Feed the Right Wolf

[mythteller]

I was chatting with a couple of friends the other day when one friend said that Science held all the truth that people could ever need, while religion served only to mislead people by lying to them. I suggested that religion was actually performance art and it used myth to explore truths that could not be fully understood or explored by Science or Logic. My friend strongly disagreed with me, saying that religion was dangerous because the gullible put more faith in it than the truth of Science. This fact terrified her and she even went so far to say that my own spiritual beliefs scared her. Remembering an old adage that said you should never debate religion or politics in a bar, I let the matter drop.

Since that discussion the following story has been coming up quite often. Whether it be coincidence or not, I've decided to post it here to keep track of it, but also to remind me of the wolf I should be feeding rather than giving into despair or wallowing in the horribleness of people and world events (which usually gets posted on Facebook).

Yes, there are terrible people and terrible things in this world, but I prefer to celebrate beauty, kindness, and generosity rather than gorge myself on the pornography of terror, violence, and the horrible depths of human depravity.

The Two Wolves

A Cherokee elder was teaching his grandchildren about life.

He said to them, “A fight is going on inside me… it is a terrible fight between two wolves.

One wolf represents fear, anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, hatefulness, and lies.

The other stands for joy, peace, love, hope, humbleness, kindness, friendship, generosity, faith, and truth.

This same fight is going on inside of you, and inside every other person, too.”

The children thought about it for a minute. Then one child asked his grandfather,

“Which wolf will win?”

The Cherokee elder replied…

“The one you feed.”

Comments

[serendipity8791.livejournal.com]

She does realize that Science isn't "absolute" truth, right? That some of it is still only at the unverified, theoretical level, right? And scientific discoveries and theories are in a constant state of evolution, with old theories being disproven, or, at least, having exceptions.

And this, I find that both Science and quite a few Pagan/Neo-Pagan paths have in common. Evolution. A wonderful, wonderful word and concept.

And, yes, that Cherokee story cropped up quite a bit in my life as well, recently.

[kattale.livejournal.com]

I was about to say the same thing - that much of science is speculation and theory, but that people hold so tight to this speculation that they conclude it is the truth - emotionally and angrily so - and this scares me as much as any other aggressive blind faith does.

But hope - for scientific theory or for faith - the hope that these Truths have some degree of probability - that feeds our happy wolf, doesn't it?

[gothic-hands.livejournal.com]

I like the story you've shared. It applies to some things I've been dealing with as well.
Thank you for sharing.

And I agree that science is always evolving and changing, but I think in spiritualities, there are some values that remain consistent through time and to me, those are truth. Though the misuse or lack of them can be devastating.

[gothic-hands.livejournal.com]

is it ok if I repost the "Two Wolves"?

[jdhobbes.livejournal.com]

Please do!

[primrose-1.livejournal.com]

I absolutely love this story- and you're right! It IS coming up a lot! Isn't the world funny?