These religions provide strong moral foundations for taking action to limit global warming/climate change.
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The religions professed by many peoples around the world express the relationship of humanity with the natural world in similar ways. In the following I summarize relevant positions as expressed by Christianity, Judaism and Islam.
Christianity
Pope Francis is the head of the Roman Catholic Church. He delivered a video message to the Council of Europe on September 29, 2021, during the Council’s Assembly leading up to the U. N. COP26 (the 26th Conference of the Parties) climate conference convening in Glasgow, Scotland in November 2021. COP26 is intended to affirm and extend the Paris Agreement of 2015. He said the Earth is our God-given resource, not to be disfigured or exploited.
“When the human being considers himself the master of the universe and not its responsible steward, he or she justifies any kind of waste and treats the other people and nature as mere objects…. [W]e must … take care of nature, so that it takes care of us.”
The Pope’s principal expression of the humanity-environment relationship is embodied in his encyclical Laudato Si’, released May 24, 2015. He writes that the original grant of “dominion” over the Earth and its beasts has been misconstrued, leading to “sinful” domination over them:
“The harmony between the Creator, humanity and creation … was disrupted …. This in turn distorted our mandate to ‘have dominion’ over the earth (cf. Gen 1:28), to ‘till it and keep it’ (Gen 2:15). As a result, the originally harmonious relationship between human beings and nature became conflictual (cf. Gen 3:17-19).”
The “conflict” appears to arise, in Francis’s view, because the first two Biblical citations refer to creation and inhabiting the garden of Eden, whereas the third takes place after (sinfully) eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil:[We] “respond to the charge that Judaeo-Christian thinking, on the basis of the Genesis account which grants man ‘dominion’ over the earth (cf. Gen 1:28), has encouraged the unbridled exploitation of nature by painting him as domineering and destructive by nature. This is not a correct interpretation of the Bible …. we must forcefully reject the notion that our being … given dominion over the earth justifies absolute domination over other creatures…. [Rather] they tell us to ‘till and keep’ the garden of the world (cf. Gen 2:15). ‘Tilling’ refers to cultivating, ploughing or working, while ‘keeping’ means caring, protecting, overseeing and preserving. This implies a relationship of mutual responsibility between human beings and nature.”
The encyclical characterizes the advances of science and technology, and urges humanity to overcome abuses of power and social justice that have resulted from these advances in recent times:· “We are the beneficiaries of two centuries of enormous … change…. [Scientific and technological advances] have given … those with the knowledge, and especially the economic resources to use them, an impressive dominance over the whole of humanity and the entire world…. It is extremely risky for a small part of humanity to have [such power].”
· “Leaving an inhabitable planet to future generations is, first and foremost, up to us.”
· “… Interdependence obliges us to think of one world with a common plan. Yet [humanity has] so far proved incapable of finding effective ways of dealing with grave environmental and social problems worldwide….[T]he use of highly polluting fossil fuels … needs to be … replaced without delay.”
Katharine Hayhoe is a world-respected atmospheric scientist based at Texas Tech University, where she is the director of the Climate Science Center. She was recently named Chief Scientist at the Nature Conservancy. She is an effective communicator on the present climate crisis.
Prof. Hayhoe is also an evangelical Christian. She actively pursues efforts to bring evangelicals to accept the reality of climate change. The first person she convinced was her husband, an evangelical pastor; they co-wrote the book, A Climate for Change: Global Warming Facts for Faith-Based Decisions. In 2021 she published “Saving Us: A Climate Scientist’s Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World” (Atria) (reviewed here). She persistently seeks out common ground with others, using shared values or experiences, to open the door to discuss climate change issues reasonably. In the book review she states “I believe that if you are someone who takes the Bible seriously, then you already care about climate change….It’s the political polarization and tribalism…not the Bible that cause [evangelicals] to reject what science says about a changing climate.”
In distinction from Christianity, Judaism and Islam do not have a hierarchical clergy. Below are selected leaders from each faith who have stated the theological bases of relating to the global warming/climate change crisis.
Judaism
Rabbi Pini Dunner offered an interesting comment in response to the climate extremes of the summer of 2021, and to the strong warning in the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, issued August 2021. He cited: “While at war against a city that must be besieged for a long time …, do not destroy its trees by wielding an ax against them — … you may not cut them down (Deut. 20:19).” Rabbi Dunner finds this warns us not to lay waste to the resources that support us.
He extends this injunction to the present climate crisis: “Wanton destruction of our planet might seem okay in the moment of execution … but ultimately it is we who are left picking up the pieces. …The world’s industrialized nations have for far too long disengaged themselves from absorbing the short-term pain required [to rein in fossil fuel use] for the sake of long-term gain.”
