What does religion have to do with ecology/the environmental crisis - Essay Example

Religion and the Environmental Crisis Religion and the environment have been two of the most constant factors that can be found in man’s existence and thus it should not come as much of a surprise when the two were thrown together in relation to one having an effect on the other. There are a number of arguments that have come out over the years claiming the existence of religion in society has in fact led to the continued destruction of the ecological system as a result of the perception that the communities beliefs have cultured over their surroundings. There are a number of stands that can be taken from this argument but the most convincing one when looked at from a neutral angle is that those who are criticizing religion with regard to ecological factors are highly misguided. Religion does not have any effect on the environmental crisis being faced by the world. Granted there are a number of pointers that can be used to argue the fact that religion does indeed have an effect on the environmental crisis, and an individual may be able to use these pointers to lay out their case but the inclusion of technology and the progress that has been made in terms of information means that one cannot look at religion as the main source of the environmental crisis. In order to prove this however one will need to look at both sides of the case in order to determine that their case is the actual reality. That is to say, one will need to look at those arguing for as well as those arguing against the fact that religion does not have an effect on the environmental crisis (Veeraraj 34). It can be said that this argument first arose as a result of the fact that religion has over the years played a major role in the manner that society conducts itself. The religion of a people more often than not dictates the way in which the people act by having an influence on the customs and culture of that particular group of people (Watling 55). Thus it can be said that even the manner in which they treat the environment is as a result of a subtle influence from their religion. There are a number of individuals who have looked at cases that can be said to be similar to this one such as Lynn White. Lynn White advocated for the argument that Christianity if traced backed historically, can be said to be responsible for the environmental crisis that has affected the world lately. The main basis of the argument behind this claim is that this religion has set itself up in a manner that puts man as the dominant being over his surrounding and thus he is able to do as he pleases with the environment. Instead of taking the role of a caretaker to their surroundings, Christianity is said to place man in an authoritative position allowing him to put his needs ahead of the environment as their surroundings as seen as a source provided to them from where they shall get all their needs (Watling 23). Lynn White also argues that since the problem can be said to come from religious origins, then the solution should also be of the same nature if one is to succeed in dealing with the environmental crisis. Parts of the bible have been used to lay basis to the claim that religion is behind the cause of the environmental crisis such as sections of Genesis (Merritt Pg45). Genesis describes the story behind the creation of the world and in the book man is given a special position over the others. Those arguing for the case that religion is behind the crisis have claimed that Genesis puts man to be the main creation of God and the environment as the home that was set up for man’s pleasure (Veeraraj 52). This has apparently led the society to treat their environment as a play ground and have barely taken proper care of it. A round up of the argument can be said that the case is based on the position that the manner in which religion places human beings above all other living things in the world has led to people taking the environment for granted and as a result have began to exploit it. This is not true however as a number of factors will prove that religion is in fact NOT responsible for the environmental crisis that is being faced by the world today (McFarland 33). There are a number of arguments that can be made for the case that religion is not behind the environmental crisis. Some of the main arguments that can be used in the defense of this stand include: Variation – Though it can be said that Christianity is one of the major religions of the world, there are a number of other major religions that ca n be taken into account and the variations in these different religions can be used to argue that religion cannot be said to have affected the manner in which people all around the world have acted towards their environment (Merritt 51). Some religions actually advocate for the care of the environment such as Buddhism and thus it cannot be said to be behind the emergence of the environmental crisis. It is also not logical to look at Christianity as the main religion behind the cause of the crisis as it cannot be said that one religion was behind the destruction of the environment on a world wide scale. This is due to the fact that despite its major popularity there a re certain parts of the world where Christianity is not considered to be the main religion and yet still suffer from the environmental crisis (Veeraraj 67). If one is to look at Christianity as the main cause of the environmental crisis, explaining the ecological damage that has taken place in such areas as mentioned above would bring about complications. Perception – The main basis of the argument that is being used to claim that religion is behind the environmental crisis being faced today is that religion gives man the perception that they are above other living things and thus have subconsciously developed a disregard for their surroundings (McFarland 56). This however can be argued against as a closer look as the manner in which the book of Genesis places human beings above other living things can be viewed from a different angle as well (Merritt 64). Granted there are a number of excerpts which when read on their own may bring about the illusion that man has been made boss and that is all, but a further study of the bible shows that this position is not just given to man lightheartedly. Further study of the Christian religion reveals that man is not only placed above all other things and left to enjoy themselves but are rather handed the responsibility of taking care of all the things that they have been put in charge of (McFarland Pg69). This means that taking care of the environment can be seen as a duty that is to be upheld by those practicing the Christian religion and this can be said to totally contradict the argument that the religion is behind the destruction of the ecological systems in the world. In conclusion, the main argument that can be made in support of the fact that religion did Not have an influence of the environmental crisis that the world is facing today is that the rise of technology has allowed scientists to uncover what is behind the destruction of the planet and ironically it is not religion but man themselves (Veeraraj 97). Though not every individual practices Christianity they are all involved in the various factories and machineries that are behind the major pollution that is taking place (Watling 54). This has nothing to do with religion but the fact that man is more concerned with their personal wellbeing and progress than the environment. References Anand Veeraraj. Green History of Religion. Bangalore, India: Centre for Contemporary Christianity, 2006. Print. Merritt Jonathan. (2010). Green like God: unlocking the divine plan for our planet. New York: FaithWords. 2010. Print. Sarah McFarland Taylor. "What If Religions Had Ecologies?: The Case for Reinhabiting Religious Studies." Journal for the Study of Religion, Nature, and Culture. (1) 1, 2007. Watling Tony. Ecological imaginations in the world religions : an ethnographic analysis. London: Continuum, 2009. Print. Read More