On Religion and the Environment

 

Several years ago, I mentioned my concerns about the environment to an acquaintance of mine.  This person replied “I don’t worry about that, it’s all in God’s hands and there’s nothing we can do about it” or words to that effect.  My respect for this person, which wasn’t particularly high to begin with, dropped precipitously on that day.  This same person referred to Earth as a “Hell” and that he was unafraid of death because he would be in “Heaven.” 

But it did bring to light the lazy theology I encounter among many of the religious – particularly Christians.  “We should do whatever we want to the Earth: pillage, exploit, destroy; because God created it for us and gave us dominion over it.  No need to worry about that happens here on Earth.  We the Righteous will be rescued during the Rapture.” 

Per the Book of Genesis, God tells Adam and Eve, "Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it, and rule over [the] fish of the sea, and over [the] bird of the heavens, and over every living thing that is creeping on the earth."

Fair enough.  According to God, humans are in charge.  But just as when a parent gives a child a gift, it seems doubtful God would have intended humans to trash said gift.  Can you imagine if God had given Adam a car and said “crash it and don’t bother to wear a seat belt, for I can create a new vehicle and repair your injuries.”

There are two possibilities: God or gods exist; or he/she/they do not. 

Religions of all stripes portray humans as the children of God, who is generally depicted as male, and who has created us in His image – or half of us.  What do parents want of their children, particularly their adult children?  To break the gifts they are given, mismanage their resources, and run to their parents whining and begging for help?  Or do parents want their children to stand up, grow up, support themselves, solve their own problems, and be productive citizens who contribute not only to themselves but to their fellow humans and to their planet?  Any reasonable parent would want the latter, and so would any deity worthy of the name and of worship.

Of course, there’s always the possibility that no god(s) exist, and that we humans are truly on our own, and that no one is capable of protecting our planet except for us – if it’s not already too late.

In either case, it is best to protect the gift that a god may, or may not, have given us.  Our planet need not be a “Hell”, either literally or figuratively.