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Environmental Ethics and Spiritual Dimensions
Introduction
Environmental messaging has become a subject of great importance in the 21st century. With many world problems being present, ranging from climate change to pollution, hunger, and the finite nature of most natural resources, humanity needs to unite in its efforts to save the planet from its own voracious and pernicious deeds. At the same time, the effectiveness of the environmentalist messages has been put into question. The goals for reducing CO2 emissions have never been reached in full. Kyoto protocols have not been signed by all countries, and those who have participated in them often bent and misinterpreted its stipulations to avoid having to cut back on emissions (Al-Delaimy et al., 2020). Finally, the majority of individuals around the world do not feel pressured to take action against pollution, be that on the political or individual levels. Pro-environment legislations are being pushed forward very slowly and, in many cases, fall short of promoting their announced goals. The environmentalist message usually relies on universality to spread itself. This paper argues that adding a religious/spiritual dimension would help bring more people to care about the environment.
Rationale for the Religious and Spiritual Dimension
Throughout history, religion and spirituality was used to inspire certain emotions as well as justify certain actions. In ancient societies, which did not have the benefits of modern forensic science and technology, it used to play the role of morale police, preventing individuals from committing sins through a promise of punishment after death (Fox, 2018). Kings, czars, emperors, and other types of rulers utilized religion to justify their rulership, claiming divine mandate or kinship with the gods (Fox, 2018). Although the number of atheists in the world is steadily growing, the number of religious individuals is still significant. If we look at the worlds most numerous religions, 2.38 billion people are Christian, 1.8 billion are Muslim, and 1.2 billion are Hindu (Cohen, 2018). Collectively, these three religions already make up more than a half of the worlds population. Therefore, placing a religious connotation to the environmentalist ethic and message would potentially increase the likelihood of having a lasting effect on people who are practicing religion. At the same time, religious and spiritual connotation of Earth, nature, and the environment are different, and messages have to be tailored to appeal to specific segments of the faith.
Environmentalism and Christianity
Modern Christianity is squarely rooted and shaped by Western philosophy and morals, which revolve around the dichotomy of mind versus body, God versus Nature, and Spirit versus material reality. The focus of understanding has shifted towards the two prominent figures in the Holy Trinity: The Father and the Son (Wallace, 2005). The Holy Spirit, on the other hand, has been gradually vanishing from consideration and discourse, often being relegated to the manifestations of Godly powers, whether through miracles, magic, and imperceptible presence.
A deeper analysis by Wallace (2005) shows that the earlier interpretations of the Holy Spirit are present in all things on this Earth, which include the oceans, the rivers, the plants and trees, and animals. It is possible to create an environmentalist message based around humanity being left as stewards of this world that God created, thus it being everyones sacred responsibility to take good care of it and its denizens, protect it from harm and excessive use (Wallace, 2005). Such a premise gives temperance and ascetism preached by Christianity a different meaning, making it not only a part of salvation of ones spirit, but also the completion of ones holy duties to preserve the environment.
Environmentalism and Islam
Islam has many historical and conceptual connections to Christianity. The ideas of the Holy Trinity are present in the Quran in a veiled form. When Allah creates the Kingdom of Earth, he creates it in three realms, those being the metaphysical, the human, and the natural (Haq, 2001). All three are inseparably linked together, meaning that one cannot exist without the other two. The spirit, humanity, and nature are interlinked and will exist, survive, and perish together. Further connections between the two religions are shown through how humanity is created. Both Christianity and Islam claim for humanity to have been made in Gods image, and tasked with inheriting the Kingdom of Earth (Haq, 2001). This gives dominion over land, water, and all the creatures living in it to humanity, but also places the moral burden of taking care of the environment upon them (Haq, 2001). Thus, the environmentalist spiritual message for Muslims would be similar to those tailored for Christians.
Environmentalism and Hinduism
Hinduism is different from Christianity and Islam in that the role of humanity in the great circle of life and reincarnation is not as grand and all-encompassing. Western and Middle-Eastern religions prophesize humanity to be the ultimate gem of creation. Hinduism sees humanity as part of a natural cycle, similar to bugs, animals, and plants. They all make part of the Living World, in which oceans, rivers, and the land are living manifestations of Gods (Eck, 2012). The Ganga River, in Hinduist mythology, is represented as a Goddess who consorts with Vishnu himself. It is referred to as a life-giving mother, highly revered by the people of India (Eck, 2012). Nature, in Hinduist understanding, is placed above humanity and given divinity as the first-born of creation. Through the perspective of religious practices, taking care of the environment is an activity of worship and gratitude. The environmentalist message tailored to Hinduism, thus, has to revolve around the spiritual aspects of nature, the humanitys place in the great wheel of life (Eck, 2012). The central motif is that through reincarnation, all souls will eventually become part of the natural cycle.
Conclusions
As it is possible to see, there are similarities and differences between religions, their views on humanity, and their place in preserving the environment. Christianity and Islam see humans as stewards over land and nature. The basic premises of these religions can be used to push a narrative of taking care of the environment being Gods work, especially considering the intrinsic connections between the spiritual, the material, and the natural. Such an approach, however, would not work as well for Hinduism and similar oriental religions, which would see such a high role for humanity in the wheel of reincarnation as hubris. Instead, the message should celebrate the concept of Living Earth and everyones place in it, the connections between the people and the land they live in, and the focus on humanity being temporary. Good care of nature would ensure merciful and kind transition along the cycle of reincarnation, where humanity takes care of nature, and the gods taking care of all souls in turn, in peaceful coexistence.
References
Al-Delaimy, W., Ramanathan, V., & Sánchez Sorondo, M. (2020). Health of people, health of planet and our responsibility. Springer Nature.
Cohen, Y. (2018). Spiritual news: Reporting religion around the world. Peter Lang Inc., International Academic Publishers.
Eck, D. L. (2012). India: A sacred geography. Harmony.
Fox, J. (2018). An introduction to religion and politics: Theory and practice. Routledge.
Haq, S. N. (2001). Islam and ecology: Toward retrieval and reconstruction. Daedalus, 130(4), 141-177.
Wallace, M. I. (2005). Finding God in the singing river: Christianity, Spirit, nature. Fortress Press.
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