Former Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas once said:
"The Bible contains no reference to earth in terms of the conservation ethic. Wild life and wilderness are apart from man and inferior. The Christian, and Jew, had no relation to the earth, the air, the waters, or the wild life. He could without fear poison the waters, pollute the air, level the forests, and despoil the land. The Bible and Christianity conditioned men to be vandals, converting everything from alligator skins to mountain ranges to blue waters into dollars. Men took the wealth and left only the ashes."
In what way might Justice Douglas have a point? In what way might he be off the mark?
What should Christianity, Judaism, and Islam do about the environment? On what basis should they do it?
Can a religion without a sound environmental ethic be truly relevant in today's world? Can a religion without a sound environmental ethic promote behavior that is best for humanity, including human happiness?
Does the Bible provide a basis for a sound environmental ethic?
"The Bible contains no reference to earth in terms of the conservation ethic. Wild life and wilderness are apart from man and inferior. The Christian, and Jew, had no relation to the earth, the air, the waters, or the wild life. He could without fear poison the waters, pollute the air, level the forests, and despoil the land. The Bible and Christianity conditioned men to be vandals, converting everything from alligator skins to mountain ranges to blue waters into dollars. Men took the wealth and left only the ashes."
In what way might Justice Douglas have a point? In what way might he be off the mark?
What should Christianity, Judaism, and Islam do about the environment? On what basis should they do it?
Can a religion without a sound environmental ethic be truly relevant in today's world? Can a religion without a sound environmental ethic promote behavior that is best for humanity, including human happiness?
Does the Bible provide a basis for a sound environmental ethic?