The study of religious concepts allows everyone to come closer to understanding the measure of the possible in the instrumental existence of humans. The peculiarity of the religious worldview is the establishment of direct connections between nature and society. This syncretism of religious consciousness is akin to the ecological vision of deep connections in the Earth’s ecosystem.
Theology suggests religion’s increasing importance in guiding human beings to the proper path. Nevertheless, people increasingly exploit natural resources under the pretext that nature is subordinate to humans. Religious claims and the technological revolution are the two primary explanations for man’s supremacy over nature, but today’s ecological situation indicates that only harmony can preserve the world.
Since ancient times, humans and nature have been closely intertwined, and this bond seems unbreakable. As time passed, individuals evolved, and their brains improved. Humans not only won their place among the other tribes but likewise set out to subjugate nature itself (Snyder, 1984). The power to produce unique inventions led to the perception of dominion as permission to influence the environment. Not all the benefits of progress are pernicious, but the advancement of destructive technologies has caused an ecological crisis.
Especially living in the twenty-first century, a profound ecological crisis exists because the impact on nature is extremely negative. American historian Lynn White held Christianity responsible for the ecological crisis and insists: “What we think about nature directly affects the way we treat it” (Goldberg et al., 2020). Unlike numerous other religious traditions, in Christianity, humans are the center of nature, and nature must obey them. It can be presumed that since God loves man, this love cannot be exhausted completely (Snyder, 1984). Therefore, it is impossible to exhaust the resources that God has created. While keeping this statement, not quite consciously, people continue to draw from natural resources without reflecting that, in principle, they are finite.
Therefore, religion can be seen as a pretext for exploiting nature, but as mentioned above, economic progress is an equally important cause of the ecological crisis. Humans tend to believe that they are endowed with qualities that sharply distinguish them from other living natures. It has given rise to the idea of omnipotence, and the desire for increased power pushes an individual into ecological crimes, thereby satisfying the ego (Northcutt, 2017). A tightly rooted consumer attitude and the desire to have everything while saving time and resources hinders the modification of exploitative relationships.
At the same time, the idea of the need to harmonize the connection between the individual and nature, one part of which is repentance, is increasingly emerging. The prayer provided for reading is suitable for religious worship of nature because it mentions a misinterpretation of postulates and a request for forgiveness. I think that a person willing to take responsibility must fulfill the testing of one’s conscience, the brokenness of one’s sins, and the steadfast decision not to sin anymore. Using this prayer, the person realizes their mistakes and commits not to repeat those acts. However, it seems that the prophets of other religions will not accept this prayer because it alienates their faith. Forgiveness, however, is a process that requires and expresses power (Goldberg et al., 2020). It arises out of a desire to make a choice, and it looks like an ordeal at the end of which there is undoubted relief.
Forgiveness, therefore, is the primary form of confronting and destroying the evil that dwells in a person. It, however, implies the renunciation of destructive actions, which is exactly what one must do concerning nature. Repentance and forgiveness alone are insufficient to solve the ecological disaster problem. Both technology and religion have become reasons to justify destructive human actions. Nevertheless, an ecological crisis cannot be justified or forgiven; instead, it is necessary to take active action to support the benefits of nature, which are necessary for the existence of the Earth.
References
Goldberg, L., Lagomasino, D., Thomas, N., & Fatoyinbo, T. (2020). Global declines in human‐driven mangrove loss. Global change biology, 26(10), 5844-5855. Web.
Northcutt, A. (2017). A moral climate: The ethics of global warming. Longman & Todd.
Snyder, G. (1984). Good, wild, sacred. Five Seasons Press.