How are religions helping to combat the more urgent issues humans seem to create?

Mock Turtle · Sep 1, 2019

For example, we develop things like plastics, which often have a long life so as to be almost non-destructable, and don't tend to envisage the problems they might later cause - doing so now but rather belatedly with our recycling fervour, for example:

Health chiefs call for more studies on microplastics in drinking water
Microplastic pollution and the potential health risks - CNN
Microplastics are raining down from the sky

Or our seemingly reckless advances into space:

The greatest threat to life on Earth may come from space

Neither of these problems, and the many more also (like the extinction of so many plant and animal species, or global warming) can be attributed elsewhere, so what exactly have religions done to persuade us away from our destructive behaviours when some of these might be the very ones that will prove to be our downfall - head-in-the-sand or not-me-some-other-guy/gal did/is doing it? If one thing could be said to typify humans, it is - deal with the mess later!

15 Environmental Problems That Our World is Facing Today

Religions - not their remit - or their messages are just not being understood or obeyed? It might be convenient to just blame science but knowledge tends to have an impetus of its own, such that with or without religions much the same will have happened. How have religions helped or hindered?

Comments?

PruePhillip · Sep 1, 2019

I can only speak from Judaeo Christian perspective.
This faith is not about "making a better world" - it is
about preparing you for the next life by making you a
better person.
This change involves learning humility, love, grace,
forgiveness, compassion etc.. That makes for a better
world. Judaeo Christianity has no illusions the world
will become a better place.

JJ50 · Sep 1, 2019

PruePhillip said:
I can only speak from Judaeo Christian perspective.
This faith is not about "making a better world" - it is
about preparing you for the next life by making you a
better person.
This change involves learning humility, love, grace,
forgiveness, compassion etc.. That makes for a better
world. Judaeo Christianity has no illusions the world
will become a better place.

Faith often makes people much worse rather than better.

Religion is certainly not going to help the problems caused by climate change caused by humans.

PruePhillip · Sep 1, 2019

JJ50 said:
Faith often makes people much worse rather than better.

Religion is certainly not going to help the problems caused by climate change caused by humans.

In the Judaeo Christian context I am not sure how faith could make you a worse
person. Certainly breaching its principles could have that effect - but that says nothing
about the doctrines.
When Western religion is forced into new agendas such as wars, environmental
issues, Marxist ideals etc then yes, it could morph into something quite terrifying.
The loss of Christianity in the 20th Century was replaced with political/ideological/
racial/nationalisitc ideologies - and resulted in the deaths of nearly a quarter billion
people.

joe1776 · Sep 1, 2019

PruePhillip said:
In the Judaeo Christian context I am not sure how faith could make you a worse person...

I agree that faith doesn't make one a worse person. However, there's no evidence that it makes one a better person either. IMO, faith is morally powerless.

Humanity has been and still is making moral progress. For example, in Biblical times, slavery was condoned world-wide. Today, that practice had been abolished in every culture in the world. Although the sacred texts of religion condone the practice, they were powerless against conscience (moral intuition). Catholics, for example, ignored their pope who in 1866 declared that he found nothing in divine law opposed to the buying, selling and trading of slaves. He was right according to scripture but wrong to ignore his conscience.

In more recent times, conscience driven moral advances, like equal rights for women, homosexuals and minorities are spreading globally. You won't find support for these advances in the sacred texts of religion.

ameyAtmA · Sep 1, 2019

Religion (if on the right track) teaches humility, and humility means humbling yourself to the environment and earth also, i.e. do not grab from it or trash into it as you like, but be gentle with it.
It teaches caring for others as yourself or your own.
It raises your level of conscience to do good and not harm.
Hindu Dharma gives importance to karma yoga - do good to the World as yourself, without expectations, and adhere to the "Vasudhaiva kuTumbakam" philosophy which means the earth (VasudhA) is my family.
Christians help the poor and needy as they can , as followers of Jesus Christ.
Bahai s and Jews do their part of good to others.
Buddhists spread peace as individuals and groups.

