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The Importance of Christian Ethics
Christians beliefs on environmental issues
Ethical dilemmas in Christianity
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Recommended: The Importance of Christian Ethics
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1 NIV). First God created and fostered an environment for which His children were to live. He gave it light, water, land, vegetation, creatures on land and sea then finally man and women in His own image. God delighted in everything He created then gave everything to man to cultivate for man’s existence and to glorify Him. Christian faiths are divided in their approach to Christian environmentalism. There are those who claim the relationship between humans and the environment is anthropocentric and others that take a broader view of biocentrism. The message that God gives us is to look at the world of nature and see that the care of the earth is essential to the care that we must show others.
In the last several years the world has moved into more awareness of our carbon footprint, so inquisitive Christians have become more aware of their relationship to God’s creation. This has caused Christians to turn to the bible for answers to their environmental questions. In Genesis 1:29-30, God gave it all to Adam and commanded him to rule over and be served by His creation. God delighted in His creation He commissioned us to serve as stewards of and enjoy the earth. In Psalms 8:3-8 He held mankind in an exalted place giving us all of creation and commanding us as caretakers. In Deuteronomy 22:6-7 God commands us to tend to creation so it can be preserved and regenerated. There is a new sense of urgency and cohesion to unite Christians to be more mindful of our impact on the environment. Many individual religions do not make the environment as a focal point of God’s creation, they focus on mankind. However there are gatherings of like-minded people who have...
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...se to God for all of creation that He has put before us as consumers and caretakers. It is the Lord that created the earth for us all to live in while we are in physical form. It is His commission that as churches we obey Him and His commission to the faithful stewards of the earth and each other. He is expressed in every daylight and sunset; every creature, mountain, ocean, and plant. His divine power is expressed in every storm, earthquake, flood, or tornado. Through His power is a commission for mankind to respect all forms of life, human as well as nature.
Works Cited
Francis, P. (2013, March 19). Inaugural Homily. Vatican City, Rome.
II, P. J. (1991, October 16). Homily at Quiaba. Mato Grosso, Brazil.
Interfaith Power & Light A religious response to global warming. (n.d.). Retrieved 2014, from Interfaith Power & Light: www.interfaithpowerandlight.org
“The modern form of the word environment comes from an older word that we hardly use anymore: environ, to surround, to form a ring around, to encircle” (Stoll 3). The meaning of the word environment did not become a major factor in the lives of humanity until 1945. The tragic events that led to the end of World War II sparked a chief movement in history: American Environmentalism. Global decision-making changed as well as human unity due to the mere purpose that fate of all people and the environment became intertwined (Stoll 1). I will further discuss the dramatic attempts made by some Americans to bring the importance of preserving our environment to the surface to show if and how we have evolved.
The author of this book Steven Bouma-Prediger main argument is Christians need to live more earth-careful lives and being called to be caretakers is not optional. The responsibility to care for the earth is a part of our faith. Early in the book the authors takes you back to your first encounter with nature he does to make his topic relevant and personal to the reader. He then opposes his first question, how much do we actually know about where we live? He states that this question shows us how little we know about our trees, plants, flowers, and the patterns of the moon. This is also his first argument in which he said if we do not know our earth we are destine to use and abuse it. Understanding and caring about nature is necessary to live properly on this earth. Chapter 1 (page 21) “we are for what we love, we love only what we know, we truly know only what we experience.
Judeo-Christian beliefs as based on faith, and solely that. These groups and people do not need facts to back up their convictions, and each person will believe that “their way is the right way, [and that] everyone else is wrong,” (Page 6). One of the most commonly known stories from these religions is the story of the Garden of Eden, in which Eve and Adam both partake of the fruit of knowledge and thus for are cast out, bringing evil unto the world. Many believe, that these same connections can be made to our story as a human population as it was with Adam and Eve. Adam and Eve were both sinners, and “we are all energy sinners,” (Page 2). Both groups of evildoers are then forced to gain their salvation, in our case, sustainability, or be forced
In addition, McKibben wants to make his audience aware of the importance of being true Christians and following their religious principles. He shares this goal with other environmentalists, and he shows disappointment when he questions the nature of countries like Norway and Sweden versus that of the United States. People are helping those who are in need in places where religion is not a significant part of society (McKibben 271). For example, citizens in those countries give aid to the poor, and help the environment by using public transportation, which reduces carbon emissions. However, in the United States, Americans’ actions are branded with the title of “American failure” because people do not try to be responsible stewards of the earth (271). In Genesis, God put a man in “the Garden of Eden to work it and keep it,” demonstrating what it is that He wants us to do with the earth He has given us (Gen.2:15). It is upsetting that people from other countries, whose actions are not cemented in religious beliefs, are more attuned to what God commands than citizens of the United States. Overall, McKibben’s purpose is to enlighten America and use this essay as a call for action towards positive transformation in American
...that they believe is just and being ethical when concerning the environment, adherents will be rewarded by God. Humanity also benefits as, environmental ethics provided by the Christian teaching and beliefs allows communities to come together and discuss issues concerning the environment whilst being guided by their faith.
