Dominion or Stewardship?

[Jen]

What does your religion say about the environment? How have the beliefs of regarding the environment changed over time?

These are interesting questions to me. In the Judeo-Christian tradition, there are two popular views on the environment, stemming from the book of Genesis. In Genesis, God gives humans the earth and all that is in it. So, the question is, are humans sovereign over the earth, free to do with it as we wish? Or are we stewards of the earth, given the task of caring for it? How does that view point affect how you view the world around you?

In Judaism, for instance, you will find few people today who would argue for dominion. At present, Jews would agree that man has a duty from God to care for the earth and all that is in it. We have control of the earth, but are expected to use that control wisely to take care of creation. Because Judaism tends to be a religion more of works than of faith, this duty to the earth has a certain gravity to it that I find to be less prevalent in the Christian theology I have studied. Protestant Christianity focuses heavily on being a religion of faith. The New Testament specifically claims that no one gains entry to heaven except through faith in Jesus Christ. To note, environmentalism is a concern we are, for the most part, only just beginning to see as a religious concern. I'm interested to hear what people think of the environment from a religious point of view.

Considering that religion is one of the oldest forms of government, it seems like problems involving ethics and social order should have particular focus within religious communities. Environmental issues are unique in their ability to affect large numbers of people in varied and devastating ways. So then, the question in religion becomes not just a question of the environment and taking care of God's creation, but becomes a question of ecojustice. Ecojustice is primarily concerned with how the most severe problems with the environment and pollution affect poorer or disadvantaged segments of the population more profoundly (think of large factories putting waste water back into public water supplies without treatment... the corporation gets all the benefit while the people who have to drink the water are left with all of the costs).

I want your thoughts, ideas, opinions, beliefs on this issue! Let's get some discussion started here at Interpretations!

[David]

First we must understand that everything is God’s. He has dominion and ownership over everything; heaven and earth as shown in:

Deuteronomy 10:14 NKJV " Indeed heaven and the highest heavens belong to the LORD your God, [also] the earth with all that [is] in it. " Also shown in (Exodus 9:29), (1 Chronicles 29:11)(Psalm 24:1),(Psalm 47:2),(Psalm 47:7),(Psalm 89:11), and (1 Corinthians 10:26)

With that in mind, let us look at this next verse:

Genesis 1:26 NKJV " Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." "

This verse states that God has given man dominion (i.e. the power or right of governing and controlling; sovereign authority); “radah” (dominion) is used here to represent a physical and earthly rulership. Note that this gift, which in fact it is just a gift, was given before the fall of man. It was given to man while man was still in his pure state and visage of God. Notice that the statement of dominion is within the same sentence structure as the likeness and visage of God. Therefore, it is my understanding that, God intended for man to use his dominion in a righteous, just and loving manner (i.e. as in the image of God). This, however, is before the fall of man. As man falls and becomes corrupt so does his dominion (I will touch on this topic below).

This rulership, also, does not extend over mankind, nature, or the environment. As shown above, “over all the earth” is labeling mankind’s extent of dominion i.e. man shall have dominion to the extents of all the earth. It is an expression showing vast rulership. God clarifies this in the verse below:

Genesis 1:28 NKJV " Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth." "

“… fill the earth and subdue it…” is commanding us to explore, expand and cultivate the earth. What is cultivation though? Is it caring for the land and assisting the life there to grow or is it mass farming? By definition, to cultivate is to “to promote or improve the growth of (a plant, crop, etc.) by labor and attention” also to “to seek the acquaintance or friendship of (a person)”. I believe that God intended us to subdue the earth by cultivating it with a combination of these definitions. Also, here God clarifies that our dominion is not over the land but of the creatures within it. The physical earth and environment are excluded from our dominion and should then be revered as belonging to God and not ourselves. This lack of dominion over nature is apparent today with natural disasters.

This whole concept can be symbolized with the image of a father (God) providing his family (mankind) with a house with land (earth) and pets (living creatures). Before the fall of man, I believe God’s intention was for mankind to live at peace with the animals around him and to live in relationship with Him. Mankind was not allowed to kill and eat the living creatures until after man’s corruption and fall. The verse:

Genesis 9:3 NKJV " Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. I have given you all things, even as the green herbs. "

Appears distinctly after the fall and even after the great flood and after this verse:

Genesis 1:29-30 NKJV " {v29}And God said, "See, I have given you every herb [that] yields seed which [is] on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. {v30}Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which [there is] life, every green herb for food"; and it was so. "

Which distinctly and clearly says that plants are our food source and excludes living creatures from this. Of course, after the fall and after the great flood, Noah gives a sacrifice of one of every clean living creature and God reacts by blessing the world with:

Genesis 9:1-3 NKJV " {v1}So God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them: "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth. {v2} And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be on every beast of the earth, on every bird of the air, on all that move [on] the earth, and on all the fish of the sea. They are given into your hand. {v3} Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. I have given you all things, even as the green herbs. {v4}.... "

[MornelyssNiSaire]

In Druid ritual, we honor the Earth Mother first and foremost, as the Giver of Life, She who sustains us all with her gifts of light and air and food. Later in the ritual format, we also honor the Nature Spirits - all the plants and animals who share their lives and our home with us. In doing so, we remind ourselves that we are a part of the web of life and are required to honor that web and do our best to maintain it.

This maintaining can be done by simple acts - eating more simply, recycling, cleaning up a stream, choosing eco-friendly products, feeding the local wildlife. Most Druids see our duty as stewardship, invoking the principle of Honor for our fellow beings on the Earth.