OntheWilderSide

from Faiths United for Sustainable Energy

More than 80 % of the world’s inhabitants – nearly 5 billion people – identify with a major organized religion.

Each faith has its own customs, laws, practices, and beliefs that have helped guide the lives of individuals through the challenges and difficulties of life.

The principles of these faiths have had a profound impact on humanity – molding the laws, values, and behaviors of people for thousands of years.

Today, we face challenges more complex and difficult than ever before.

Human rights abuses, global conflict, environmental crises, and illness on a global scale are linked by one common fact: our dependence on petroleum, fossil fuels, and other non-renewable natural resources.

In the past, faith communities have joined together to address global challenges, such as helping bring an end to apartheid in South Africa, marching for civil rights in the United States, and raising awareness of the genocide occurring in Darfur.

On a local level, faith groups have joined together to help feed the hungry, educate the underprivileged, and fight against discrimination. As part of a global community where the effects of our actions and lifestyles transcend geographic boundaries, faith communities must recognize and act on their potential and capacity to address the harmful effects of our dependence on petroleum and fossil fuels.

The issues of human rights, global conflict, environmental crisis and illness are universal concerns across all faiths and must be addressed collectively by faith communities through an organized campaign of education and action by communities around the world.

• In the biblical story of creation, God grants humanity dominion over the earth. Genesis 2:15 states: “The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.”

• In the Christian gospels, loving one’s neighbor and non-violence are the key teachings of Jesus. It is stated in John 4:20: “If any one says, ’I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.”

• Islam’s Koran explains that Allah said that he created nature in a balance, or mizam, and that it is mankind’s responsibility to maintain this fragile equilibrium. The Prophet Muhammad stated: “Whoever is kind to the creatures of God is kind to himself.” Further in the Hadith tradition, Muhammad is said to have rebuked his followers for failing to show compassion. “But we do show compassion,” they responded, “to our wives, children and relatives.” The Prophet insisted, “It is not this to which I refer. I am speaking of universal mercy.” According to tradition (Hadith Mishkat 3:1392), Muhammad taught that “all creatures are like a family of God; and He loves the most those who are the most beneficent to His family.”

• According to Judaism’s Torah, God commands Jews to practice Tikkun Olam, repairing the world through acts of loving kindness. The Talmudic law of Bal Tashchit, ”do not destroy,” is based on the biblical commandment not to destroy fruit-bearing trees while laying siege to a warring city. The Torah also commands: “You shall not oppress a stranger, for you know the feelings of the stranger, having yourselves been strangers in the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 23:9). The most often repeated commandment in the Torah, appearing 36 times, is the injunction against mistreating the stranger.

• One of the four vices in Buddhism is “the destruction of life,” which is strictly forbidden, whereas a crucial practice as guided by the Tipitaka, a holy Buddhist text, is living in harmony with nature, including one’s fellow humanity.

• The Vedas, which are the oldest religious writings in Hinduism, present a key practice called Dharma, living by the principles of righteousness, holiness, and unity. Some of the key tenets of Dharma are the practice of charity, truthfulness, forgiveness, non-violence, compassion, simplicity, absence of greed, self-control, and non-thieving.

Filed under: Global Warming, Spiritual Study, sustainability, sustainable Tagged: | bible, buddhism, christian, Faith, hinduism, islam, jewish, koran, religion, renewable energy, torah