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Stewardship of the environment
Q: The catastrophic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is a widening environmental, economic and political crisis. Is it also a moral crisis? How does religion influence our use and abuse of the natural world? Does religion help or harm the environment?
In the book of Genesis, God gave man dominion over creation. This has never meant the right to do whatever he wanted without consequence, but rather, stewardship.
This entails the willingness to care for what he has, as if he was taking care of it for someone else. I see no reason how (unless one is part of a cult that believes in order to bring about significant change, there must be destruction first) religion should influence humanity negatively towards stewardship of the environment.
The only error would be to erroneously preach that God cares not for such a thing, which is a fallacy of sinful proportions.
By
Matt Maher
|
June 1, 2010; 2:11 AM ET
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Posted by: carinatootlebooks | June 9, 2010 1:52 PM
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navin,
ya...if only people treated earth like she deserves...
Posted by: walter-in-fallschurch | June 4, 2010 10:47 PM
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If god cares for the earth, then he does not give stewardship without rules. Genesis just says go for it, its yours to keep. No judgment for miskeeping.
Is there any parable of how humanity was made to suffer because it was too greedy in exploiting the earth?
On the other hand, other religions readily state that the earth is divine, she is our mother, to be treated as a mother.
hariaum
Posted by: Navin1 | June 2, 2010 3:02 PM
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Alot of rockers don't have pets because they travel so much. But the USA is a country of pet owners. Saint Francis is big on pets. He cared for animals. He called even the wild animals his brothers and sisters right? It is in fact no stretch to say "Love thy neighbor" equals "love pets and wild animals". I think people get bored with the old Testament. But the GOLDEN RULE words of the NEW TESTAMENT- of Jesus always ring anew true!