Green Gaia
Veteran Member
MaddLlama said:
You don't think we have an attitude of spiritual reverence?
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Which Religion Best Supports the Environment?
- Thread starter Sunstone
- Start date
You don't think we have an attitude of spiritual reverence?
MaddLlama
Obstructor of justice
Maize said:
Are the vernal and solar equnioxes official holidays of your religion? How many UU's honor these as personal holidays (as in, has a special personal spiritual signifigance for them, rather than thier congregations have sermons about them that they attend)? How many UU's see thier personal deity as the "Earth Mother", or some specifically nature related one?
I would be willing to bet that less UU's than Pagans do.
Feathers in Hair
World's Tallest Hobbit
True, but I see more UU's using environmentally safe products and joining in protests at environmentally unsound events/ places.
Green Gaia
Veteran Member
Well, to be techinical we have no official holidays. But we do recognize vernal and solar equnioxes and celebrate appropriately.MaddLlama said:
I don't know how many UUs celebrate them as personal holidays or call their personal deity (if they even have one) "Earth Mother" but I know some do. Still, we do honor the Earth and seek to protect it. I wouldn't be a part of UU if we didn't.
Green Gaia
Veteran Member
I'm not trying to say we out-do the Pagans in regards to environmentalism, in fact I don't see it as a competetition at all. But I don't think we should be knocked because we don't have the same theology as the Pagans in regards to the Earth.MaddLlama said:
BruceDLimber
Well-Known Member
Greetings!
>Which Religion Best Supports the Environment?
I have no idea which religion takes the prize, but the Baha'i Faith, to name one, has been affiliated with the UN since 1947 and is a formal member of UNEP, the UN environmental agency....
Best,
Bruce
>Which Religion Best Supports the Environment?
I have no idea which religion takes the prize, but the Baha'i Faith, to name one, has been affiliated with the UN since 1947 and is a formal member of UNEP, the UN environmental agency....
Best,
Bruce
MaddLlama
Obstructor of justice
Maize said:
I know that, however the question was "Which Religion Best Supports the Environment?", and it is my opinion that Pagans do primarily because of that theology. I can only pick one, I'm not trying to insult your religion by picking Paganism over UU in this regard.
lilithu
The Devil's Advocate
Buddhism.Sunstone said:
I know Pagans who are very oriented towards environmentally sound practices. But I've also met a few that aren't (imo). For example, I've met Pagans who don't believe in birth control because they believe that it's "unnatural" and that new life is inherently good. Just because one's spirituality is earth-centered doesn't necessarily mean that one's lifestyle will be environmentally sound.
UUs are big on environmentalism, like Pagans (in fact many of the greenest UUs that I know are pagan UUs). But UUs are big on a lot of social justice issues and while environmentally sound practices may be a top priority for some UUs it isn't for all. Btw, I personally do not feel that going to the Green Festival once a year and buying "green" products by itself constitutes an environmentally sound lifestyle.
Buddhism, otoh, is rooted in the belief in interdependancy (we UUs got that from Buddhism). At its very basis Buddhism is aware of how the actions in one location have consequences on a much larger scale. The ideal Buddhist lifestyle is modest, sparce, almost ascetic by our standards.
Generally the UUs and Pagans that I know approach environmentalism from a consumerist attitude - buy "green" and recycle. In Buddhism the ideal is to buy less in the first place.
Plus, I just know a lot of green activists who are Buddhists.
Ozzie
Well-Known Member
Practising whatever religion in Australia or US, both recalcitrant Kyoto enthusiasts makes you a greater polluter than your brothers OS.
I was taught that Christianity (read monotheism) teaches us to adopt a worldview that we are separate from nature. Hence the argument goes that monotheists are more likely to be exploitative of the environment. It is true that Australia and the US are both predominantly monotheistic nations that have chewed up enormous quantities of natural resources in establishing the industrial base of their current prosperity. Monotheism might contribute to resistance to changing the status quo in these nations as current political leaders there seem convinced they have some god-given right to hypocrisy in stressing that developing nations seeking a similar standard of environmentally damaging "material prosperity" ought not to for the sake of the environment.
Monotheism might contribute to the stand-alone (and above) mentality current in the US and Aus.
I was taught that Christianity (read monotheism) teaches us to adopt a worldview that we are separate from nature. Hence the argument goes that monotheists are more likely to be exploitative of the environment. It is true that Australia and the US are both predominantly monotheistic nations that have chewed up enormous quantities of natural resources in establishing the industrial base of their current prosperity. Monotheism might contribute to resistance to changing the status quo in these nations as current political leaders there seem convinced they have some god-given right to hypocrisy in stressing that developing nations seeking a similar standard of environmentally damaging "material prosperity" ought not to for the sake of the environment.