Clean Environment

First the simple things. I recycle whatever I can. Do you? I wanted to start a thread on recycling. Parts of the world that do not provide a way to sort and recycle items, can and should have community volunteers come forward to work with the City and state governments to make recycling arrangements.

Large spiritual organizations such as (i) Art of Living headed by Shri Shri Ravi Shankar, and (ii) Mata Amritanandamayi Organization have done and continue to do a lot for the environment in various parts of the world, starting with environmental cleanup missions - where thousands of volunteer-followers participate. Shri Shri has also promoted Organic farming in India.
Many spiritual organizations take health care upon themselves to provide free or subsidized emergency, surgery and other care to poor.
Christian Missionaries go to parts of the world that need help with environment, just that they have exclusive teachings.

Natural Disaster Recovery

These organizations as well as many other religious organizations and Christian churches react fast to disaster situations.
Some organizations like World GAyatri PariwAr train their world-peace-praying practitioners in planning for potential disaster recovery. How to respond. plan, communicate etc.

Adopt orphans and Protect Cows

Numerous VaishNav inclined organizations in India related to spirituality through devotion to Shri KRshNa including PrabhupAd's ISKCON have Cow Protection Organizations that protect cows from getting stolen, butchered and from straying to eat plastic in the environment. (Cows are sacred because they give us milk ) The vets in Vrindavan have treated many cows who had plastic in their stomach due to not finding anything else to eat. Hence the Adopt a Cow program
Religious or spiritually based organizations such as Vishwa Hindu Parishad meticulously work on Save-a-Child program where the sponsors adopt a poor child for an year of nutritious food and elementary education - where the child's family is too poor to afford it.
There are spiritual organizations following a leader that trail back to the ancient teachings that taken upon many volunteer activities such as feeding, education for poor, helping farmers - who provide us our food, help self-sufficiency etc. This is their Karma Yoga.

Save the Planet Species

Many organizations that preserve endangered species of plants and animals have roots in spiritual teachings. They take the lead to encourage people in the world to volunteer and participate, help in whatever way they can.

Prevent Deforestation

Governments (backed by spiritual orgs) as well as local spiritual organizations take tree plantation initiatives in barren deserted areas, especially due to deforestation for modern civilizations - new constructions, new townships, cities etc. e.g. this year , the famous religious VArkari walk to Pandharpur , to meet Vitthal (Krishna) , from Dehu/Alandi (villages of the saints) in Maharashtra had volunteer devotees who planted trees on the way to Pandharpur.

Education

A lot of conscious conscience raising on good living practices for the sake of environment , is done through education from spiritual organizations. e..g. Youth and children may learn and volunteer at summer camps and bhAgvat kathA sessions of organizations e.g. summer camps by Chinmay Mission, and local temples and churches.

There is so much more that is done as karma yoga is a prominent way to spiritual well-being and advancement, as selfless service alleviates ego and attachment. The key is getting like-minded people to work together, and not fighting/being averse to the non-like-minded. All groups can co-exist and do their bit.

columbus · Sep 1, 2019

PruePhillip said:
In the Judaeo Christian context I am not sure how faith could make you a worse
person.

Easy.
Many Abrahamic religionists believe that God is going to come rescue us from the ugliest results of human nature. So, they feel free to keep doing disastrous things, believing that they will go on to an afterlife in Paradise and God will fix everything here at The Second Coming.

Plenty of Abrahamic beliefs result in morally worse people, because the morality and ethics are primitive and have little to do with the current human situation.
Tom

stvdv · Sep 1, 2019

Mock Turtle said:
How have religions helped or hindered?

Comments?

I think most religions have good teachings with regard to respect for humans, animals, earth etc.
And non religions as Atheism, Humanism have also these positive morals and ideas

My Master advised: Ceiling on desires
Don't waste food, food is God
Don't waste energy, energy is God
Don't waste time, time is God
Don't waste money, money is God

He also said something like:
Whether you are Religious or you are Atheist or Humanist ... it's enough if you have respect for creation

I think that is all that can be done. Make people aware to be respectful towards creation. It's up to the individual to put it in practice.

