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Hi all! I recently heard an interesting lecture from a local set of priests (one Mormon, one Catholic, and one Methodist) and a rabbi and an imam who all argued that God gave us the Earth and it is our job to take care of it, and thus we should fund and investigate ways to reduce humanity's impact on the environment.
The argument goes along the lines that even if global climate change is not caused by humans, then there are other forms of damage which result - like the hole in the ozone layer, smog and acid rain, the oil spills which kills many animals, and algal blooms which wash up and release methane which kills people and animals who stray too close. Therefore, humans must take an active part in tending for the Earth, for both taking care of what God gave us, and to ease human suffering.
What do you think? Can one use religious backgrounds to argue that humans should take a more active role in preventing damage caused by human industry?
I find it extremely interesting that now all of a sudden the many different organized religions are beginning to listen to the native cultures of Mother Earth when they are on the brink of their own destruction. The Native American cultures of this land have had this knowledge for thousands of years and have lived this life accordingly. There is something worth viewing and paying great attention to.
This is NOT a debate about whether native americans were environmentalists or not, or whether they flew to the moon or not, etc. Nor is this about how white people destroyed the land or not.
WHAT THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE: A debate on whether religion can be used to further environmental stewardship, and whether it would be effective or not. THAT'S IT!
Moderator cut: off topic
Last edited by Miss Blue; 12-18-2009 at 12:12 PM..
Reason: unnecessary and off topic
My post was not to stir up any debate about how the European treated the Native American people of this land, if you look at the videos that I offered, you would find that that is not so, the point that I was trying to make is that I do find it interesting that now all of a sudden the different organized religions has suddenly started listening to what we the native people have been trying to say all along and that is to respect the land, take only what you need from the land and don't waste it, as Fullback has said, the Native American culture was that of sharing, sharing with members of the tribe, status was not gained by how much one owned but by how much one was able to share with others and that by doing so it assured the survival of that tribe, we took only from the land what we need to survive and nothing more, we were not environmentalists in the sense as it is defined today, nobody was, but the native people of this land lived in harmony with their surroundings and respected the land, this is something that we have been saying for hundreds of years, it is our culture, our way of life, I don't claim to be any environmentalist, I take only from the land what I need and I find ways of improving the things that I need and doing as little environmental harm as I can, the house that I live in is a long cabin home, my source of heat is a geothermal system, my electricity is primarily solar cells and wind generators, although I am still connected to the electric grid if necessary, I used no fossil fuel in my house whatsoever, I have a huge wood-burning fireplace but I use it only when necessary, the wood that I use is wood that has come from dead trees that have died naturally and I have plenty of property with a lot of woods, I have respect for the land and this is what I'm talking about, this is part of my culture, this is what I've been taught by my ancestors, I'm only doing it in the modern sense and that is why I said that I find it very interesting that all of a sudden the organized religions have suddenly started listening to the native cultures.
Hi all! I recently heard an interesting lecture from a local set of priests (one Mormon, one Catholic, and one Methodist) and a rabbi and an imam who all argued that God gave us the Earth and it is our job to take care of it, and thus we should fund and investigate ways to reduce humanity's impact on the environment.
The argument goes along the lines that even if global climate change is not caused by humans, then there are other forms of damage which result - like the hole in the ozone layer, smog and acid rain, the oil spills which kills many animals, and algal blooms which wash up and release methane which kills people and animals who stray too close. Therefore, humans must take an active part in tending for the Earth, for both taking care of what God gave us, and to ease human suffering.
What do you think? Can one use religious backgrounds to argue that humans should take a more active role in preventing damage caused by human industry?
I agree we have a responsibility to care for and take care of the earth and her creatures.
In the hour when the Holy one, blessed be He, created the first person, God showed him the trees in the Garden of Eden, and said to him:
"See My works, how fine they are; Now all that I have created, I created for your benefit. Think upon this and do not corrupt and destroy My world, For if you destroy it, there is no one to restore it after you." Ecclesiastes Rabbah 7:28
According to Jewish teachings by those who wrote the Talmud, when God created Adam, God led him
around the Garden of Eden and said to him: “Behold my works! See how beautiful they are, how
excellent! All that I have created for your sake did I create it. See to it that you do not spoil and destroy
my world; For if you do, there will be no one to repair it after you.”1 While the commandment in
Genesis 1:28 providing humans with dominion over the fish, fowl, cattle, and all the earth often has been
misused as a pretext for exploitation, Jewish oral law has never permitted such an interpretation.
We have a responsibility to repair, or make better, improve socially and environmentally what we can. I believe we are caretakers holding a trust for the next generation.
I find it extremely interesting that now all of a sudden the many different organized religions are beginning to listen to the native cultures of Mother Earth when they are on the brink of their own destruction. The Native American cultures of this land have had this knowledge for thousands of years and have lived this life accordingly. There is something worth viewing and paying great attention to.
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