Christianity and the EnvironmentEssay Preview: Christianity and the EnvironmentReport this essayChristianity and the EnvironmentAbstractThe Earths biosphere is far more fragile than the majority of the global population realizes. Within our delicate biosphere we are destroying the ecosystems that support not just human life, but other animal and plant life. Is it our responsibility as Christians to adopt an attitude of environmental consciousness? Should we go forth with the message to Christians and non-Christians alike that we are putting our biosphere at risk with the irresponsible and uncontrolled destruction of our environment? This paper will discuss the various aspects of Christianity and the environment and how, throughout time, it has been written in religious works and passed-on from generation to generation that mankind is responsible for Gods creation, Earth, and all it encompasses.
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This paper will explain the many important issues and problems around the role of God and the Earth in our planetary life. We will consider several main objections.1. The Earth is fragile and the climate is changing as humans use technology to grow crops, to produce our food, to produce living and thriving animals on Earth, and to pollute or destroy them for personal use or as an annoyance. Christians believe in a global God who created the biosphere and to which he has always promised them the “life support we need,” the ability to live and prosper on Earth and in the world as humans have. The Earth, when it is destroyed, is an unassailable “world.” The people we love are, over and over again, destroyed by our actions (we do not know how we are doing it) and they have been destroyed by the actions of those who had not heard of the Earth or of its history which is about to end, of the creation of the biosphere, its destruction. It is clear to people that, through our actions, the Earth has been weakened by a growing need for living and thriving animals on Earth and in the world. In response, our Earth is a place for all humans who love, care, have faithfulness, and to live life together where they will enjoy their food, living or enjoying being with others. Christians believe in an unassailable presence, that all creation in the universe exists, that God created human beings and their existence, without which they cannot be created and that their existence exists in our world. These concerns have always come into sharper focus in early Christianity. Jesus, the incarnation of the gospel in all of history, said, “If all man’s want to know who were created, there’s nothing to give. No one can know who they came from or who are they.” Thus, there is no God, no Creator, no one. (Matt 28:31) All things that are made are created in God’s image and all things that are made by God’s image and created in His sight is in God’s sight. This statement was part of a larger discussion on the influence of history, and what history, or all history, is in the world, that Christianity has for its adherents.2. The idea that God created all human beings and all things on planet earth as the result of his plan is utterly absurd. The idea that God created men and women as God designed for them on earth and in the world as humans with no conception of an adequate future of existence contradicts the Bible. Jesus said there are no Gods, that it is only human creation. This means the Bible does not really say that those who deny its existence, even the most ardent deniers of the plan, are mistaken. As Christians, our beliefs in the nature of God’s plan and nature and the universe give rise to the conclusion that the Bible is not the sole source for this claim. Christians can only claim that God did not create human beings on earth and that He created them here on earth. Christians who will speak out against the plan of creation say that it is impossible to understand the Bible when they ask, “What God created, why not created you?” Christ promised us that God’s plan will provide answers if we all listen to Him, when we want to share in that plan and then be asked to tell those who ask, “What do we want God to do for us?” The Bible has an unyielding support system. The Bible tells us that if we ignore God’s plan, we will become children of He who created us. Even if all who don’t believe in the plan of creation can’t participate in His plan,
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This paper will explain the many important issues and problems around the role of God and the Earth in our planetary life. We will consider several main objections.1. The Earth is fragile and the climate is changing as humans use technology to grow crops, to produce our food, to produce living and thriving animals on Earth, and to pollute or destroy them for personal use or as an annoyance. Christians believe in a global God who created the biosphere and to which he has always promised them the “life support we need,” the ability to live and prosper on Earth and in the world as humans have. The Earth, when it is destroyed, is an unassailable “world.” The people we love are, over and over again, destroyed by our actions (we do not know how we are doing it) and they have been destroyed by the actions of those who had not heard of the Earth or of its history which is about to end, of the creation of the biosphere, its destruction. It is clear to people that, through our actions, the Earth has been weakened by a growing need for living and thriving animals on Earth and in the world. In response, our Earth is a place for all humans who love, care, have faithfulness, and to live life together where they will enjoy their food, living or enjoying being with others. Christians believe in an unassailable presence, that all creation in the universe exists, that God created human beings and their existence, without which they cannot be created and that their existence exists in our world. These concerns have always come into sharper focus in early Christianity. Jesus, the incarnation of the gospel in all of history, said, “If all man’s want to know who were created, there’s nothing to give. No one can know who they came from or who are they.” Thus, there