Environmentalism - The New Religion
Fortune Magazine’s April 2 2007 edition has almost a third of the issue on the topic of going green.It highlights companies that have gone green and how their respective businesses have thrived more after going green because of increased revenues, reduced costs or both. It has an interview with Arnold Schwarzenegger as well and the impact of his policies in California on the entire USA.
One of the companies highlighted is Patagonia, a sports goods manufacturer and marketer. The founder, Yvon Chouinard, is so much into environmentalism that he believes that humans are destined to be extinct within the next 100 years. Governor Schwarzenegger on the other hand is sanguine that mankind is not destined to doom but we can reserve the ill-effects of our past actions that may have contributed to global warming and pollution.
I notice that many people who are obsessed with the green movement tend to treat it as a new religion. Most of them are also to be found in America and Europe. Maybe this not a coincidence but is correlated to the decline in practice of traditional religion or specifically Christianity.
Being an environmentalist is not wrong in itself, but environmentalism or more correctly conservation of the environment is a very Christian act. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that we should treat the environment with respect as the environment was created by God (CCC 2415-2418 & 2456). Hence we are respecting God by respecting his creation. The are many who wrongly interpret Genesis 1:28-29, as a passport to rape the earth.
The proper place of conservation has to be part of our holistic worship of God. Correct environmentalism shouldn’t be divorced of honor to God. The mere existence of all creatures gives praise to God. So should we.
