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Druze Theology of the Forests A Druze theology of the forests statement emphasizes human responsibility to care for the Earth to maintain life harmony. There is a specific emphasis on forests and similar nature areas as these are conducive to worship and meditation. Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development posted the following statement excerpt on their website: "Forests and natural reserves are sites conducive to worship, meditation and going beyond yourself and the purely material. But does this happen through misuse, avarice and destruction of the forests? Of course not. It happens because of an appreciation – through the forests – of the divine grace and wisdom in ordering the universe and placing the mind as an arbitrator that decides what could be beneficial and what is an impermissible violation. This is exactly as in our daily lives both for ourselves and our society where it is possible for us to transform suffering into joy, emotion into blessing and nature into a source of bliss and worship." -
Zoroastrian Ecology The Interfaith Center for Sustainability posted a Zoroastrian statement on ecology on their website. The following is an excerpt discussing the seven bounteous creations: "The role of mankind in the world is to serve and honor not just the Wise Lord but the Seven Bounteous Creations of the sky, water, earth, plants, animals, man, and fire—gifts of God on High to mankind on earth. The great strength of the Zoroastrian faith is that it enjoins the caring of the physical world not merely to seek spiritual salvation, but because human beings, as the purposeful creation of God, are seen as the natural motivators or overseers of the Seven Creations. As the only conscious creation, mankind has the ultimate task of caring for the universe." -
Confucian Statement on the Environment This Confucian statement on the environment discusses the importance of appreciating the beauty of nature. Human exploitation has disrupted this beauty, causing an imbalance in harmony among all forms of life. Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development has posted the following statement on its website: -
Declaration of the Health of People, Health of Planet and Our Responsibility Climate Change, Air Pollution and Health Workshop The Pontifical Academy of Sciences posted findings and proposed solutions addressing problems of health of people and our planet, with a specific focus on climate change and air pollution, on their website. They present findings and proposed solutions that were presented at one of their workshop from November 2-4, 2017: -
Jain Faith Statement on the Environment The Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development posted a Jain faith statement on the environment, prepared by President Dr L. M. Singhvi of the Jain Institute, on their website. The following is the section titled Jainism as a religion of ecology: "Jainism is fundamentally a religion of ecology and has turned ecology into a religion. It has enabled Jains to create an environment-friendly value system and code of conduct. Because of the insistence on rationality in the Jain tradition, Jains are always ready and willing to look positively and with enthusiasm upon environmental causes. In India and abroad, they are in the forefront of bringing greater awareness and putting into practice their cardinal principles on ecology. Their programs have been modest and mostly self-funded through volunteers." -
Daoist Faith Statement on the Environment The Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development posted a Daoist faith statement from The China Daoist Association on the environment on their website. The following statement excerpt is shown below: "With the deepening world environmental crisis, more and more people have come to realize that the problem of the environment not only is brought about by modern industry and technology, but also has a deep connection with people’s world outlook, with their sense of value, and with the way they structure knowledge. Some people’s ways of thinking have, in certain ways, unbalanced the harmonious relationship between human beings and nature, and overstressed the power and influence of the human will. People think that nature can be rapaciously exploited. This philosophy is the ideological root of the current serious environmental and ecological crisis. On the one hand, it brings about high productivity; on the other hand, it brings about an exaggerated sense of one’s own importance. Confronted with the destruction of the Earth, we have to conduct a thorough self-examination on this way of thinking." -
Shinto Faith Statement on the Environment Shintoism belief system maintains that all earthly entities have their own spirituality and that the natural environment and people are of blood kin. The Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development posted a Shinto faith statement on the environment, prepared by the Jinja Honcho (the representative body of all Shinto Shrines in Japan) on their website. -
A Statement of the Baha'i International Community to the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris, France The Baha'i International Community provided a statement of shared vision regarding climate change at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris, France. This statement from their website discusses the need for renewed individual consciousness, collective action, and redefining relationships to assist with sustainability. -
