Christianity - Environmental ethics Flashcards
Intro
Christians are called to treat the earth with respect and custodianship as the core ethical teaching of the Bible, Agape love. Agape love is the unconditional love that Christians are called to have for all things. Agape gives meaning and purpose by calling adherents to work towards non-violence, Christian justice and building God’s Kingdom. Adherents are called to achieve these through stewardship of creation, preferential option to the poor, and reflecting on the interdependence of creation.
Stewardship of creation
As creation’s stewards (caretakers), human beings are called by God to appreciate the gift of the earth and its resources. They are God’s representatives and have dominion over all created things. Theirs is the responsibility to care for and protect the created world. This can be seen in the Biblical passage “God took the man and settled him in the Garden of Eden to cultivate and take care of it. (Genesis 2:15). Stewardship of the earth’s resources requires people and nations to work in collaboration with each other and the earth. For example, it is unethical for a corporation to move its operations to a developing country that has inadequate pollution-control laws. An example of a Christian charity that lives stewardship is Operation Noah, who campaign to raise awareness to climate change. This can be seen in there mission statement in the line “care for God’s creation – and concern about climate change – is foundational to the Christian gospel and central to the church’s mission.”
Preferential option for the poor
The earth’s resources are for the benefit of all people. For various reasons, e.g. political, geographical, economic, many do not enjoy their share, nor are their basic human needs met. A preferential option for the poor is a choice to consider the effects of development on the environment and on the ability of the poor and disadvantaged to access the goods of the earth. world, where the rich get richer and the poor get poorer, the principle of the preferential option for the poor reminds us that it is the poor who suffer most directly from the exploitation and destruction of the environment and have the least recourse to relief from suffering. This can be seen in Proverbs 22:9
Interdependence with creation
The interdependence of creation asserts that human beings are one, interdependent and interconnected and that humanity is interconnected with every aspect of creation, living and non-living. This can be seen in the Biblical passage “Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” (Genesis 2:7). This can also be seen in Pope John Paul II’s, World Day of Peace speech; “We cannot interfere in one area of the ecosystem without paying due attention both to the consequences of such interference in other areas and to the well-being of future generations.
Conclusion
MAKE IT TA FUCK UP
