I posted this on the ‘Mass delusions’ thread (http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=8121):

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As I keep harping on, on this forum, we MUST achieve a sustainable society, and quickly. The alternative is simply a huge crash event where the rule of law collapses and food supplies and other vital resources become impossible to obtain for a large part of the populace. Many die and most survivors have their quality of life very greatly reduced. Or a scenario of that sort.

It befuddles me so extremely as to why religions don’t embrace the absolute necessity of a sustainable lifestyle that is in balance with the environment and resource base. The concept of sustainability just seems like the most worthwhile basic religious philosophy of all….especially in a time of such rampantly unsustainable human behaviour.

Why hasn’t Christianity or a branch of Christianity or any other major religion embraced this? Why haven’t people banded together and started a new religion in the absence of anything from the major religions?

It seems to me that all religions are fundamentally missing the most important point of all here…that we as all sorts of societies around the world and as a species need to survive, and in harmony with our surroundings, and with a decent quality of life.

In fact, I need to ask; what the hell are religions doing if they aren’t addressing this point?
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I was quite amazed at the extremely poor response. It gave me the impression that the religious posters on this forum are either not interested in sustainability or cannot counter the fact that their religion is not sustainability-oriented, or both.

Why hasn’t Christianity or any other major religion embraced sustainability?

I think it's the old dominion thing, Ludwig.

And God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth." (Genesis 1.28)

Indeed, Ludwig. I've asked similar questions of our Christian contingent at OLO, and been similarly disappointed in the responses.

However, I know quite a few Christians in the Greens, so it doesn't seem that a religious disposition and ecological sustainability are mutually exclusive. On the bright side, and American evangelical leader had talks concerning environmental stewardship with PM Rudd and addressed a national parliamentary "prayer breakfast" (whatever that is) a couple of weeks ago:

<< PRIME Minister Kevin Rudd will hold private talks tomorrow with an American evangelical leader and lobbyist who preaches that inaction on climate change is an offence against God.

The Reverend Richard Cizik arrived in Australia yesterday on a seven-day tour to spread God's word about saving the planet.

Mr Cizik said there was a strong biblical mandate for humans "to watch over and care for" earth's bounty and creatures. "Australia and the United States have been major blockers to action on climate change and our new governments have a special responsibility in creating a new kind of leadership," he said. >>

http://www.smh.com.au/news/environment/pastor-says-ecofriendliness-is-next-to-godliness/2008/11/08/1225561201714.html

I suppose if our parliamentarians are going to have "prayer breakfasts", it's heartening to know that the environment is on the agenda.

Good Grief batman....

Ludwig says:

"Why hasn’t Christianity or a branch of Christianity or any other major religion embraced this?"

To which I reply "Why hasn't ludwig (and Bronny and CJ) done some READDDDDINGGGGG of Christian thought on this kind of thing?"

There is an element of common sense in Genesis 1:28 "Fill the earth and subdue it" does NOT mean ABUSE it. But I suppose those who look back now from the excesses of Capitalist abuse might find the Church to be a convenient whipping boy for their own flagrant abuse of the planet.

Hey.. the Hindu's are doing it "Maoist kills Hindu Holy man..Hindu's BLAME Christians anyway"...so...why not you mob?

Has NO one heard of the monastries dedicated to frugal living?

It is not the Church or Christianity which must be blamed for abuse of the planet but atheistic uncontrolled capitalism.

The Church in it's earliest example was socialist in nature. "They had all things in common and no one said what they had was their own but they gave each according to his need" Acts 2:44etc

http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/ecology.html

So...let's ask "Who then is likely responsible for environmental destruction, and abuse of the planet"?

I can tell you who.. those who have embraced Gordon Ghekko's "Greeeeed is GOOD" mantra because they've first embraced Jean Paul Sartre's and Neitzchze atheistic existentialism.

If you have no divine frame of reference...and no sense of accountability to the Almighty...then why would you care about the planet ? After all its just atoms and molecules... all thrown together by chance.. why worry about succeeding generations? noooo..

Is that all there is, is that all there is
If that's all there is my friends, then let's keep dancing
Let's break out the booze and have a ball
If that's all there is.

We all now know where that came from...don't we

"Why hasn't ludwig (and Bronny and CJ) done some READDDDDINGGGGG of Christian thought on this kind of thing?"

Polycarp, no amount of reading on this subject is going to counter the everyday in-your-face observations that Christianity is NOT embracing sustainability….and not by a bloody loooooong way. Sure, there are little bits of good stuff here and there….but some distant monastery espousing frugality is about as useful as tits on a bull!

“There is an element of common sense in Genesis 1:28 "Fill the earth and subdue it" does NOT mean ABUSE it.”

Huh? Fill the earth and subdue it is commonsense? Pfff!! In saying ‘subdue’ the earth, whoever wrote that rubbish may as well have said ‘abuse’.

"Who then is likely responsible for environmental destruction, and abuse of the planet?"

Well it certainly isn’t just the atheistic capitalistic ‘greed is good’ merchants. It is ALL of us, very much including the Christian fraternity.

Yes, you could argue that (most) atheists suffer from a lack of a sense of accountability to the planet. But I fear very much that Christians suffer much more from a lack of accountability by placing the duty of care in the hands of their god delusion… and hence feel that not only is there nothing they can do but that either god will take care of it…or the path to destruction is pre-ordained and simply has to happen.

The question remains: why isn’t Christianity embracing sustainability and being the leading religion in getting us all rapidly onto the right road to sustainability?

Ooow…maybe I just answered it in the previous paragraph ( :>/

Ludwig

Any biblical believer or for that matter any one else with a little common sense can see that you will never clean up the environment unless the heart of man is cleansed. The hypocrisy by the earth worshipers is a turn off as they masquerade with a self righteousness unmatched even by some church goers. They preach crap and then use pseudo science to back up claims. As I have said before just look at some of the ridiculous predictions made by Mr Gore and Mr Flannery.

If you were to open your bias eyes just a little you will see that many Christians pour a lot of money and resources into helping the less fortunate on this planet. People are our most valuable resource. Those on the left or right are not excluded from greed, lust and selfishness. If the environmental industry was not so morally corrupt then they might gain a little more support. They need to come clean on their social agenda (like the degenerate Greens) as well as use true science to be taken seriously. Much of the environmental industry are like some indigenous groups who claim to love the land and yet leave it in a putrid mess