1213 · Sep 1, 2019

Mock Turtle said:
...
Religions - not their remit - or their messages are just not being understood or obeyed? It might be convenient to just blame science but knowledge tends to have an impetus of its own, such that with or without religions much the same will have happened. How have religions helped or hindered?

Bible tells we should love others and take care of this place. I don’t believe people don’t understand it. It is more likely that people want to do something else.

However, I think the “climate change” propaganda is only a marketing trick for industry to sell more stuff. All solutions for it are really solutions for industry and politicians to get more money. If people would truly want to be more environmentally friendly, it would be really bad for industry.

PruePhillip · Sep 1, 2019

columbus said:
Easy.
Many Abrahamic religionists believe that God is going to come rescue us from the ugliest results of human nature. So, they feel free to keep doing disastrous things, believing that they will go on to an afterlife in Paradise and God will fix everything here at The Second Coming.

Plenty of Abrahamic beliefs result in morally worse people, because the morality and ethics are primitive and have little to do with the current human situation.
Tom

Okay, I get you. Your point is valid, only so long as you judge Judaeo Christianity
by those who breach its principles.
Point - those who used the bible to support slavery, or crusades.
But a careful reading of it, particularly the Gospels which is the heart of the bible,
shows a very strict moral code of humility, grace, forgiveness, love, compassion
etc..
Please don't lump Islam with Judaeo Christianity - it is a warlord perversion of the
bible, and no more valid than the Book of Mormon.

Mock Turtle · Sep 2, 2019

1213 said:
Bible tells we should love others and take care of this place. I don’t believe people don’t understand it. It is more likely that people want to do something else.

However, I think the “climate change” propaganda is only a marketing trick for industry to sell more stuff. All solutions for it are really solutions for industry and politicians to get more money. If people would truly want to be more environmentally friendly, it would be really bad for industry.

With regards to climate change, it seems to me that a consensus of those with the appropriate knowledge have concluded that it is mostly a result of human activity, and that any conspiracy for profit is rather unlikely. Too much agreement across continents and amongst those with little to gain.

1213 · Sep 2, 2019

Mock Turtle said:
...and that any conspiracy for profit is rather unlikely. Too much agreement across continents and amongst those with little to gain.

All politicians and many large companies benefit from it. they have really good reason to endorse it and they have also lot of power to brainwash people to believe in it.

sojourner · Sep 2, 2019

PruePhillip said:
I can only speak from Judaeo Christian perspective.
This faith is not about "making a better world" - it is
about preparing you for the next life by making you a
better person.
This change involves learning humility, love, grace,
forgiveness, compassion etc.. That makes for a better
world. Judaeo Christianity has no illusions the world
will become a better place.

That might be the aim of “pop Christianity,” but that’s certainly not the aim of historic Xy. Christianity is about creating right relationship.

sojourner · Sep 2, 2019

JJ50 said:
Religion is certainly not going to help the problems caused by climate change caused by humans

I disagree. Xy, if practiced in the right way, causes us to honor the earth.

sojourner · Sep 2, 2019

columbus said:
Many Abrahamic religionists believe that God is going to come rescue us from the ugliest results of human nature. So, they feel free to keep doing disastrous things, believing that they will go on to an afterlife in Paradise and God will fix everything here at The Second Coming

What about those of us who don’t believe those things?

amorphous_constellation · Sep 3, 2019

1213 said:
Bible tells we should love others and take care of this place.

Now where did Jesus ever go to a certain lake and put up a sign telling people about a bag limit, and likewise in Genesis, didn't God impress upon adam the notion that nature was something that you must struggle against to make an existence. Various climate conditions literally wrote the first part of the bible through memories of glacial melting, and a memory of being discharged from a place that was once like the amazon. Early human animal husbandry and crop domestication probably had an impact on wrecking eden.

The book of Revelations taught the whole thing would be wrecked by angels pouring bowls of sulfur and what not, so why should I believe you're saying.

Mock Turtle · Sep 3, 2019

1213 said:
All politicians and many large companies benefit from it. they have really good reason to endorse it and they have also lot of power to brainwash people to believe in it.

