Religious Take On the Environment

[OnBackground]

Preserving nature is to some a spiritual issue, as illustrated by the below excerpt from an article on preaching the environment: http://www.eco-justice.org/3layers.asp While this isn't for everyone, it's an interesting take on an ongoing discussion.

"On an even deeper layer, there is important preaching where the direct focus is not on "nature" or "the environment," but which is essential for sustaining the environmental struggle in the church. This preaching addresses the profound pastoral issues that trouble, and can even paralyze, those who are in touch with the earth's distress. The church needs to speak to sin, guilt, repentance, forgiveness and grace as we individually and collectively participate in the destruction of the earth. New words need to be spoken about both anger and hope in the face of the enormous powers that are shaping our world. In the face of the rapid extinction of species, the loss of habitat and wild lands, and profound changes to the global environment, pastoral sermons must speak to grief and loss in ways that bring us to active resistance, not to quiet acceptance."

[phantom power]

1. The modern church suffers from dissonance on this topic.

There is a deep tension between the church position regarding the spiritual as being "above" the material, and the practicalities of managing the material world we all live in.

The older, more animistic religions would have accommodated environmentalism with more ease.

If I was ever going to believe in anything supernatural, it would be something like earth-magic. Which probably isn't especially supernatural, just natural.

[Ian David]

2. Rabbi Daniel Lapin: Anti-gay, anti-recycling activist

Has denounced recycling as "The sacred sacrament of secularism." "Why? Because if we are animals then there is a shortage in the world. God doesn't take anything from us and God doesn't create and therefore there is a shortage ... Do not feel guilty for using what God has provided us. Enjoy it!"
http://quinnell.us/politics/rww/individuals/index2.html

May 22nd, 2005
KTTH
(commercials edited out)
http://www.towardtradition.org/talkradio_programs.htm
Hour 1: My critics: "Rabbi Daniel Lapin doesn’t believe in recycling." Does this make me evil? Why does freedom of belief not apply?

Audio recording:
mms://mail2.towardtradition.org/KTTHMAY22hr1.wma


Blatherwatch
May 13, 2005
rabbi daniel lapin, a long look backward
http://blatherwatch.blogs.com/talk_radio/2005/05/rabbi_daniel_la.html

April 19, 2005
the rabbi with the tinfoil yarmulke (and we thought he was just boring...)
http://blatherwatch.blogs.com/talk_radio/2005/04/the_rabbi_with_.html

July 06, 2005
rabbi daniel lapin's name resurfaces in investigation
http://blatherwatch.blogs.com/talk_radio/rabbi_daniel_lapin_/