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Assess The Weaknesses of Religious Approaches To Environmental Issues.

Religious approaches to environmental issues have significant weaknesses: 1) The Christian idea of human dominion over the earth encourages unlimited exploitation of natural resources without regard for long-term impacts on humanity or other species. 2) The view that environmental problems are part of God's plan inspires inaction when urgent changes are needed to address issues like climate change and deforestation. 3) The theory of natural law positions humanity above the environment, which could justify environmental abuse and ignoring issues caused by overuse of resources.

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55 views1 page

Assess The Weaknesses of Religious Approaches To Environmental Issues.

Religious approaches to environmental issues have significant weaknesses: 1) The Christian idea of human dominion over the earth encourages unlimited exploitation of natural resources without regard for long-term impacts on humanity or other species. 2) The view that environmental problems are part of God's plan inspires inaction when urgent changes are needed to address issues like climate change and deforestation. 3) The theory of natural law positions humanity above the environment, which could justify environmental abuse and ignoring issues caused by overuse of resources.

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fkjdjbef
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We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Grace Harknett

Religious Studies

Assess the weaknesses of religious approaches to environmental issues. (12)

As time passes environmental issues such as climate change, global warming, the problem of plastics and
sustainability become increasingly prominent. These issues are extremely detrimental and threatening to the
future of humanity’s existence on earth. There are numerous religious approaches to the topic of environment
issues, all propose solutions- answers to the question: how to save earth- however these are manifestly weak
and problematic within themselves.

One Christian theory, spawning from Genesis, portrays the idea that man has dominion over the world and
all its inhabitants. This means people are free to do as they please, there are no rules restricting acts which
damage the earth, the atmosphere or the animals. This strong androcentric ideology is inherently
troublesome. With no laws able to dictate what acts are right or wrong, the earths natural resources can be
used without regard to how it will affect humanity in the long run, or how the collection of these materials
may harm animals whose habitats reside in those areas. Furthermore, within this ideology, the usage of very
damaging fossil fuels will all but be encouraged as they provide power to man and their environmental
consequences do not matter if man does not think they do. The idea of human dominion is unsympathetic
and uncaring of the earth and other species which inhabit it. It is a nocuous principle which proposes no
decent solution to the many environmental crises humanity currently faces.

Equally as harmful, some Christians argue that God created the world, he implemented a plan for the world
and therefore these ‘environmental issues’ are all part of his plan. This outlook is incredibly problematic. It
inspires idleness at a time when great change couldn’t be more necessary. James Lovelock, for example has
said in The Revenge of Gaia that the planet will not be able to recover as he first thought, forests will die,
algae will stop absorbing carbon dioxide, there will be mass floods and human migration; he advocates a
rapid expansion of nuclear power. This will not occur, however, if humanity follows this stupor-inspiring
religious principle. Temperatures will continue to soar, crops will die- humans too- and the earth will not
bounce back. The dormancy which this idea advocates is acutely harmful. Much like the principle of human
dominion, it is synonymous with apathy. Inaction is sometimes an action, this lack of regard and short-
sightedness toward the impact of current environmental issues will prove disastrous in the future.

Another theory which highlights weakness within a religious approach to environmental issues is natural law.
The two most prominent purveyors of the natural law theory- Aristotle and Aquinas- view humans, on the
basis of our consciousness, as having a higher purpose than the environment. If humans have a higher
purpose than the environment then it may seem logical for us to dictate what rights it has and to decide how
we treat it; therefore this principle may lead to environmental abuse. A further downfall of moral law in
regards to environmental issues is its absolutist nature. It’s inflexibility will cause immense environmental
harm, especially if humanity arrives at the conclusion it can choose the rights of the environment. If it is the
absolute truth that humanity is above the environment then why, even in extreme cases, should humanity
give up their choice to treat it how they want? The meat industry is not sustainable, millions of animals suffer
needlessly each year but since animals are ‘naturally subject to men’, as per Aquinas’ teachings, what reason
do humans have to go vegan? Natural law, as a result of its absolutist nature and placement of humanity at a
higher level of esteem than animals or the atmosphere, ignores environmental issues conjured by our selfish
usage of the earth’s natural resources.

In conclusion, the weaknesses of religious approaches to environmental issues invoke extreme problems for
humanity. The prominent, biblical, Christian ideology of humans having dominion over the earth, theory that
previously mentioned problems (like climate change and sustainability) are just part of God’s plan for earth
and theory of natural law combine to create an alarming set of consequences. Androcentrism, idleness and
over-estimating the importance of humanity’s role within the universe will lead to a worsening of the current
environmental crises.

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