Introduction
An organized collection of cultural systems, world views, and belief systems, which relate humanity to spirituality and moral values, is what is generally referred to as religion. On the other hand, environment is the nature that surrounds us. Throughout the world there are many religions which have different views about the environment. Therefore, religious beliefs in people prescribe how they perceive the environment that surrounds them. Different religions have roved to perceive the environment in diverse ways. Some religions believe that the environment is God-given source of livelihood whereas others attach responsibility to the environment.
According to Buddhist religion, all life is interdependent and interrelated. They believe that natural environment or nature is alive and partly conscious. Therefore, the nature deep reality is not separate from the Buddha nature. Environment is believed by this religion as a conventional designation that is useful without any intrinsic, unique reality of its own. They understand environment as the living web, which interconnects human beings, both non sentiment and sentiment, in interdependence. The ultimate thing about this web is that Buddha nature is Buddha -ness. All beings that are sentiment in this religion are considered to possess the Buddha-nature. The natural environments patterns are viewed as not separate from those of humans own body. Wilderness and nature is imperative to the Buddhists people since it provides an arena where fast progress in self cultivation or Buddhist practice can be made.
In the Muslim religion, the noble Quran says that one and true God created the natural environment that we all see. God is believed to be the creator of the earth hence it belongs to him and not to us. Therefore, in this religion, people believe that God placed us on this universe hence we should not harm or destroy it because we do not own it. The Quran goes further and points out that our natural environment is a sigh that there is a creator. As a result, the environment according to Muslim religion is good hence something that is beneficial to all human beings and we must naturally look after it.
The mainstream of Christianity has embraced environmental conservation and protection both in modern practice and in scriptures. Christians believe that God created the entire universe of which He continues to care for it. According to the Old Testament, human beings have masterly and stewardship over the creation of God including the environment. However, this masterly has given human beings the freedom to exploit the environment for their own personal gains. In fact, critics have painted the Christian fraternity as the cause of environmental exploitation and degradation. Christianity has given human power over the environment. This has seen men engaging in activities, which pollute the environment and affect the climate and life at large.
Mormons are a cultural and religious following associated to Mormonism .The church has a more than enough connection with the environmentalism in promoting genuine and productive change towards environmental behaviors. The belief is environmentally friendly and provides for powerful moral motivation for ecologically stable livingThe stand and principles of Mormons show striking parallelism and resemblance with the current work by religious concerned environmentalists and ecotheologians. Although the church has faced a lot of criticism on matters pertaining to the environment, The Mormon religion has remained relevant and clear on its policies and beliefs on the environment.
The Catholic Church provides distinctive and developing perspective on matters relating to the environment. The church believes in a number of themes drawn from the teachings of the Catholic Church. The church upholds a belief that the universe is sacramental and God-centered and hence humans have a stewardship role over it and are accountable for the fate of the earth. The church believes that God dwells in various in various natural features such as mountaintops, deserts, waterfalls, among others. Through these natural features, which exist within our environment, are our mediums of communication with the creator. According to the church, faithful stewardship involves living responsibly within the God’s creation and all that is in the universe including the environment.
Works cited
Edwards, Colin. 2000. “Response to Letter: The Buddha: Friendship and Beauty.”
Buddhist Studies Review 17, no. 1, pp. 49–64.
Merritt, Jonathan (2010). Green like God: unlocking the divine plan for our planet. New York: Faith Words. ISBN 978-0-446-55725-2.
