Environmental Justice

Religion and Development in Tanzania

Image result for tanzania flag

Picture courtesy of tanzaniabest.com

For the month of June, I will be interviewing different religious denominations in the village of Marwa in Tanzania. There are a total of five different denominations within this rural village: Pentecost, Lutheran, Muslim, Seventh-day Adventist, and Catholic. The purpose of these interviews is to ultimately help the OSU Maji Marwa project learn more about the people of Marwa in order to offer them the best possible assistance. This is also a personal research project.

My original plan was not to make a post about each of these interviews. However, after interviewing in a few of the denominations, I changed my mind. I first spoke with the Pentecost ya Umoja Marwa church, which translates to Pentecost Church of Unity in Marwa. I first met the pastor, Mbatiani, and he radiated light. We do not speak the same language, but I could feel the love his smile radiated. After interviewing him and a few of the parishioners, they asked me if I could share their message of love with my friends in America, so I asked them if they would like me to make a post and they very excitedly agreed. So, I thought I would make one post about this specific church and their views on the relationship between sustainable community development and their religion.

Subsequently, after interviewing the Masji min auwarami, which translates to Mosque of Muslim Unity, and the Marwa Seventh-Day Adventist church, I have decided to write a post about each of the different denominations I interview.

I am inspired by the positivity and love that the religious leaders and parishioners have towards me, a complete stranger from across the world who does not even speak their language. I think that it would be unfair for me not to share these messages, and so with the blessing of my collaborators, I will be posting small descriptions of my conversations along with pictures and videos I have taken along the way.

Christian Concern for One World

Christian Concern for One World

Picture courtesy of ccow.org.uk

What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8

What do “doing justice,” “loving kindness,” & “walking humbly with God” mean for us, here and now? Christian Concern for One World (CCOW) has been working with Christians who are seeking to answer this question, especially as it relates to economic justice, international relations, and care for creation. They offer resources for prayer and action on a wide range of issues such as trade justice, climate change, responses to refugees, sustainable development, the marks of mission, or corporate accountability. They help plan local and national events at which people can gather information, spend time in prayer, and join in conversation and planning with others who care about the same questions. To read more about CCOW, click here.

Becoming a CreatureKind Institution

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“Having compassion for others begs the question of who ‘the others’ are. The animals whom we farm are sentient beings and individuals in their own right, even when they are crowded together in barren cages or windowless sheds. They are surely – in their billions – ‘others’ who deserve and desperately need our compassion. I wish CreatureKind great influence in bringing compassion to these fellow-beings of ours.”

– Joyce D’Silva, Ambassador Emeritus,
Compassion in World Farming

CreatureKind is a Christian animal welfare group that works to help institutions improve their practice as it impacts farmed animals, with benefits for humans, animals, and the environment. Becoming a CreatureKind institution means committing to a cycle of reviewing current sourcing, setting goals for improved practice, and acting on them, together with engaging your community about the program. The program have two major goals: reduce consumption of animal products and obtain remaining animal products from higher welfare. To read more about how to become a CreatureKind organization, click here.

 

CreatureKind Church Course

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CreaturKind has created a 6-week course to help Christians think about what their faith means for animals. The course is free and is meant to assist churches in learning about animal welfare and how to care for animals faithfully. They aim to encourage Christians to consider what they believe about God’s creatures and how they might move toward living out those beliefs as members of the body of Christ. To read more or watch a short video about the course, click here.

CreatureKind

Picture courtesy of becreaturekind.org

CreatureKind is an organization that engages churches in new ways of thinking about animals. They encourage Christians to consider what they—as members of the body of Christ—believe about God’s creatures and how they might move toward living out those beliefs more fully. They also provide information, prompt discussion, share stories, and offer recommendations for flourishing as humans creatures without denying the flourishing of animal creatures. They work to inspire vegans, vegetarians, omnivores, farmers, fishers, and friends to learn from each other about how each to be the church that follows Christ into the reconciliation of all creatures. To read more about CreatureKind, click here.

Qur’an Creation & Conservation

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Qur’an Creation & Conservation is in introduction to the ethical foundations of Islamic environmentalism from the Islamic Foundation for Ecology and Environmental Science. It discusses creation, corruption, balance, and the many parts that make up these three categories. To read the entire document, click here.

Perspectives on Economic Justice and Climate Change

Picture courtesy of http://operationnoah.org/

This article on economic justice and climate change offers quotes from economists, theologians, and politicians. Some examples include the World Council of Churches, Pope John Paul II, and Professor Tim Jackson. To view all the quotations, click here.

How Green is your Church?

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How Green is your Church is a questionnaire from Operation Noah that covers how environmentally conscious a church is. It is in check-list form and it’s purpose is to allow congregations to assess their starting point with environmental issues. To view the entire questionnaire, click here.

Bright Now: Towards Fossil Free Churches

Cover of the Bright Now report

Picture courtesy of operationnoah.org

Bright Now: Towards Fossil Free Churches is a campaign from Operation Noah on the necessity for churches to divest from fossil fuel companies. This initiative is based on the belief that the care for God’s creation must extend to the way in which churches invest their funds. The campaign includes a report on the urgency of the issue, a reflective paper on the ethics of fossil fuels, and tools to help divest a church from fossil fuels. To read more, click here.

Caring for our Neighbors Bible Study

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This bible study from Operation Noah discusses caring for our neighbors. It begins by recommending to read Romans 8: 18-21 and Luke 10:25-37 and then goes on to discuss both passages. To read the entire Bible Study, click here.