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"Finish your outdoor work and get your fields ready; after that build your house." Proverbs 24:27I had some ideas of my own based on simple observation of ecological dialog that things in the "green zone" were leaning heavily toward eastern philosophy.
But it wasn't until I stumbled upon the writings of Lynn Townsend White, Jr. (April 29, 1907 – March 30, 1987) a professor of medieval history who wrote, The Historical Roots of Our Ecological Crisis (Published in 1967), did I see the post-modernism link with ecology and religion. According to White, Judea-Christian theology was fundamentally exploitative of the natural world because the Bible asserts man's dominion over nature and establishes a trend of anthropocentrism. Or, Christianity makes a distinction between man (formed in God's image) and the rest of creation, which has no "soul" or "reason" and is thus inferior--Christ followers don't care for anything but themselves.
The jest of his theory, which is spreading, is western Christianity literally separated humans from nature in the garden of Eden and created dualism, but other religions saw the divine in every tree, river, animal and bird, and therefore, are more environmentally friendly. Before you point out that Prof. White wrote the article back in 1967, his philosophy is currently in vogue, and eastern religions now enjoy a "superior," attitude toward Christians in the Green Zone of marketing pagan ideas.
There have been signs for sometime time that east beats west in environmental issues. As far back as 2001, USA Today featured an article by Micheal J.Strada, a political science professor and author of, "The tenets of Eastern religion are more compatible with nature than their Western counterparts." I encourage you to read this entire article and see how some of the earlier points made in this series are brought up, and how as Christians we need ready explanations for the accusations against the Christian God. The Dalai Lama said that the need for environmental responsibility dovetails with Buddhist teachings on valuing human life, whether that is one person or the world's entire population.
Statements like these are like car wrecks, you can't look away without wondering how it happened that western Christianity is viewed as the exploiter to everything BAD that's happened to the environment. Volcanoes release more than 120 million tons of CO2 into the atmosphere every year! Why isn't that in the news?
A full scale marketing campaign is ensuing as a guilt trip, a burden for Christians to bear--that the only answer out there is to reform the entire kit-and-caboodle known as Christianity, and get a composter! Or convert to Hinduism or Buddhism if you give a fig about the environment!
To many young Christians, reform is the answer, rather than education, especially when it comes to the environment and truth. Satan pushes his agenda. Don't forget that!
As a Christian we can end the discourse by mentioning, India has one of the ten most polluted areas in the world, and so does China.
Linfen, China, where residents say they literally choke on coal dust in the evenings, exemplifies many Chinese cities. Ranipet, India, where leather tanning wastes contaminate groundwater with hexavalent chromium, made famous by Erin Brockovich, resulting in water that apparently stings like an insect bite. What is the Hindu government doing about pollution? The Ganges River, the Hindu's most sacred place is filled with tons of chemicals, sewage waste and other filth which is dumped into the Gangels daily, by Hindus, spreading disease among the 350 million who live along its shores.
The jest of his theory, which is spreading, is western Christianity literally separated humans from nature in the garden of Eden and created dualism, but other religions saw the divine in every tree, river, animal and bird, and therefore, are more environmentally friendly. Before you point out that Prof. White wrote the article back in 1967, his philosophy is currently in vogue, and eastern religions now enjoy a "superior," attitude toward Christians in the Green Zone of marketing pagan ideas.
There have been signs for sometime time that east beats west in environmental issues. As far back as 2001, USA Today featured an article by Micheal J.Strada, a political science professor and author of, "The tenets of Eastern religion are more compatible with nature than their Western counterparts." I encourage you to read this entire article and see how some of the earlier points made in this series are brought up, and how as Christians we need ready explanations for the accusations against the Christian God. The Dalai Lama said that the need for environmental responsibility dovetails with Buddhist teachings on valuing human life, whether that is one person or the world's entire population.
Statements like these are like car wrecks, you can't look away without wondering how it happened that western Christianity is viewed as the exploiter to everything BAD that's happened to the environment. Volcanoes release more than 120 million tons of CO2 into the atmosphere every year! Why isn't that in the news?
A full scale marketing campaign is ensuing as a guilt trip, a burden for Christians to bear--that the only answer out there is to reform the entire kit-and-caboodle known as Christianity, and get a composter! Or convert to Hinduism or Buddhism if you give a fig about the environment!
To many young Christians, reform is the answer, rather than education, especially when it comes to the environment and truth. Satan pushes his agenda. Don't forget that!
As a Christian we can end the discourse by mentioning, India has one of the ten most polluted areas in the world, and so does China.
Linfen, China, where residents say they literally choke on coal dust in the evenings, exemplifies many Chinese cities. Ranipet, India, where leather tanning wastes contaminate groundwater with hexavalent chromium, made famous by Erin Brockovich, resulting in water that apparently stings like an insect bite. What is the Hindu government doing about pollution? The Ganges River, the Hindu's most sacred place is filled with tons of chemicals, sewage waste and other filth which is dumped into the Gangels daily, by Hindus, spreading disease among the 350 million who live along its shores.
Ask those who preach their eco-friendly eastern message why the Western USA is not listed in the top ten?
People who believe that Christians are polluters are going to tell you that the Hebrew Yahweh, tends to denigrate ecology, since most of the values associated with modern environmentalism were considered feminine traits in Biblical times. Eastern religions embrace both mother and father in God. "If you're closer to the Mother than to the Father, address God as Mother." There's something appealing to a female God, and you'll find some evidence of this in Catholicism, where Christ's mother is an intercessor to her Son.
God of the Bible created this world with all its beauty and perfection. It was called the Garden of Eden. There is no scientific evidence that those practicing eastern religions are happier, healthier, or more earth friendlier than Christians--the total opposite! Don’t be too easily fooled no matter how many degrees (or IMDb credits) are attached to the person’s name pushing the idea that Christians don't care about the environment. Research where these “new ideas” originated from, and who they benefit.
"You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace, and the mountains and the hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of thorn-bush will grow the pine tree, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow. This will be for the Lord's renown, for an everlasting sign, which will not be destroyed." Isaiah 56:3
God of the Bible created this world with all its beauty and perfection. It was called the Garden of Eden. There is no scientific evidence that those practicing eastern religions are happier, healthier, or more earth friendlier than Christians--the total opposite! Don’t be too easily fooled no matter how many degrees (or IMDb credits) are attached to the person’s name pushing the idea that Christians don't care about the environment. Research where these “new ideas” originated from, and who they benefit.
"You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace, and the mountains and the hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of thorn-bush will grow the pine tree, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow. This will be for the Lord's renown, for an everlasting sign, which will not be destroyed." Isaiah 56:3
