Topic: Eco-friendly, going-green types of 'people -' is this reason to be bothered by?

[Faith2545]

I want to get some opinions -

Before getting to my question, let me explain. I love my "earthly home -" I don't litter, I recycle, I try to keep my garbage to a minimum, and I try not to waste. This is an obligation for every human being.

However, lately, it has started to frustrate me when I see and hear people talk about being eco-friendly and the ways they do so. To me, they act and sound as if the earth is "God." To me, their acts of bringing their own bags, or using a jar instead of a plastic bottle, or reusing whatever, it's as if they think that they are really "saving themselves." It's as if they think that the Earth is God. Has anyone seen it in this manner?

I feel also, that the people who are the most 'eco-friendly' are the least religious and very godless. They are not focused on the soul, moreso focused on the body. It seems to me that they think, by doing what they're doing, they will be 'saved.' Anyone see it this way?

I am not saying that we should NOT look after our earthly home, but this home is only temparary. Sin is what is destroying the earth - not my plastic bags. I think a person who is the most eco-friendliest type and hardly religious is not a good example of how one should be. Thoughts?

[genesisone]

You and I are not far apart in our attitude towards these matters. However, I will suggest that many have subscribed to New Age Gaian which is a religion, but not of the traditional organized type. Many of these people would likely deny that follow that faith, but unfortunately, they have taken on some basic assumptions about how things works and their actions betray them.

I use cloth bags for shopping. I recycle as best as I can. I compost as much as I can. But all of these things for very practical reasons. Besides, it's God's world. He created it. How can I face Him saying I haven't done my best to keep it looking good? But you won't catch me carrying a placard that reads something like: "Save the world! Save the whales! Save humanity!"

[podkarpatska]

"I think a person who is the most eco-friendliest type and hardly religious is not a good example of how one should be. Thoughts?"


By the same token, living to excess, being wasteful, being indifferent to the fate of flora, fauna, water and air while appearing pious doesn't set a good example either.

[Eastern Mind]

I'm a green, eco, almost-raw vegan and I don't worship the earth.

[Arachne]

A lot of environmental activists follow some neopagan path or other; the Reclaiming Tradition sprang itself out of eco-activism. However misguided they can be, I feel that glorification of the Earth is just the far swing of the pendulum, in reaction to centuries of seeing nature only as a utilitarian resource.

Is it the 'Mother Earth' personification that bothers you? I'm personally okay with it. Nature's way is being fruitful and providing for its young, which sounds pretty much like a mother's role. Anthropomorphic personifications are one of our ways of coping with what is too awesome to grok as a whole.

For my part, I'm just happy that more and more Christians are beginning to take their role as stewards of the Earth seriously, because we will account for how we treated what was left in our care.

[KostaC]

I want to get some opinions -

Before getting to my question, let me explain. I love my "earthly home -" I don't litter, I recycle, I try to keep my garbage to a minimum, and I try not to waste. This is an obligation for every human being.

However, lately, it has started to frustrate me when I see and hear people talk about being eco-friendly and the ways they do so. To me, they act and sound as if the earth is "God." To me, their acts of bringing their own bags, or using a jar instead of a plastic bottle, or reusing whatever, it's as if they think that they are really "saving themselves." It's as if they think that the Earth is God. Has anyone seen it in this manner?

I feel also, that the people who are the most 'eco-friendly' are the least religious and very godless. They are not focused on the soul, moreso focused on the body. It seems to me that they think, by doing what they're doing, they will be 'saved.' Anyone see it this way?

I am not saying that we should NOT look after our earthly home, but this home is only temparary. Sin is what is destroying the earth - not my plastic bags. I think a person who is the most eco-friendliest type and hardly religious is not a good example of how one should be. Thoughts?

I just did a report on Orthodox Christianity and ecological-conservation. The documentary The Green Patriarch and His All Holiness' other documents were a Godsend for my essay and for we the faithful in how to balance between being eco-friendly and how much respect we give to the planet.

http://www.patriarchate.org/multimedia/video/green-patriarch

[Punch]

We will not destroy the Earth, nor can we save it.  We may make it uninhabitable for us.  But then God can give it to the cockroaches and rats.  They never rejected Him, nor did they crucify Him.

[Tommelomsky]

Sad, but so true.

[dcommini]

I'm not nearly as "green" as I would like. I try to recycle, but that was much easier at my old residence than it is at my new place.

At the old place the apartment complex had valet trash pick up and recycling was included in that. At my new place there is no trash service, just a giant trash compactor for the community. I'm not aware of the recycling places around in the new area.

I'm not a hardcore vegan, but my daughter is for medical reasons, I still enjoy meat and dairy products but I usually just partake of what is made for my daughter.

I think that this is probably more that I could do, but I just fall short 

[KBN1]

The best reason to use cloth bags is that rarely do the handles rip off or bottoms fall out half way to my car.

