found in my book The Sacred Art of Hunting. https://www.amazon.com/Sacred-Art-Hunting-Legends-Modern/dp/1572231882

The prayer concludes with:
“Oh Divine Clemency! Oh Holiness! Oh always sweet Virgin Mary! To those of us who love the remote solitude of the wilds, please protect us with your warm cape in the pure air of the mountains which is the crowning light of your Sanctuary. Pray for us, Sweet Mother of God, so that we may be worthy of receiving the gifts of such previous chivalrous gentlemen as Eustaquito the Roman, Herman the Gaul, and Hubert of Aquitane, so that we may receive the safe passage offered by Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Long live the Virgin de Cabeza!

If you want to create your own hunter’s prayer, there is a website hunters prayer | Bow Hunter’s Prayer | Hunting Addiction? You're a VenaticFanatic ... | Hunting | Pinterest | Hunter's prayer, Bow hunter and Hunting with a number of hunter’s sayings and prayers.

Happy new year. JAS

 

[Woodsman44]

Book ordered - thanks!

 

[Btaylor]

I dont always agree with Uncle Ted but "Bless me with the rewards of full participation in your grand creation." is about as dead center perfect as it gets.

 

[AndyB]

"" The life of the hunter must have been hazardous, but at least it guaranteed the freedom of the individual, and both danger and freedom of expression must have played their part in the appearance of religious concepts, art and music during mans existence as a hunter""

( taken from, 'The ancient world', A history of civilisations from pre history to the fall of Rome, General editor : Esmond Wright)

Hunting and religion may be more closely linked than we think, the above would suggest that we have religion 'because' of our ancient lives as hunters, when it was never a given who's life would be taken, the hunters or the hunted.......long before freedom for most was lost and society turned into the human ant colonies of the Neolithic.

Thank you James for this thought provoking post.