Global warming, pollution, ecology, etc

[Laurie]

Without getting into a scientific (from the human definition of the word) whether or not the current warming of the earth is "normal" or "cyclic" or whatever, let's discuss some ideas about ecological issues.

Here's some ideas to get us started:

1) Gen 1:26 "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth." What does the term "dominion" actually mean in this case. Does it mean that the earth is ours to use as we want? Or is there a responsibility implied with the word "dominion" and we must protect the earth.

2) Ex 20:13 "Thou shalt not kill." Without getting side tracked into arguments for and against vegetarian diets, does this commandment extend to killing fish by polluting a stream? Does it extend to killing plants by deforestation?

[newunfoldment]

God has entrusted man to be a good steward of the land, and be fruitful and blessed.

1Peter 4:10
As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

Luke 16:2
And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward.

[adyer]

If we're going to touch this subject I would like to introduce a few questions:

1. If we take Genesis 1 as the spiritual account of creation, do we then consider dominion as man's place in a material universe...or does it mean something different?

2. As Christian Scientists, do we change our method of treatment in this case? Can we deal with this as we would when treating any case of disease? For instance, do we consider the atmosphere something that is broken and needs to be fixed, or do we see a material atmosphere as a counterfeit of a perfect realm of Spirit that already exists?

As for me, I consider dominion to be over the material suggestion that the universe can contain a self-destructive element (in this case, man polluting the earth).

[Laurie]

As Christian Scientists, do we change our method of treatment in this case? Can we deal with this as we would when treating any case of disease? For instance, do we consider the atmosphere something that is broken and needs to be fixed, or do we see a material atmosphere as a counterfeit of a perfect realm of Spirit that already exists?


Sorry to be so long in replying. I'd like to take up this point you mentioned. But before that, I'd like to just clarify some definitions that I use (and maybe my definitions are not correct, but you will know what I mean.) To mean "pollution" is man-made. So, for example, if a volcano errupts and spews ash into the sky, I do not consider that to be pollution. But if a factory spews out that ask, then I will call the pollution.

To me pollution always has a mental cause. So in your example of the "atmosphere [being] something that is broken or needs to be fixed" I would argue that it is humanity's thought that is causing the air pollution in the first place. For example:

Greed - greed causes people to want to make more and more money without taking into account the damage pollution does to the earth

Over consumption - people are eating more than they need, they are consuming more than they need - and factories and the food industry are happy to satisfy that over consumption - often with dire consequences to the earth.

[adyer]

To me pollution always has a mental cause. So in your example of the "atmosphere [being] something that is broken or needs to be fixed" I would argue that it is humanity's thought that is causing the air pollution in the first place.I agree that human thought determines human experience. I have to guard against mistaking the atmosphere of human thought for an actual physical condition. And to know the difference I have to check my motive: Do I accept the suggestion of many minds in conflict? Do I accept the suggestion that man's environment is not, like man, an expression of Spirit? Do I accept that man and his environment are separate entities? Do I accept that Earth is an actual physical condition to be broken and then fixed?

I embrace efficiency, cleanliness, holiness, and harmony as spiritual qualities. I applaud the efforts of any individual, corporation, or nation to exemplify these spiritual qualities in laws and their enactments.

The basis of my questions, Laurie, is should our prayer for our environment focus on reconciling many conflicting minds to each other (the basis of environmental activism), or demonstrating that divine Mind cannot be divided against itself? I do not see the two as mutually inclusive, for to attempt a meeting of the minds requires acceptance that many conflicting minds really do exist.

My concern stems from being confronted at almost every turn by what I consider to be nothing short of modern-day idolatry: a worship of Earth as an entity of its own, in conflict with man as a foreign agent, as fragile and destructible; a thought model in which man can be separated from God; that the atmosphere of man is separate from God; that the realm of Spirit can be corrupted; that man is in some way fundamentally flawed. I simply cannot subscribe to this notion.

But I do agree that as the belief that these things are real is healed, then the objectification of the belief must change. This is seen in the manifestation of a cleaner environment. But I must always start with the perfect environment that already exists and cannot be corrupted. The discovery of it is true healing.

[NYCtown]

from spirituality.com:

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Live Chat with Joni Overton-Jung, C.S.B.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. EDT

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[Laurie]

My concern stems from being confronted at almost every turn by what I consider to be nothing short of modern-day idolatry: a worship of Earth as an entity of its own, in conflict with man as a foreign agent, as fragile and destructible; a thought model in which man can be separated from God; that the atmosphere of man is separate from God; that the realm of Spirit can be corrupted; that man is in some way fundamentally flawed. I simply cannot subscribe to this notion.


Yes, one must be careful to not become Pagan :D I say that as a joke and not as a derogatory remark to people who follow a Pagan path.

I live in Africa and travel a lot into the bush to remote areas. Initially, it struck me as terrible that you would find plastic litter even in the remotest places. But I came to see that it didn't bother me because the people who littered the pastic cold-drink bottle really had nowhere to put it and they were not polluting the water with invisible toxins, heavy metals, etc. It was then that I learned that pollution is completely mental.

Sometimes when I am in a remote area and find a plastic shopping bag hanging in a tree, it even makes me happy that the people living here have enough income to even buy something at a shop.

So we need to handle the underlying attitudes of pollution, not the pollution itself.