Edward Abbey Should Have Been Asatru!

Edward Abbey was iconoclastic and passionate; an American original. He was a religious skeptic, but I could easily see him as a man of Asatru.

Here are some of his quotes - not even necessarily my favorites, but some good ones:

"Better a cruel truth than a comfortable delusion."

"The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time."

"I am not an atheist but an earthiest. Be true to the earth."

"A man could be a lover and defender of the wilderness without ever in his lifetime leaving the boundaries of asphalt, powerlines, and right-angled surfaces. We need wilderness whether or not we ever set foot in it. We need a refuge even though we may never need to set foot in it. We need the possibility of escape as surely as we need hope; without it the life of the cities would drive all men into crime or drugs or psychoanalysis."

You can find a lot more of his quotes here: http://tinyurl.com/28pkwxz

Years ago, I met with a conservation group that wanted to protect wildlife in an African country. They needed someone who could set up an anti-poaching unit for protection against marauders coming across the border. These poachers carried machine guns and RPGs, and killed elephants or anything else that moved. (We're not talking about subsistence hunting here.) I proposed to go in with a small team, work with the locals in the context of their indigenous religion, train them, and let them take charge. A man involved with the conservation group was one of four people still living (at that time) who knew where Ed Abbey was buried. I felt his presence spoke well of the organization.

Edward Abbey, may your spirit live on!

Steve McNallen

Asatru Folk Assembly
http://runestone.org