But it's the scientists who are arguing this, so why bring politicians into it? It's either true by the evidence from science or not, and whatever politicians want to propose is secondary. You might not believe the scientists but at least be honest. Do you believe in other conspiracies?

Edit: Anyway, more companies would benefit from not confronting climate change and just selling what they have always done, and there is a probably a bigger market for this than for using less energy - which tends to be the GW message.

IndigoChild5559 · Sep 3, 2019

Religions form the character in us that will take on these problems.

I will speak for Judaism, since that is my own little nest. From Judaism and our God, I learn:
That the world is good (and therefore worth saving).
That we have dominion/stewardship, meaning we have the responsibility of the care of the earth.
That we are made in the image of God, meaning that every individual has a certain dignity, and that with this comes inalienable rights
That the Torah is overflowing with behavioral commandments, meaning that our responsibilities are the trump card.

ameyAtmA · Sep 3, 2019

ameyAtmA said:
Hindu Dharma gives importance to karma yoga - do good to the World as yourself, without expectations, and adhere to the "Vasudhaiva kuTumbakam" philosophy which means the earth is my family.
...karma yoga is a prominent way to spiritual well-being and advancement, as selfless service alleviates ego and attachment..

IshavAsya Upanishad Verse 1 (1st Mantra)

ईशावास्यमिदं सर्वं यत्किञ्च जगत्यां जगत् ।
तेन त्यक्तेन भुञ्जीथा मा गृधः कस्यस्विद्धनम् ॥
īśāvāsyamidaṃ sarvaṃ yatkiñca jagatyāṃ jagat |
tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā mā gṛdhaḥ kasyasviddhanam ||

Everything animate or inanimate within the universe is owned by/pervaded by the Lord (Isha / Ishwar) or the Eternal Consciousness, Spirit. One should therefore accept only those things necessary for himself, which are set aside as their own, and one should not accept other things, knowing well to whom they belong (to the Lord) / With this consciousness, one should support themselves and not covet the wealth of anyone.

(Here, "others" can ideally mean the Universe, but in our context -- plant kingdom, animal kingdom, humans.
Natural water bodies, mountains, earth, atmosphere, belong to everyone.), because the spirit is in all living beings...

Bhagavad Geeta 10.20 I am the Self / Spirit in all living beings. I am their beginning / source, their present life is supported and made sentient by My presence, and I am also the One into which they end.

Another teaching from the Upanishads is anna (food) = pUrNa-Brahman;, hence it is an automatic cultural value : do not waste food.
This extends to do not waste resources.

The general message appears to be - live responsibly. Awareness of this should imply manage garbage collection and do not throw plastic or waste in surroundings.

-----------
Even if people claim to be non-religious today, scriptures and religious teachings have molded the consciousness of generations. What we call conscience and common sense is also inherited from the Original Supreme Fundamental Source of existence (Brahman).

Human civilization can only do so much for a green earth. Solar energy, Wind energy seem to be the new technologies that are helping the environment.

recycle whatever I can. Parts of the world that do not provide a way to sort and recycle items, can and should have community volunteers come forward to work with the City and state governments to make recycling arrangements.

I also carry canvas/cloth bags for shopping - to reduce plastic.

PruePhillip · Sep 3, 2019

columbus said:
Easy.
Many Abrahamic religionists believe that God is going to come rescue us from the ugliest results of human nature. So, they feel free to keep doing disastrous things, believing that they will go on to an afterlife in Paradise and God will fix everything here at The Second Coming.

Plenty of Abrahamic beliefs result in morally worse people, because the morality and ethics are primitive and have little to do with the current human situation.
Tom

Don't judge a belief by those who breach its principles.
Re "Some people" - this can be said of any belief.

Judaeo Christianity holds you are responsible for your own behavior.
One of the primary reasons people don't believe in "religion" today is
because of the demands it places upon each of us. As my profile below
shows, people won't accept any restraint at all.

God can "rescue" you from your behavior - but it has to happen now in
this life, not the life we believe will come. Too late then.

How are religions helping to combat the more urgent issues humans seem to create?

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