Interfaith Declaration on Climate Change Interfaith Declaration on Climate Change posted a declaration on climate change (http://www.interfaithdeclaration.org/) as well as their organizational vision on their website: "Our vision is to repeat the message over and over that the religions of Earth stand as one behind strong and immediate limits to climate changing emissions of ‘greenhouse gasses’, predominantly CO2. Our vision is to take this message to each remaining session of the climate negotiations in Bangkok, Barcelona and Copenhagen, each time with different religious leaders, and to make the unified stand of widely divergent and differing faiths and beliefs into newsworthy events. Won’t you please help us to realize this vision by endorsing our Interfaith Declaration on Climate Change and urging all your contacts to do so as well. Especially we need the endorsements of religious leaders and organizations representing many people. Our Interfaith Declaration will be presented to Ban Ki-moon in November to be carried by him to the climate negotiations in Copenhagen in December. Let us see that it is signed by representatives of all the major religions of Earth, and that it carries an unmistakable mandate to the negotiations itself." -
Islamic Declaration on Climate Change In August of 2015, faith leaders, senior international development policy makers, academics and other experts announced an Islamic Declaration on Climate Change at an International Islamic Climate Change Symposium in Istanbul. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change posted the following statement on their website: "The leaders called on governments meeting in Paris to 'bring their discussions to an equitable and binding conclusion' bearing in mind: The scientific consensus on climate change, which is to stabilize greenhouse gas concentration in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate systems; The need to set clear targets and monitoring systems; The dire consequences to planet earth if we do not do so; The enormous responsibility the COP shoulders on behalf of the rest of humanity, including leading the rest of us to a new way of relating to God’s Earth." -
Engaged Organizations: Association of United States Catholic Priests The Association of United States Catholic Priests discuss their climate change initiative on their website. The following excerpt list the first five "Green Commandments" from Fr. Joshtrom Isaac Kureethadamof's book on Laudato Si': "Earth, our common home, is in peril. Take care of it. Listen to the cry of the poor who are the disproportionate victims of the crisis of our common home. Rediscover a theological vision of the natural world as good news/gospel. Recognize that the abuse of creation is ecological sin. Acknowledge the deeper human roots of the crisis of our common home." -
Engaged Organizations: Global Catholic Climate Movement Global Catholic Climate Movement discuss their identity and mission through the following excerpts from their website: "Who we are The Global Catholic Climate Movement is a first-of-its-kind international coalition of Catholics from many nations, continents, and walks of life. We are laity, religious, and clergy, theologians, scientists, and activists from Argentina, the Philippines, the United Kingdom, Kenya, Australia, the United States, and many other nations. We are united by our Catholic faith and our work in various roles and organizations on climate change issues." "First, we recognize that conversations about the climate crisis have historically been more about intellectual arguments than about the profound spiritual and moral implications of our failure to care for God’s creation. Catholic leaders are thus called to speak with a prophetic voice and in a spiritual dialogue with all people, especially those political and business leaders and consumers who engage in climatically destructive policies and practices. And we recognize our own need for ongoing conversion to live more in keeping with the Creator’s intentions for life in abundance for all people. Until the moral implications of anthropogenic climate change are clearly established and accepted, it is unlikely that societies can or will transition in an appropriate timeframe to sustainable technologies, economies, and lifestyles." -
Catholic Charities USA Prayer for Creation Catholic Charities USA uploaded a prayer for creation on their website, focusing on cherishing the Earth rather than exploiting, and providing a reminder that we are all connected to each other and the land. This prayer for creation can be used in a variety of setting, especially in liturgical worship. -
Green Corner Bulletin (St. Camillas Parish, Silver Spring, MD) St. Camillas periodically issues their Green Corner Bulletin, in support of their stance on creation care as indicated on their website: "Our preaching and liturgical music deepens our love of creation. Moreover, St. Camillus Church evangelizes by offering the adult faith formation programs on care of creation to parishioners, promoting various activities around Earth Day that spur people to adopt a more sustainable lifestyle, and doing advocacy for policy and legislation. Our parish community is undertaking an effort to “green” our campus, reduce our energy consumption, and eliminate practices that are wasteful and destructive to God’s creation." -
Engaged Organizations: New Dawn Earth Center New Dawn Earth Center offers sustainability educational programs and activities for both children and adults. As indicated on their Facebook website: "The New Dawn Earth Center invites everyone to learn from, honor and celebrate the interconnectedness of all life. We aim to create a space where humans can be in relationship with Earth and thereby nurture their own spirit." -
Engaged Organizations: Mercy Ecospirituality Center Mercy Ecospirituality Center discuss their various environmental/spiritual offerings of their retreat center on their website: "Mercy Ecospirituality Center of Mercy Ecology, Inc. is a sponsored work of the Sisters of Mercy. We are committed to reflection, education and living gently in mutual relationship with the Earth. We offer hospitality for those seeking solace and to refresh their spirit in the beauty of creation, as well as programs in ecospirituality. The Benedictine monks of Elmira, NY gave the 39-acre property located in the rural beauty of Vermont to the Vermont Sisters of Mercy. Sisters Judy Fortune and Elaine Deasy directed it as Lumen Christi Retreat House for many years, but after Lumen Christi closed, a group of Sisters established it as an Ecospirituality Center, originally named Mercy Farm in 2010." -
