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Environmental Issues (2) (Secular Conservation Ethics (Strengths (Shallow…
Environmental Issues (2)
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Stewardship
Stewardship as a concept within Christianity is central to discussions on Christian attitudes towards the environment
Christians believe that they are given the responsibility to look after the world as it was created for them by God as a gift
They are given a special place within the world (dominion) and with this comes the responsibility to looks after the Earth
This is based on biblical teaching, such as Genesis 1:28-29
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Strengths
Christian environmental organisations are able to mobilise large numbers of people and a mass significant funds for their conservation efforts
In addition, the Christian concern for the poor and underprivileged means there is a significant focus on the developing world, where the effects of climate change are often felt most severely
Weaknesses
By viewing conservation of the environment as an instrumental rather than an intrinsic good, Christians are unable to appreciate the true worth of nature
The Christian view is also focused largely on the consequences for humanity, rather than on other living species or the natural world itself
As such, it is anthropocentric
Solutions to the various environmental issues which face the planet are to arise from a combination of political willpower and scientific expertise
Religious leaders and organisations can only hope to play a small, but nonetheless valuable, role in the global effort required to tackle problems such as climate change
Secular thinkers such as Peter Singer have been highly critical of the traditional religious view of the environment - he criticises specifically the importance laid on the human being as being the centre of the moral universe
Lynn White has argued that the historical roots of our ecological crisis are in Christianity and that this is a Major factor in environmental destruction