I was interviewed by a student for their Earth Ethics Class Recently. Below is the answer to the question: How does your faith and philosophy view the relation between humans and the natural world? Where do we fit and why? (Our conversation earned the student an A-.)
As a Christian I believe that all things were created by God, purposefully ordered and fashioned by His creativity but not just as an example of His artistry. In the book of Genesis God creates Adam to have relationship with Him, and he experiences a relationship of un-equals where God is superior. With Eve, Adam experiences a relationship of true equals and with the totality of creation, Adam experiences a relationship of Un-equals again where he is superior. In all three instances a partnership of sorts is present. (Gen: 2) But what informs my philosophy towards the natural world is the understanding that before God would allow man to experience the gift of Eve and the ability to partner with an equal in life, God first allowed Adam to exhibit the God shared attribute of a relationship of un-equals.
God appoints man as “caretaker” of the garden and “steward” to the earth. The example of Genesis is clear, man has been given authority over creation by his creator, God, but this authority must always be tempered by our understanding of the partnership between un-equals. The manner in which God chooses to treat humanity, as valued and important ( though completely inferior to God ) becomes the bench-mark by which humanity should treat Gods creation. Man’s duty than is to manage the affairs of this planet not on his own behalf but on the behalf of the greater partner, God.
Genesis 8:22 sums up my philosophy toward issues of the environment: “For as long as Earth lasts, planting and harvest, cold and heat, Summer and winter, day and night will never stop." I truly believe, regardless of wither or not humanity is contributing to climate change, God has ordained the length of time the Earth will last. In as much as I can, my mandate is to then live as the best steward of God’s creation as I can.
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