The creation of the orderly world reveals God is present in a loving, loyal, all-knowingly, and powerful way. He provided a world for mankind to reign on, as they worship and praise the Lord. Although Christians are required to embrace the natural world we live in, they must not misconstrue that everything around us is Godly. God is distinct and Christians must submit to only him.
A biblical worldview of the natural world is found with God’s creation. In the book of Romans, God’s divine nature and creation of the universe is revealed. Romans 1:19 states, “Since what may be known about God s plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.” The faithful understand and worship God as the creator of the universe and all life. It
The Creation is an open letter E. O. Wilson wrote to a Southern Baptist pastor. With the environment declining, Wilson is desperate in seeking others to help conserve the environment. Therefore, in Wilson’s letter, he pleads to the pastor and any other Christian leaders to engage the community of the importance of saving the earth and its environment. His letter is also specifically aimed to the audience who: strictly regard the story of creation to having no connection with evolution, those who endorse to the “rapture” theological system. He communicates in a way as to persuade the pastor that taking care of the environment is a religious obligation. His persuasion focuses on “Creation” which is referred to as areas in our life which depend on nature and the planet. Wilson goes about this by sharing various examples of how we as human beings have lost interest for nature and have focused more on society. By this Wilson is saying that we have used nature as both a storehouse for resources and a place for garbage. Regardless of how Wilson shares his ideas and his concerns, it is clearly seen that he pleads to create a bridge which includes scientists
God populated the earth through mankind for several purpose, mainly, salvation. Thomas Hale writes. “All Christian believe that salvation comes by God’s grace and mercy alone, and that we cannot work to earn our salvation.” The Apostle Paul writes, “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified” (Rom. 8:29-30, EVS). In other word, as men and women of God, it is a pleasure to know God considered one as his choice to represent Him, (Jn. 15:16, EVS). God does not make mistake, therefore, a person should not live as a mistake by practicing other religions and beliefs that has no true reflection of
“The environment is God's gift to everyone, and in our use of it we have a responsibility towards the poor, towards future generations and towards humanity as a whole,” (C.V. 48). Whether it is one man or an entire nation that suffers from poverty, humans have the moral obligation to help those in need to make ourselves better. “The Church's social doctrine has always maintained that justice must be applied to every phase of economic activity, because this is always concerned with man and his needs,” (C.V. 37).
“The Historical Roots of Our Ecological crisis” has been the spark of a long standing debate about the impact of religion on environmental degradation. Comparing White and Whitney’s respective essay’s brings together two different perspectives ultimately shaping ones opinion on this subject of matter. Conclusively I can say Whitney’s points are valid and interesting as they identify the crucial flaws that White fails to take into account. Unlike most response papers, Whitney’s agreements with White are superficial in the broadest sense. The points that contend White’s thesis are all points that I agree as they pertain to the generation that I live in and I can see where her ideas stem from in day to day life.
Mary Oliver's (Clinebell, 1996, p.188) poem has a lot to say about the relatively new approach to conservation called ecopsychology. Ecopsychology combines the human element from psychology, with the study of how biological systems work together from ecology. A more in depth explanation of ecopsychology is that it seeks to help humans experience themselves as an integral part of nature (Strubbe 1997). When this is accomplished, humans can proceed to commit to "helping heal the earth, as well as healing ourselves" (Strubbe 1997, p. 293). In the past, environmental action has consisted of scaring and shaming those who over consume or do not recycle, which proved to be quite ineffective. Ecopsychology, in contrast, attempts to create positive and affirming motivations, derived from a bond of love and loyalty to nature (Bayland, 1995). Before tackling the principles, religious aspects, therapy, actions and education included in ecopsychology, it is essential to unde...
Christian theology states that God created the earth and gave it as a gift to humans to be shared with all other living creatures. This belief is known as the “Creation-centered approach to the natural environment” (Massaro, p.163). This approach emphasizes the value of nature by recognizing humans as being an equal part of God’s creation under which all “species deserve protection” (Massaro, p.163). With such publicly known cases of pollution like the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico or Bethlehem Steel’s pollution of Lake Erie decades ago, it is evident that humans have been using the environment in accordance with the Stewardship or even the Dominion model, both of which place humans above all other creations. According to Massaro, Christian theology also explains that showing “disregard for the air that others breathe and the quality of the water they drink is to sin against God” (Massaro, p.162). This type of disregard destroys humankind’s relationship with all other living organisms.
The most obvious reason that the environment has moral significance is that damage to it affects humans. Supporters of a completely human-centered ethic claim that we should be concerned for the environment only as far as our actions would have a negative effect on other people. Nature has no intrinsic value; it is not good and desirable apart from its interaction with human beings. Destruction and pollution of the environment cannot be wrong unless it results in harm to other humans. This view has its roots in Western tradition, which declares that “human beings are the only morally important members of this world” (Singer p.268).
God had made man responsible for the land that we live in and the animals that reside on it. This was if not the first one of the first responsibilities given to man. Animals are to be treated with respect and not cruelty. (Proverbs 12:10 NIV) We have to be considerate of the life of the animals because all living things on this Earth were created by God. We have to have respect for the creation of our creator. This is true also for the land because from the land we eat. (Genesis 2:15 NIV) (Bilingual Bible New Edition