Monotheism might contribute to the stand-alone (and above) mentality current in the US and Aus.
lilithu
The Devil's Advocate
Well, this UU wonders what you mean by "vernal and solar equinoxes." I do observe/celebrate the winter and summer solstices and the vernal and autumnal equinoxes, every year, both on a personal level and with other UUs in my congregation. I know many other UU congregations do the same.MaddLlama said:
Lindsey-Loo
Steel Magnolia
I would have to say Native American (First Nation) beliefs. Their teachings include to treat animals as brothers and/or friends, to love the Earth, care for her, etc.
Mick in England
Member
Christianity is very eco-friendly
See if you can spot pollution,the ozone hole,hair loss through radiation, and ultra-violet burns in this verse..
"And it shall come to pass, that instead of sweet smell there shall be stink, and instead of a girdle a rent, and instead of well set hair baldness... and burning instead of beauty."(Isaiah 3:24)
Payback's coming unless mankind cleans up its act..
"The time has come for judging the dead.. and for destroying those who destroy the earth" (Revelation 11:18 )
See if you can spot pollution,the ozone hole,hair loss through radiation, and ultra-violet burns in this verse..
"And it shall come to pass, that instead of sweet smell there shall be stink, and instead of a girdle a rent, and instead of well set hair baldness... and burning instead of beauty."(Isaiah 3:24)
Payback's coming unless mankind cleans up its act..
"The time has come for judging the dead.. and for destroying those who destroy the earth" (Revelation 11:18 )
Mick in England
Member
UFO-abductee Travis Waltons true account was made into the book and film "Fire in the Sky".
He and his lumberjack mates had been cutting down trees all day, then were ambushed by a UFO on their way home, possibly tying in to these verses which imply some kind of "Guardian of the Trees".
"I will punish you,a fire in the forest will devour all around it" (Jeremiah 21:4)
"The whole earth is at peace,the trees rejoice at no woodcutter coming" (Isaiah 14:7/8 )
http://www.travis-walton.com/ordinary.html
He and his lumberjack mates had been cutting down trees all day, then were ambushed by a UFO on their way home, possibly tying in to these verses which imply some kind of "Guardian of the Trees".
"I will punish you,a fire in the forest will devour all around it" (Jeremiah 21:4)
"The whole earth is at peace,the trees rejoice at no woodcutter coming" (Isaiah 14:7/8 )
http://www.travis-walton.com/ordinary.html
Mick in England
Member
In 1996 a bizarre ceremony was held inside Coventry Cathedral, England to "celebrate" the longstanding association of the area with the motor industry,with cars being actually DRIVEN DOWN THE AISLE,an event that outraged anti-car protesters, environmentalists and sensible people everywhere who were saddened at the way these "tin idols" were being "worshipped".
Bearing in mind that car exhausts contribute to the deaths of asthmatic children,this verse sprung to my mind:-
"For when they had slain their children to their idols, then they came the same day into my sanctuary to profane it, and lo, thus have they done in the midst of mine house." (Ezekiel 23:39)
http://www.e-n.org.uk/1996-03/382-Reinventing-the-wheel.htm
Bearing in mind that car exhausts contribute to the deaths of asthmatic children,this verse sprung to my mind:-
"For when they had slain their children to their idols, then they came the same day into my sanctuary to profane it, and lo, thus have they done in the midst of mine house." (Ezekiel 23:39)
http://www.e-n.org.uk/1996-03/382-Reinventing-the-wheel.htm
Mick in England
Member
We're a filthy polluting generation, that's for sure, but at least I for one have never driven a car or anything else and my conscience will be clear on the Day of Judgement when its Endgame for everybody..
"He who is unjust, let him be unjust still, he who is filthy, let him be filthy still, he who is righteous, let him be righteous still, he who is holy, let him be holy still." (Revelation 22:11)
"He who is unjust, let him be unjust still, he who is filthy, let him be filthy still, he who is righteous, let him be righteous still, he who is holy, let him be holy still." (Revelation 22:11)
lilithu
The Devil's Advocate
You've never driven a car. Have you ridden in one? Do you use products that are transported in them? Do you use electricity? You must since you're using a computer, so how do you think the electricity is generated? What do you think it took to make your computer, and to power the servers that you connect to? To turn on the lights in your home and to create the stuff you eat and wear?Mick in England said:
You think your conscience is clean just because you've never driven a car? That's like hiring someone to shoot someone and saying that your conscience is clean because you yourself did not pull the trigger.
Simon Gnosis
Active Member
Neo Gnosticism.
The environment and global ecology is my principle concern.
The environment and global ecology is my principle concern.