Introduction
Religion can be defined as a set of beliefs which are said to be centered on a certain supernatural being about reality and human nature. Religion in this case can be coded by prayer and religious laws which have been established by those people who belief in that religion. Religion today is taking so many aspects hence the existence of so many denominations. The differences in this case have been as a result of the cultural aspects which many people can associate religion with. For example, we have so many religious groups say the Christianity, Buddhism, Islam’s, among other groups. It is through these groups then we can be in a position to try and understand their religious aspects and how they try to relate with the other religious groups. Ecology on the other hand can be defined as human surrounding which involves the human life and its interaction with the environment. The environment in this case can be taken to engross the living organisms and the physical properties which involve the climate, geology plus other biotic factors. So, there is the need to try and understand the relationship between these two things. This is because none can exist without each other. This is because human beings form religion. It is these human beings who are seen to co-exist with the environment but you tend to find that human beings have put themselves in to a crisis with the environment. This is because man has failed to preserve the diversified living organisms which are found in our ecosystem and hence have tried to expose them in to danger. Through the paper, am going to look at the Christianity and Hinduism and how they relate to ecology. (Achtemeier, 2000).
Christianity and religion
More Christian’s belief that, in the beginning, God created Adam and Eva and both were given Dominion over all the plants, animals and everything that was under earth created by God. The Judeo-Christian creation myth in this case makes nature to have a lower status than man. It is due to this fact that man was created to ensure that such things are protected and not destroying them since this is what most Christians tend to belief. They were created as more superior than the rest of Gods creation so that man can take care of these creations but not to destroy them. In its very creation, many Christians belief that the earth was created to serve man and man to serve god. So if earth was created to serve man, then the big reason to try and protect it lies here. This is because the earth is the only depended thing by man. It is on earth and its creations whereby man can get his daily necessities hence the need to try and protect the world with all its many creations since it is our life. (Babie, 1996).
It is due to this fact you find that Christians have rejected the issue of animalism which can be used to expose nature hence stripping it of its inherent value. The earth was created by God hence a place which is so much cared by him though God does not devote Himself in it. This fact led to one Christian to write that Christianity is one of the most anthropocentric religions the world has ever experienced. In his writings, he tried to mean that man shares in most great measure Gods transcendence of nature. This is the reason why we see so many Christians establishing a dualism of nature and man but, it was Gods will that man tries to exploit nature so that they can make their ends meet. Its also a belief that mans spiritual home is in heaven but not on earth. The earth was made as a place whereby man could sustain his live with the authority rested upon him to ensure that he has protected everything which God made. (Adams, 2000).
There is also a problem with most of the Christians on their view on earth. This is because most of the Christians thoughts are that man was not for the earth and his spiritual home is in heaven. He only rose from the earth and hence was created so that he could escape from its imperfection. They also try to argue that they want to be with God and God in this case was removed from the earth and he is staying in heaven. So with this, earth is not our home but just a place to live and mould us so that we can be in a position to go in to heaven. It is with this thought that the earth is seen as one of the essential places in trying to shape our relationship with God. It is through this that we are supposed to respect Gods creations through protecting the environment but not through destroying it simply because it was created by God so that it can be maintained but not destroyed. (Babie, 1996).
One of the catholic scholars in this case John F. Haughty who wrote an essay titled Christianity and ecology. It was in this writing whereby he tried to explain that the universe is the most Gods revelation since the universe in this case is trying to unfold hence can reveal the nature of God through the earth. So in his writing, Haughty tried to say that nature is a Gods promise hence the need for all human beings to be more concerned on nature protection since the earth is this case is seen as the most manifestation of Gods covenant with man. So, this is quite obvious that when we abuse Gods environment, we are definitely getting a curse from God since the environment was made for us hence abusing it means the same as rejecting our God who made us. So it’s very much important to try and understand Gods creation and how he was so much happy with his creation. So when we destroy the environment, we are at the same time destroying Gods creation hence deserving punishment from Him. Christianity then will require an all inclusive Christic pattern, one which does not see the earth as a backdrop of its salvation. Most Christians then argue that people should remove their thoughts that the earth is a temporal place for people to live in. This is because it is through this concept that many people will not be in a position to protect the environment but will destroy it since they will think that everything which is on earth shall be destroyed hence no need to protect the earth with all its creations. (Babie, 1996).
Another Christian Mcfagues said that the world is the most visible sacrament of God. He said that the world and all its creations which were created by God is the physical and bodily presence of the heavenly God. So if we belief that God is all magnificent, then we will also belief that God is all present in all life which he created. So in this case nature falls under this phenomenon since it was also created by God. The biggest question which so many Christians ask themselves is “Would an infinite God create all these things if he did not have any value for them?” This is the major question so many people are still contemplating today on the issue of nature and why it was created. If God did not have any value for them, then He would have only created man alone so that he can sustain himself without the need of nature. Now if we try to analyze all these we will see that nature was very much imperative even at the beginning when God created it, it is through this that we are all called to protect nature since God found it very much significant hence he created nature. (Babie, 1996).
Most of the Christian doctrines have a philosophical change in the consciousness which to has put within its many churches over the protection of the environment. The church has been in a position to recognize the importance of the natural setting plus the biological limits of earth with its many respects to sustain human life. For example, it is known that most of the American churches have lobbied on the issue of climate change. So in this case the world council of churches has taken the initiative to educate people on the role of environment and on how we can protect the environment. This is because if we don’t protect nature, then nature will destroy us. This is because these are two things which are said to be interrelated and nothing can exist without each others. So the world council of churches in this case has a climate change program and it is in this climate program that they have been involved in protecting our environment. (Babie, 1996).