Engaged Organizations: Sisters of Mercy of the Americas Sisters of Mercy of the Americas has both sponsored and co-sponsored faith based organizations that focus on ecological issues. One of the organizations is Mercy Ecospirituality Center. -
Engaged Organizations: National Council of Catholic Women National Council of Catholic Women discuss their work with Catholic Relief Services with regard to their focus on water projects in developing countries, as indicated on their website and in the video below: "The Water for Life video illustrates the work of Catholic Relief Services in partnership with the National Council of Catholic Women (www.nccw.org) in responding to the critical need for water projects in developing countries. The greatest humanitarian crisis in the world today is food and water scarcity issues that threaten the peace and security of most developing nations." -
Engaged Organizations: Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) Leadership Conference of Women Religious discuss their process for recycling ink cartridges on their website: "LCWR works with a recycling company, Empties-4-Cash, an organization that rewards those who recycle by paying for each usable empty ink jet cartridge and for each usable empty laser cartridge. LCWR applies the earnings received to the scholarship fund that assists LCWR members who wish to attend the LCWR national assembly but cannot afford to do so. LCWR congregations are invited to assist in building the scholarship fund by sending their cartridges directly to Empties-4-Cash and having their earnings applied directly to the scholarship fund. Congregations are encouraged to invite companies and other organizations to participate in this effort as well." -
Engaged Organizations: Ignation Solidarity Network Ignation Solidarity Network discuss their work as it relates to Pope Francis's Laudato Si' encyclical to care for creation and our common home. As stated in their website: "In his historic encyclical on ecology, Laudato Si’, Pope Francis calls on all people to care for creation and our common home. Pope Francis makes clear that our care for one another and our care for the earth are intimately connected, noting that humanity is not faced 'with two separate crises, one environmental and the other social, but rather one complex crisis which is both social and environmental.' (Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home)." "We ask our government leaders to demonstrate bold leadership in addressing the climate crisis by honoring the Paris Agreement, contributing to the Green Climate Fund, implementing the Clean Power Plan and supporting just transition and job creation." -
Engaged Organizations: Holy Name Province, Franciscan Friars The Franciscan Friars of Holy Name Province discuss their efforts with care for creation in their website: "Holy Name Province ministries are rich and diverse in their efforts to live out the Gospel call to protect and preserve God’s creation. Peruse the educational and formative programs, advocacy efforts and direct service work going on in our local communities. Find shared efforts and camaraderie. Find inspiration for new ways to nurture the earth." -
Engaged Organizations: Conference of Major Superiors of Men Conference of Major Superiors of Men discuss their Care for Creation/Stewards of the Earth component of their organization on their website: "The goods of the earth are gifts from God, and they are intended by God for the benefit of everyone. There is a "social mortgage" that guides our use of the world's goods, and we have a responsibility to care for these goods as stewards and trustees, not as mere consumers and users. How we treat the environment is a measure of our stewardship, a sign of our respect for the Creator." -
Engaged Organizations: Columban Center for Advocacy and Outreach Columban Center for Advocacy and Outreach serves as a line of communication between Columban missionaries and policy makers in Washington D.C. Missionaries are stationed in 16 countries around the world, bringing attention to environmental justice issues that are most pressing for marginalized populations in the areas. Their primary focus is combating human-induced climate change. In addition, they advocate for sustainable development and agricultural systems, and right to clean water. -
Engaged Organizations: Catholic Health Association of the United States The Catholic Health Association of the United States responds to the Pope's message from Laudato Si but with their statement on Environment component of their website: "In 2015, Pope Francis shared his encyclical, Laudato Si’ – teaching the world that care for the things of the earth is necessarily bound together with our care of one another, especially the poor. CHA, in response, has produced several resources—videos, articles, reflection resources—to help Catholic health ministry consider our calling in light of the Holy Father’s message." -
Engaged Organizations: Catholic Association of Diocesan Ecumenical and Interreligious Officers The following is an excerpt from the Catholic Association of Diocean Ecumenical and Interreligous Officers' call to care for creation on their website: "Catholics now realize that the environment is equally as important as the social issues that have been given attention in the Church and that in fact, certain of these issues are tied inextricably to our care of the earth or lack thereof. Can even one individual live without clean air, water, or food? Can any life be protected without concern for the basic systems and networks required to sustain life? If we “teach a man to fish” but the water is so polluted that fish are poisoned or if overfishing causes them to become extinct, what then? Catholics in past centuries were not concerned about air, water, soil and climate for the simple reason that these life systems were not endangered. Clergy and faithful had no need to be worried that the water, wheat, or grapes required for our sacramental life might be dangerously polluted or ruined by climate extremes. Current threats to creation are a sign of our times."