Monday, May 6, 2013

Examining Religion: Can it help the Environmental Crises?


By Veronica Pineda

When the Pilgrims escaped England for the sake of religious freedom, they looked to the Bible for direction on how to survive in their new homeland.

Their bible had two options of how to interact with the land. The first was to leave the land as it is and live with it in balance as with the rest of the ecosystem, or to subdue it (Genesis 1:28, New International Version 2011).

“God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in  number; fill the Earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.’"- Genesis 1:28, New International Version 2011.

Clearly this was their choice, a choice that continued to fuel the Judeo-Christian values that have influenced our nation up to now. According to UCLA historian Lynn White, a tradition that fuels the  “root” cause of “our ecological crisis.” 

On April 13, 2013, the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law
 hosted the 18th Annual Stegnar Symposium: Religion, Faith and the Environment. The objective of the symposium was to examine and inquire how religion is intertwined with the environmental issues that threaten our earth at this present moment.

Inviting religious and secular leaders, as well as scholars of law, policy science, economics and humanities, the leaders of the symposium hoped to shed light on how new approaches to ethics and religion could mend conflicts that center around the future prosperity of the human race and the Earth.

Right now, especially living in Salt Lake City, the repercussions of humans thinking that they are the masters of nature instead of in unity with nature are directly affecting citizen’s health. Just looking over the valley during the winter months makes it clear why many people are beginning to have respiratory problems.

How is it that we came to this point? How is it that we forgot that we are a product of nature and are subject to its changes?

For the last 100 years, our country has been implementing laws to balance the industrial growth and wilderness for the sake of health and happiness, though the law has not been concerned with the spiritual emphasis that is an essential part of environmental support.

John Naegle, professor of Law at the University of Notre Dame, was one of the keynote speakers at the symposium.

An enthusiast in environmental law, he mentioned how after reading the accounts supporting the Wilderness Act of 1964, many people reported their spiritual connection to nature and how they found God in the wilderness.

Living in Utah, we are lucky to be surrounded by beautiful mountains, valleys, rivers, and lakes that remind us why this place is considered a Zion. Here a church can be on the mountaintop, it can be in the canyons; and possibly over the blue waters of our lakes.

But how is it that we still sacrifice this beauty and allow new policies that would harm the environment for the sake of monetary gain? I think of the joke of “ If you really think the environment is less important than your money, try holding your breath while you count your money,” best answers this question.

Even if you are atheist or agnostic, you have a set belief system that influences decisions about how you came to be and how to manage the world you were born into.

We are products of nature and by examining ourselves, our values, our beliefs, and ultimately choosing a life sustainable for us, we can make a difference for our world. Many people don’t care until the issues start affecting their everyday comfort and health. Today, issues ranging from our air quality, our oceans, our forests, and our food, are shaking people’s belief.

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