Friday, April 27, 2007

The Pope and global warming

The Guardian has an article telling of the Pope's message that failing to protect the world's ecosystem and halt global warming goes against God's will. This is interesting. Growing up, I was told again and again that we are all called to be stewards of God's creation. The emphasis was not on subduing but rather more on fostering and protecting. It's all a matter of hermeneutics, of interpretation. To a certain extent, we carry with us our desires and values when we evaluate what we should do or where we fit within creation or God's plan, or a god-free world, or whatever. I tend to try to take a pragmatic approach going in, looking at the fact that humans are spreading over the face of the earth, burning, paving, cutting, slaughtering, and generally acting as one big Freudian Id, avarice without bounds. With these observations I cannot support a belief that we are to be dominators, beings driven to "prosper". My observations tend to push me towards profound agreement with those who don't believe in God but do believe that the world is a beautiful and compelling place, needful of protection, at least from the blunderings of people.

Coming into the open