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Living in Harmony With Life is Christian Virtue
If we believe that God is the source of all that is, then we must honor the entirety of God’s creation. To foul our nest with pollutants that destroy the various forms of life cannot be a faithful response to the wonder of creation.
Early in its history, Christianity was corrupted with an anti-materialism, anti-body, anti-flesh and anti-world mentality. This produced such developments as the rise of monasticism, the decision to identify sexlessness with holiness, the extolling of celibacy and virginity and the sense that the earth was something to be conquered and subdued.
We reap the whirlwind of those developments in so many of the current conflicts within Christianity today. Those decisions also lie at the center of global warming.
Yes, of course, living in harmony with all life is a virtue for Christians, one that it is high time we took seriously.
By
John Shelby Spong
|
February 12, 2007; 8:05 AM ET
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Posted by: Bob | February 12, 2007 8:22 PM
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Scratching their heads in disbelief and judgement? You'll know a tree by its fruits, and at the moment its very fruity in the Episcopalian church. When it comes to truth, truth doesn't change with the polls. If one goes with the current "enlightenment" flow, why bother with church? At least the atheists are being honest.
Posted by: Bill L | February 12, 2007 8:01 PM
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Bishop Spong, Understood, and I agree whole-heartedly. Demoninations and Faiths may look at the Episcopal Church scratching their heads in disbelief and judgement. They have no idea what sacrifices and efforts were made to evolve the main body of Episcopal Faith towards this modern enlightenment. Problems that arise from our brain stem drives must be intercepted and dealt with early on while our higher centers still have access. Once the midbrain is made up, good luck on intercepting the impulse from upstream. Good Bless you and yours. I am Blessed to be a member of your faith. Lost, hurt, and very angry I could have been had it not been for my adoptive parents and their faith, family, and friends. Amen.
Posted by: Solid_NOx | February 12, 2007 6:53 PM
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I don't think that "religion" is trying to take "credit" for living in harmony with nature. These are religious panelists who are simply reiterating what their believers should already know and practice.
Personally, I think this topic is pointless. You would be hard pressed to find many people of Christian faith who don't believe that they have a responsibility to the planet and the environment.
Posted by: Brambleton | February 12, 2007 2:41 PM
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There is NOT evidence to state that global warming is caused by humans or industrialized nations. Period.
Posted by: Scientist | February 10, 2007 2:19 AM
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"Couldn't we just say living in harmony with life is a human value?"
Good point, E Favorite. Just as no religion has a monopoly on morality, no religion has a monopoly on living in harmony with life.
Still, I deeply appreciate Sprong's contribution, especially the second paragraph of the article. It's great to hear a Christian commentator whose attitudes on the environment are far removed from Cal Thomas' pro-apocalypse ramblings.
Posted by: Tonio | February 9, 2007 2:43 PM
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Couldn't we just say living in harmony with life is a human value?
Do we have to credit any religion?
I see this as a bandwagon issue. Hard to imagine any religion saying the environment is not important -- even if they think that, because the rapture is coming.
Too, too politically incorrect.
Posted by: E Favorite | February 7, 2007 9:45 PM
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The comments to this entry are closed.
You say:
"Living in Harmony With Life is Christian Virtue."
What a presumptuous pile of crap. Living in harmony with life predates any christian value by a hundred thousand years. Your cheap propaganda is offensive to all thinking human beings.
Thank you.