You find that in the past 25 years, there has been a theological philosophy by all the church people allover the world in trying to understand the relationship between environment and the spiritual importance and this can be referenced when the theologians were startled when the Judeo-Christian theology with the concept of humanity been on earth to dominate it can be seen as having a big part in crisis with the environment. It is due to this fact you find that most churches allover the world both rich and poor have been involved in ensuring that they have protected the environment. Most of these people are seen to deal with the effect of the industrial society on the quality of water and air. (Achtemeierss, 2000).
So many churches today have been occupied in activities that help to protect our environment. An example to elucidate this is that most of the Christians have formed so many programs and a good example is the community service day. It is in this day that you find that most of these Christians go in so many places making that the environment is so clean. For example, they might go helping those people who are in need, planting trees since as we all know, trees are so much important since its through these trees that many people can be in a situation to get safety from. These trees also act as resting places for so many living organisms hence when we destroy them, we are at the same time destroying the lives of these animals. So it is during the community service day that many Christians take this day as a day to try and safeguard the environment through planting these trees and also enlightening people on the role of environment to us. (Achtemeier, 2000).
Hinduism and ecology
Hindu is responding to the ecological crisis but still from a different perspective from the Christians view point. Hinduism is one of the religious groups which think that it had not been given authority over nature. This is wholly different from the Christians belief on nature whereby they belief God created man and then he was given authority over nature. For Hindu, these people belief that they have no such authority over nature hence no-dualistic nature between man and nature. They call their creator Brahman but Christians call their creator God. So they belief that this Brahman is the known proficient cause of nature. He is the one who created nature and all the creations which is in the earth and no any known authority which is has been given to man over the rest of the Brahmans creations. Unlike the Judeo-Christianity who had been given authority over nature, Hindu tends to belief that they have a more elevated responsibility which they had been given by Brahman over his creation and the greatest part of this particular responsibility to them is the doctrine of Ahimsa that is the issue of non-violence between nature and man. They argue that those people who try to kill animals have an immense punishment which is waiting for then and they should go to torment. This is because they have no authority which is given to them over the creations hence they should not be involved in any killing of animals whosoever since they have no such authority. These animals should be protected but not killing them This is because if we kill these animals, it is one of the ways of destroying the environment so any acts which might lead to killing of these animals is seen as completely unclean and those people who kill these animals are cursed by Brahman who is their creator who created all these animals. Those people who kill these animals are supposed to go to hell for a number of days which are said to be equal to the number of hairs in the body of that animal which was killed. But because these hairs are uncountable, it is the same as saying this person is supposed to go to hell for ever. (Albanese, 2004).
Hindu tends to belief that the most central part of the religious doctrine is that their supreme being incarnates in to so many species. In human life cycle, he undergoes a number of lifestyles that is death, and rebirth which in this case it incarnates to form other human beings. What they belief is the complete detachment from the material world hence so many people have tried to argue that such a belief then is taken to mean that they have rejected from the worth of nature to man. This is because man was created together with nature and the creator saw all these as pretty important to them. So if they try to detach themselves from the material world, then they don’t value nature and don’t even protect it. We protect nature by first trying to appreciate it since it forms part of us.
One of the Hindus treatments of the world can be seen by Rig Veda in trying to care for life and nature. He said that trees and plants can be seen as most containing the remedial properties of man. Most of these trees need to be protected simply because it’s through them then that man can find his cure in them. So with this they say that each tree has a divinity (deity) and it is in these trees where they do their daily worship. So most Hindu worship these trees simply because it’s only in them where they can find their treatment. It’s through the worship of these trees then that they are claiming to be protecting nature so much because they fortune trees and plants so much. It’s in these trees whereby they can do their offering and ceremonies in trying to tribute them. So with Hindu, the issue of tree planting can be seen as a religious activity to them. So, they do plant trees as a way of trying to protect nature and all what is found in nature since it’s in nature especially in the trees where they can find their healing. An example to explain Hindu ecological movement and preservation of nature can be seen in the Chipko movement which was held in March 1973, and it was held in India. It was during this fastidious movement whine all Hindu were seen to have formed a human nature and it is in this particular chain where they hugged trees which marked to be cut down for the development of the equipment factory. This movement has grown so much in Hindu and hence they have used this particular movement in trying to show the ecological movement for them. (Albanese, 2004).
Conclusion
Ecology and religion has led to a growing concern by so many people. This is because of the ecological crisis which is going on the role of nature and in trying to protect nature. The world we are living in today has become one of the places where a zone of land is found with so many wildlife, plants plus other living organisms which are said to be deemed under this world. This is one of the known processes in history which has taken such a long time to achieve. So we are supposed to look at our religious beliefs, our spiritual identities so that we can be in a position to try and redefine our purpose as human beings on nature. This is because nature is carrying everything including man and non can do without each other. Nature is something which has been used by man in so many things. It is in nature whereby we can find human endurance. Nature and religion is then so much related since if we don’t protect nature, then man will also be destroyed too. Most of the religious groups have tried to argue on their many reasons of how they comprehend nature, their role to man hence the need to protect it.
Reference
Achtemeier, H. (2000): Nature, God and Pulpit. Mich: Eerdmans.
Adams, C. (2000): Ecofeminism and the sacred. New York: Continuum.
Albanese, C. (2004): Nature religion in Hinduism: from the Algonkian Indians to the new age. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Attfield, R. (2001): Christian’s attitude to nature. Journal of history of ideas. Vol. 2(1).
Babie, P. (1996): The environment and Christianity. Pacifica Vol. 8(1).