[Android_Rewster]

We will not destroy the Earth, nor can we save it.  We may make it uninhabitable for us.  But then God can give it to the cockroaches and rats.  They never rejected Him, nor did they crucify Him.

Somehow, this reads really beautifully to me.

[Faith2545]

It is my understanding that we somewhat agree?

I have nothing against bringing our own bags, etc. I do it myself. What I meant is, I find it terribly annoying that people who do this are really doing it for the wrong reasons. Of course, we have to protect the Earth and its beauty. That's not the issue I intended with the question. I just don't like that they don't acknowledge that what we are protecting is God's - earth and nature are not what will save our souls!

Now, I am religious and I think that all I believe in as a Christian Orthodox is true and right, I've realized what frustrates me is that I see every day, every effort is made to distance believers (and all souls) from God. I want my children to grow up knowing who is the Savior, and as the Creater of Heaven & Earth AND everything visible AND invisible, I want them to know it is God who is responsible for all creation and THIS is the reason why we need to protect and respect it. Not because it is the "right" thing to do, as in not pollute, to recycle, reuse etc etc...

Or how about those who want to acknowledge a "higher power" and refer to is as thanking "the Universe," "my lucky stars," "mother nature," and everything else except the one true being - God!! What it comes down to is those of us who want and will raise children in the near future will have the hardest time "keeping" the REAL faith going and passing it along. But i guess that's what it means to truly believe in something real.   

[biro]

Well, some people do take a New Age tack to the environmental issues, and I think that is going too far. But, I do recycle, take reusable bags to the store, and things like that. I also think it's fair to prosecute severe instances of industrial pollution. I don't worship the environment. It's just that we can't exactly hop a bus up to Mars when things get bad for us. We have one planet that will take us at the moment, and this is it.

[Gunnarr]

We shouldnt eat fish, they were created for the earth not us obviously

actually, we should all stop breathing because we are all exhaling greenhouse gases

SAVE THE EARTH!

[Arachne]

We shouldnt eat fish, they were created for the earth not us obviously

We shouldn't eat fish because we've fished most edible kinds nearly to extinction.

[mike]

We shouldnt eat fish, they were created for the earth not us obviously

We shouldn't eat fish because we've fished most edible kinds nearly to extinction.

We shouldn't eat fish since they are most polluted kind of food.

[primuspilus]

I think there is nothing wrong with being a good steward of the planet God has given us. However, as in all things, going all hyper-emotional and crazy (fur is murder) and all that is plain silly.

[Arachne]

I think there is nothing wrong with being a good steward of the planet God has given us. However, as in all things, going all hyper-emotional and crazy (fur is murder) and all that is plain silly.

For, like, 95% of the world's population, fur is strictly an item of vanity. If I lived in the tundra, of course (like the Sami reindeerherds I was reading about the other day in NG), you bet I'd even wear fur knickers.

[Joseph Hazen]

I think you're just experiencing the normal frustration of Orthodox in response to non-believers. There are lots of ways it can be manifest. As someone said above it could be people living in excess and being gluttonous. For others it might bug them most that people just don't take the time to take their faith seriously (being especially annoyed at Christians who do so). For some it might be that people don't bother to ask the questions they should be asking, or that they ignore their family (a God-given obligation and blessing) or that they "profane the marital union through fornication."

What I'm saying is there are a hundred ways someone could shun God, and everyone has the one that bugs them most. It's normal, but it can also be used to make us judge others in a non-Christian way (note, I do think there's a Christian way to judge behavior too) and so be harmful to our spiritual life. Don't fall for the trap and instead embrace the love God has given you for His creation, and encourage others to see their respect for the creation as being due to the Creator.

[Faith2545]

I think you're just experiencing the normal frustration of Orthodox in response to non-believers. There are lots of ways it can be manifest. As someone said above it could be people living in excess and being gluttonous. For others it might bug them most that people just don't take the time to take their faith seriously (being especially annoyed at Christians who do so). For some it might be that people don't bother to ask the questions they should be asking, or that they ignore their family (a God-given obligation and blessing) or that they "profane the marital union through fornication."

What I'm saying is there are a hundred ways someone could shun God, and everyone has the one that bugs them most. It's normal, but it can also be used to make us judge others in a non-Christian way (note, I do think there's a Christian way to judge behavior too) and so be harmful to our spiritual life. Don't fall for the trap and instead embrace the love God has given you for His creation, and encourage others to see their respect for the creation as being due to the Creator.

Thanks so much, I think you're very right.
I didn't intend to judge people with this question - I understand how judging has become such a way of life that it is virtually impossible to avoid. I think that my question was prompted due to the fact that I'm surrounded by people who are more non-Christian, if anything, and very imposing in their attitudes. Also, the mass media and the ways they manipulate and subliminally pass along their messages is so obvious to someone like me, who may be able to distinguish reason with beliefs. No one said it would be easy to stand for what you believe in without being mocked for doing so...