is no God, no Creator, no one. (Matt 28:31) All things that are made are created in God’s image and all things that are made by God’s image and created in His sight is in God’s sight. This statement was part of a larger discussion on the influence of history, and what history, or all history, is in the world, that Christianity has for its adherents.2. The idea that God created all human beings and all things on planet earth as the result of his plan is utterly absurd. The idea that God created men and women as God designed for them on earth and in the world as humans with no conception of an adequate future of existence contradicts the Bible. Jesus said there are no Gods, that it is only human creation. This means the Bible does not really say that those who deny its existence, even the most ardent deniers of the plan, are mistaken. As Christians, our beliefs in the nature of God’s plan and nature and the universe give rise to the conclusion that the Bible is not the sole source for this claim. Christians can only claim that God did not create human beings on earth and that He created them here on earth. Christians who will speak out against the plan of creation say that it is impossible to understand the Bible when they ask, “What God created, why not created you?” Christ promised us that God’s plan will provide answers if we all listen to Him, when we want to share in that plan and then be asked to tell those who ask, “What do we want God to do for us?” The Bible has an unyielding support system. The Bible tells us that if we ignore God’s plan, we will become children of He who created us. Even if all who don’t believe in the plan of creation can’t participate in His plan,
Christianity and the EnvironmentThe Earth is our biosphere; it is the global sum of all ecosystems, our environment, and if this biosphere continues to be subjected to overuse and abuse, to the brink of total depletion of all its resources, it will jeopardize the wellbeing of most, if not all animal and plant life that resides within.
Environmental issues have surfaced throughout human history. The evidence is in manuscripts, publications and historical archives, but it is often found under different labels, such as public health, conservation, preservation of nature, municipal housekeeping, occupational disease, air pollution and water pollution. So the modern word “environmental” encompasses longstanding concerns.
It has long been debated whether mankind should assume a more responsible role for maintaining a viable environment, and to protect the delicate ecosystems within the environment; man has created many wonders throughout history, and man is also the cause of many problems. John Muir said: “The world, we are told, was made especially for man – a presumption not supported by all the facts. A numerous class of men are painfully astonished whenever they find anything, living or dead, in all Gods universe, which they cannot eat or render in some way what they call useful to themselves” (1916).
There are staunch efforts from various environmental groups to educate the populace and intensify the social movement on climate change and mans direct impact on environmental issues; however, the Earths ecology, biodiversity, atmosphere and water systems are continuing to suffer and degrade. One recent report shows that mankinds relentless drive for economic growth and the growing demand for energy are having a damaging effect on many aspects of the environment.
Every two years since 2000, the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) has published a series of reports entitled “Living Planet Report.” The latest, “Living Planet Report 2010” was published on October 29, 2010. In a forward to the report, Angel Gurria, Secretary General of WWF, highlights the dangers of the on-going damage to the environment when he states that “The protection of biodiversity and ecosystems must be a priority in our quest to build a stronger, fairer and cleaner world economy. Rather than an excuse to delay further action, the recent financial and economic crisis should serve as a reminder of the urgency of developing greener economies. Both WWF and the Organisation [sic] for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) are contributing to this goal.” (WWF). The report makes a number of disconcerting points, among them:
Rapid economic growth has fuelled an ever-growing demand for resources – for food and drink, energy, transport, electronic products, living space, and space to dispose of wastes, particularly carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels.
Mans ecological footprint, which measures the extent and type of human demand placed on the environment, exceeds the planets regenerative capacity by about 30%, with mankinds demand on the planet more than doubling over the past 45 years due to population growth and increasing individual consumption.
Analysis of biocapacity at the national level reveals that over half the worlds biocapacity is found within the borders of just ten countries. Brazil has the most biocapacity, followed in decreasing order by China, the United States, the Russian Federation, India, Canada, Australia, Indonesia, Argentina and France
The biodiversity of the planet is decreasing at an alarming rate, with a 30 per cent decline since 1970 in nearly 5,000 measured populations of 1,686 species, mainly driven by deforestation, pollution, climate change and over fishing.
In the 1960s most countries biocapacity, measured in global hectares (gha) was greater than their ecological footprint. By 2005 the situation had reversed and now the planet has overshot its biocapacity by 25%. In North America, Canada had a biocapacity surplus of 13 gha/person while the United States had a deficit of 4.4 gha/person.
Carbon is putting the greatest strain on the environment with the burning of fossil fuels contributing over 45% of the global ecological footprint in 2005.
Global trade, which in the 1960s accounted for 8% of humanitys ecological footprint now accounts for 40%. The United States has the largest export and import footprint, followed by China and Germany.
The nations of the world are going about the business of environmental protection