Picture courtesy of interfaithpowerandlight.org
Interfaith Power & Light has compiled a list of different religious community’s statements on climate change. The list includes statements from different denominations including: Baha’i, Buddhist, Christianity, Hindu, Interfaith, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh, and Unitarian Universalist. To view the entire list and to read more about the individual statements, click here.
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Canada’s two largest churches, which represent two-thirds of Canadian Christians, have come together and declared that climate change and ecological degradation are central concerns for Christians. The declaration is found in, “The Hope Within Us,” a document released on July 23rd from the Roman Catholic-United Church of Canada Dialogue in Canada.
“We claim that the divine presence permeates all creation, holds all together in a dynamic relationship and calls us beyond our human-centered perspective into a consciousness that affirms and respects all life and all creation,” it said. “The acceleration of our technology, the rapacious ethic of progress and the greed of our economic and political systems are today wreaking havoc upon the environment and humanity.”
To read more, click here.
Picture courtesy of ecosikh.org
EcoSikh has created the groundwork for a Sikh environmental theological foundation, and the inspiration to connect Gurbani to the state of the environment today. This is the first of its kind from the Sikh community and it outlines new actions Sikhs can take to strengthen their connection to their faith through environmentalism. To read the entire statement, click here.
“You, Yourself created the Universe, and You are pleased…You, Yourself the bumblebee, flower, fruit and the tree. You, Yourself the water, desert, ocean and the pond. You, Yourself are the big fish, tortoise and the Cause of causes.”
— GURU GRANTH SAHIB, Maru Sohele, 1020
Picture courtesy of pcusa.org
In June of 2016 the Presbyterian Church (USA) approved the “Affirmation of Creation”. This affirmation provides a framework to worship God and to live as faithful expressions of God’s love for the whole creation. To read the entire affirmation, click here.
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Church World Service released a statement after the announcement that the United Stated will withdraw from the Paris agreement: “CWS strongly condemns President Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement. Coming at a time when the world is facing its largest humanitarian and refugee crisis since World War II, this decision will directly impact impoverished and vulnerable communities around the world and in the United States that are already facing the consequences of a changing climate.” To read the entire statement, click here.
Picture courtesy of creationcare.org
The Evangelical Declaration on the Care of Creation is a document written by the Evangelical Environmental Network. It describes and gives examples of Scriptures that support the care for creation. They believe that biblical faith is essential to the solution of ecological problems and that people must stop pressing against the finite limits set by God and begin nurturing their home on earth. To read the entire document, click here.
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The Young Evangelicals for Climate Change released a strategic plan for the years 2016 to 2021 to help translate the Christian faith in relation to concerns for climate change. It includes a mission statement to “come together and take action to overcome the climate crisis as part of the Christian discipleship and witness,” and a vision statement to “see the U.S. evangelical community respond faithfully to the challenge of climate change as a fundamental component of Christian discipleship.” To read the entire document, click here.
Picture taken from colsdioc.org
The Creation Care Team of the Catholic Diocese of Columbus has created a Creation Care Guide based on the teachings of Laudato Si’. This guide contains information on energy conservation and efficiency, purchasing and recycling, transportation, and water conservation. Additionally, they have a section on making Laudato Si’ relatable for young people. The inspiration for this guide came from the Archdiocese of Atlanta who wrote a document titled, An Action Plan for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta. To read the Creation Care Guide from the Catholic Diocese of Columbus, click here. To read the Action Plan for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta and see where the inspiration for this guide came from, click here.
Photo Credit: http://pc-freak.net/blog/some-of-the-most-important-symbols-for-orthodox-christians-in-the-eastern-orthodox-church-symbols-in-the-eastern-orthodox-christian-faith-eastern-orthodox-symbolism-and-christian-symbolism-in-the-2/
In 1989, Patriarch Dimitrios I of the Greek Orthodox Church issued a statement on concern for the environment. Like many other faiths, he cited the messages and teachings of the Bible, saying that man was intended to be the steward of nature. To raise awareness for environmental causes and stewardship, September 1st of each year since 1989 has been dedicated to preserving and praying for the environment. To read the full statement, click here.
In 1982, the Christian Action Commission of the Reformed Church in America (RCA) released a document titled “Care for the Earth: Theology and Practice.” This was given to General Synod, who then passed several resolutions outlining the Reformed Church in America’s stance on environmental issues. Those resolutions can be found here.
Photo Credit: http://www.trinityreformedchurch.org/ our-vision-for-ministry/ reformed-church-in-america/