The greening of faith

Certainly there are people of faith who don’t consider environmentalism a part of their religion. But there are also many environmentalists who see their activism as deeply rooted in Scripture and faith traditions. Threats to the natural world at times implicitly involve issues with which religion has long grappled, among them materialism, social and economic justice, and love of God and neighbor. Indeed, it is not a little ironic that Santorum, a devout Roman Catholic, is at odds with Pope Benedict XVI and the nation’s Roman Catholic bishops who view climate change with alarm. They have repeatedly called on the government to address it as a matter of prudence, and to aid poor nations and people who are least responsible for climate change and least able to cope with its consequences.

“At its core, global climate change is not about economic theory or political platforms, nor about partisan advantage or interest group pressures,” the U.S. bishops wrote. “It is about the future of God’s creation and the one human family. It is about protecting both ‘the human environment’ and the natural environment. It is about our human stewardship of God’s creation and our responsibility to those who come after us.”…

In the halls of Congress and state legislatures, “faith-full” environmentalists are talking to lawmakers about the moral implications of environmental damage. Rabbis have mounted a campaign to save the California redwoods, and just last week the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life embarked on a national campaign to cut energy use within the Jewish community by 14% in the next two years.