What religion can teach climate scientists

[cbayer]

https://www.bostonglobe.com/magazine/2015/07/25/what-religion-can-teach-climate-scientists/LAZYZ6DBVHr1THqvWFXffO/story.html#

Bill McKibben on the New England roots of religious environmentalism.


Activist Bill McKibben speaks about persuading universities to divest from fossil fuels.

By Bill McKibben July 26, 2015

Pope Francis’s remarkable encyclical, Laudato Si’, has been rightly hailed as a watershed moment in the climate debate, the moment when religion finally took note of what science had been saying for a couple of decades. As with all watersheds, though, the river at the bottom draws its power from all the creeks that feed in along the way?—?it’s worth remembering just how many people (a large number of them in Massachusetts) have worked over the years to build a true faith-based environmental movement. How they’ve managed to do it holds lessons for all of us trying to spread the word about climate change.

Twenty-five years ago, when this work was just getting started, there was nothing easy about it: In liberal churches and synagogues, environmentalism was considered slightly elitist, a task to be gotten to once the serious business of war and hunger had been dealt with. In conservative congregations, anything green was considered a depot on the track to paganism.

But there were always a few people who read Scripture with enough care to find consistent threads of stewardship and ecological consciousness. To see, in fact, that war and hunger and poverty were deeply connected to the earth. And not just in the Judeo-Christian tradition: Harvard, under the leadership of Mary Evelyn Tucker and John Grim, convened a series of remarkable conferences where theologians from Islam, Jainism, Confucianism, and a variety of other global faiths mined their traditions for contributions to an environmental worldview.

That early scholarly work put down roots and eventually began to bear fruit. Religious groups like Interfaith Power & Light?—?originally Episcopal Power & Light, cofounded in 1997 by Steve MacAusland of Dedham?—?focused at first on making sure churches installed efficient light bulbs and lowered their thermostats; political action was still a little way off. Within a few years, however, groups like Religious Witness for the Earth were springing up in Greater Boston and organizing some of the climate movement’s initial acts of civil disobedience. In 2007, marchers were stepping off from the Unitarian Church in Northampton for one of the world’s first religious pilgrimages on the issue, an 85-mile winter march. After nine days, it reached Old South Church in Copley Square, where Unitarian minister Fred Small told the crowd, in words that presaged the pope’s, “When we look beyond the horizon of despair, we see however faintly a future of hope?—?a world where we live harmoniously and sustainably, where individual freedom is exercised with care for creation and community.”

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[skepticscott]

1. "Rightly hailed"?

What codswallop. Nothing of substance has changed as a result of the encyclical. It may be decades before we can look back and say what was or wasn't a "watershed" event. Right now, anyone who claims to know what is or isn't is a moron.

Just another example of trying to credit "liberal" and "progressive" religion with something it doesn't deserve.

[Act_of_Reparation]

2. What dishonest shit.

Last edited Fri Jul 24, 2015, 10:39 AM - Edit history (1)

At what university are climate scientists in charge of financial operations? At what university does academic faculty have any say in how the institution's funds are invested?

Give me a fucking break.

[edhopper]

3. 1997 and 2007

Decades after the environmental movement began religion starts to get on board.
But not because of the overwhelming science. They need to study their ancient text for justification.
What bullshit.

[Act_of_Reparation]

4. The world drops on its knees to praise the Pope for doing less than Al Gore did in 2006.

But fuck it. He's the Pope who sleeps on floors, wears black shoes, and hugs sick people. So he wins.

[Humanist_Activist]

5. Nothing, they can teach nothing, is this what passes for commentary in the religious world?

Its great that churches are trying to be more environmentally conscious, but the education goes one way, from the science to the society, including the religious organization in that society.

[cbayer]

12. Sorry you did not enjoy it. I thought it was very interesting commentary.

I see an opportunity for a very productive partnership here and disagree that this is a one way street.

Many religious people feel a stewardship that is very valuable.

[AtheistCrusader]

6. If only shoveling pro-religion bullshit was an alternative energy source, you could power a city.

[Lordquinton]

7. I prefer the term horse hockey

Steer manure has uses in the world.

[G_j]

8. clever, I suppose

but also a personal attack, lacking in any substance.

[AtheistCrusader]

9. If you feel that's actually a personal attack, there's a button you can push.

I'd say the op is lacking in substance too.

[G_j]

10. the only reason I saw this

is because I served on a jury that let it stand. I never partake in this forum. Obviously, I didn't agree with the jury. I suppose nastiness is to be expected in this forum, given the subject matter.

[AtheistCrusader]

11. It's a long standing grudge match.

I don't blame you if you feel it was missing context, or seemed unwarranted/random.

Been going on for years.

[Lordquinton]

13. Personal attack against whom?

The pope isn't a member of DU, is a public figure open to criticism and calling out, and is an ultra conservative christian fundamentalist (catholic, to be specific).

I guess the alerter spun the alert in a way to suggest it was an attack against the op, care to post the results?