David Kraemer, a professor at the Jewish Theological Seminary, writes “Moses, speaking for God, says in Deuteronomy 29:13-14: ‘I make this covenant [both with you and] with those who are not with us this day.’” In other words, God’s covenant applies to future generations as well as to those of us living today. Passages elsewhere in the Old Testament help define the covenant, including Psalms (115:16) ‘the heavens belong to the Lord while He gave the earth to the children of men’, including that humans were given a garden (Genesis 2:15) ‘to work it and to guard it.’” We may not exploit its riches, nor in the extreme, destroy it. Yet we humans have brought the destructive effects of global warming upon ourselves by wanton exploitation of fossil fuels, leading to the present climate crisis. Prof. Kraemer concludes “Judaism … require[s] us to pursue the goals of the Paris accords and even more….In the view of Judaism, the survival of the earth and its creatures is our responsibility.”
After summarizing many of the climate disasters that have befallen communities around the world, and citing Biblical passages such as above, Richard H. Schwartz summons Jews to pursue the ancient rabbinic principle of tikkun olam (healing and restoring the world. [“I]t is essential that we Jews take an active role in applying our eternal, sacred values in struggles to sharply reduce climate changes and other environmental threats.”
Islam
Professor Mohammad Shomali, Associate Professor of Philosophy and Head of the Department of Religious Studies at the Imam Khomeini Education & Research Institute, Iran, cites various Islamic scriptures, from the Qur’an and by imams. The Holy Prophet, he writes, says “Preserve the earth because it is your mother.” The Qur’an further writes “He is the one who created you from the earth and settled you upon it, so that you might cultivate the land and construct towns and cities in which to live.” Imam Ali (the cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammed) wrote “Fear God regarding His servants and lands! You are responsible for the lands and the animals.”
Prof. Shomali interprets several Qur’anic passages to mean “Not only must man use natural resources in a responsible way, but also, as the viceregent of God on the earth, he must feel responsible for their maintenance and improvement of their condition.” In this way we become guardians toward nature. He writes that “human beings have been given the responsibility of stewardship and trust …by God. According to Islamic thought, nature is a divine trust and man is the trustee….[S]ince future generations also have rights to benefit from it, nature is also a trust for them.”
A convocation of major Muslim
clerics was convened in August 2015 in anticipation of the Paris Climate
Conference that produced the 2015 Paris Agreement. The convocation issued the Islamic Declaration on Global
Climate Change. It opens by
summarizing its understanding of global climate change:
“This current rate of climate change cannot be sustained, and the earth’s fine equilibrium (mīzān) may soon be lost. As we humans are woven into the fabric of the natural world, its gifts are for us to savour. But the same fossil fuels that helped us achieve most of the prosperity we see today are the main cause of climate change. Excessive pollution from fossil fuels threatens to destroy the gifts bestowed on us by God”.
Reflecting the concerns expressed by climate scientists, the Declaration states
“[l]eading climate scientists now believe that a rise of two degrees centigrade [3.6°F] in global temperature, which is considered to be the ‘tipping point’, is now very unlikely to be avoided if we continue with business-as-usual; other leading climate scientists consider 1.5 degrees centigrade [2.7°F] to be a more likely ‘tipping point’.”
The Declaration then quotes verses of the Qur’an directed toward these concerns:
· “God created the earth in perfect equilibrium (mīzān);….
· The present climate change catastrophe is a result of the human disruption of this balance”.
The Declaration then concluded:
“We call upon the [coming U.N. climate deliberations] …to [reach] an equitable and binding conclusion, bearing in mind –
The scientific consensus on global climate change, … to stabilize greenhouse gas … level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate systems [to avoid the] dire consequences to .. Earth if we do not do so;….
“We call on the people of all nations and their leaders to –
· Aim to phase out greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible …;
· Commit … to 100 % renewable energy and/or a zero emissions strategy as early as possible …;
· Realize that to chase after unlimited economic growth on a planet that is finite …is not viable. Growth must be pursued wisely and in moderation;….
“ We call upon corporations, finance, and the business sector to –
· [Acknowledge] their profit-making activities, and … reduc[e] their carbon footprint…;
· …[C]ommit themselves to 100% renewable energy … as early as possible ….[and]
· Pay more heed to social and ecological responsibilities….”
Discussion
This post summarizes the theologies of creation and man’s place in it as expressed by Christianity, Judaism and Islam. The views articulated by these three faiths are remarkably similar. In terms of the ancient writings God created Earth and all its inhabitants: plants, animals and fish, and humans. The relationship of humans to creation is one of stewardship and husbandry; humans have the responsibility to protect, preserve, nurture and sustain the created world.
The interpretation that humans were granted (in English translation) “dominion over” the land and seas, and the life forms inhabiting them, leading to the domination of these resources, is interpreted as specious. Instead, humans should care for them and cultivate them in ways that sustain both humans and the full scope of creation throughout the generations.
In the present day exploitation of resources (in the form of fossil fuels) enables humans to enjoy lifestyles unimagined in the holy writings of these religions. The spokespersons for these faiths understand that unbridled exploitation of creation’s resources has led to the present climate crisis. They plead for humanity to restore the balance of nature in order to prevent climate catastrophe.
Our leaders and policymakers should embrace these faith-based pleas. The morality of the effort to constrain global warming and climate change is profound and incontrovertible. As moral beings we must refrain from further greenhouse gas emissions and undertake the heroic actions needed to result in an energy economy based on renewable resources, for our own sake and that of future generations.
© 2021 Henry Auer
