Nature is one of God’s beautiful creations. Through His natural resources, God is able to teach us, speak to us, and provide for us. For this reason, we can find in scripture that we humans are called to protect all which is of He has created. Use these Bible verses for a better understanding.
Principles of a Christian Environmental Ethic: With Applications to Agriculture, Natural Resources, and the Environment
“Where do you live?” is a question most people have been asked many times. When answering this question, our automatic response is most likely to think about the place where our homes made out of brick, wood or stone are located. How would God answer the question of where each one of us lives? What physical home or homes has God given to all people? The Bible teaches that when we put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ, He will lead us to an eternal heavenly home prepared by God. But, until we are called to live forever with God in our heavenly homes, we must live within the physical homes God has provided for us. These physical homes include the entire planet earth, the various natural environments found on the planet, our towns and cities, and the houses or apartments where we lay our heads down at night to sleep.Thus, upon further reflection, the question of “Where do you live?” can be answered from a number of different perspectives and is perhaps a much more thought-provoking question than one may initially imagine. The perspective we are most interested in for this paper is the concept of the entire planet earth and different natural environments as places God has deliberately and carefully designed as homes for the people, plants and animals He has created.Because we all live on the same planet and are ultimately dependent on the natural fruits of the earth for life-support, everyone has a stake in how elements of nature and natural systems are used and managed. When a specific natural resource or environmental issue or problem arises, individuals and groups often disagree on the appropriate course of action to resolve the issue or problem. At the core of these disagreements are different values and beliefs related to nature itself, and the use and management of nature by people. A growing number of scholars in the humanities, social sciences and physical and biological sciences are emphasizing that environmental issues and problems are fundamentally interrelated with ethical issues and problems (Daly; Means; Santmire; Schaeffer; Stewart; Van Dyke et al; White). Consequently, we are hearing more voices saying that in order to solve environmental issues and problems, people need to develop and follow an appropriate “moral basis” for dealing with nature. This recognizes a basic tenant of human behavior taught in the Bible: true change starts from within a person’s heart, mind and spirit and works outward as reflected by attitudes and actions. In all areas of our lives, the substance of our inner faith determines the living out or practice of our faith.Continue Reading
Water Fluoridation vs. Democracy
