The Role of Religion in Environmental Stewardship

Religions throughout the world have roots in sustainability through environmental stewardship. In Christianity, people are called to take care of the earth. In Buddhism, karmic journeys keep people responsible for the caring do the environment. In the Muslim faith, it is taught that man a steward of creation. All of these roots in sustainability make it easy for congregations to become environmentally conscious, as pointed out in this article by Leslie Black.

 

 

Photo Credit: http://www.aida-americas.org/blog/god-is-an-environmentalist

Pope Francis on the Amazon

Pope Francis attended World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro in 2013. While there, he addressed the issues that the people there face in preserving the rainforest and the need to act as stewards of the environment. He spoke to the youth and encouraged them to become active in preserving the environment and carrying out holy missions. To read the full recap, click here. To watch a video about some American youth who attended, check out the video below.

Video Credit: https://youtu.be/yGskvwoh8b4

Sacred Earth

Sacred Earth is a resource that was created by the World Wildlife Foundation. It helps teach and inspire faith communities to take proper care of their resources, especially the ones hold special importance to their specific faith. To take a look at some of the ways that Sacred Earth has helped sustain environment, check out their homepage here or the video overview below.

Video Credit: https://youtu.be/oO2nK7xT-V8

Water Shield

Saffet Catovic showing a girl how to do Wudu with 1/4 cup water

Photo Credit: http://www.greenfaith.org/programs/greenfaith-shield/greenfaith-water-shield

Water Shield is a program hosted by GreenFaith. It is a program that helps congregations learn how to conserve water as well as maintain high water quality. This program promotes stewardship, and can help gain a community recognition for their efforts in the environmental awareness world. To check out all that this program can do and everything it has to offer, follow this link.

Earth Day Network

As Earth Day approaches, we are reminded of how important it is to get involved with conserving and protecting our environment, regardless or race, religion, or creed. Religions have always been able to push for social change, and the people at Earth Day Network are urging religious leaders and members to call upon their elected officials in government to help make the world more sustainable. You can find the Earth Day Network webpage here, and a message from Pope Francis on Earth day from 2015 below.

Video Credit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLghtahCDag

Muslims and Water Conservation

World Water Day is March 22, according to the United Nations. With water becoming scarcer and scarcer, it is essential that it is not wasted. The Muslim community is taking this message to heart with discussions of water conservation. Citing the Qur’an, it is easy to see how and why the Muslim community values water to such a high degree. There are many times in the Qur’an when it is told specifically not to waste water. To get a more in depth look at this, and why the Muslim community is getting so involved with World Water Day, read the full article here.

Photo Credit: http://www.muslimcharity.org.uk/news/world-water-day-2014-be-part-of-the-cycle-of-change/