Being Green is to Work for God
Evans Chama – And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good (Gen 1:31). That is the refrain that marks the work of creation. The entire universe is a garden which God has entrusted to the management of human beings, as the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church (CSDC) puts it.

It’s as simple as lights out. Turning off a light when it’s not needed can reduce the emission of greenhouse gases the main cause of worldwide climate change. And working to protect the environment, the Church teaches, is a divine vocation. (Photo: Nancy Wiechec/CNS)
Besides, salvation is perceived as restoration of creation. Hence, safeguarding creation is not just an ecological matter but also theological (CSDC, 452); it is an existential vocation of human beings.
Therefore, they are to use the created things in the light of this vocation, both in the use of the resources of the earth as well as in the application of science and technology, which are not just brilliant achievements of human initiative but, more than that, the fulfilment of the divine vocation.
Naturally then, scientific and technological advancement should be evaluated not only in terms of how beneficial it is, but also by how it is used according to the will of God.
It is about human beings taking their proper place; they are not masters but co-creators who are subordinate to God. They cannot put themselves and their creativity in opposition to God (CSDC 460).
Indeed, when this hierarchy is unsettled we observe the abusive relationship between human beings and the environment. This, the CSDC says, can be seen in man’s pretension of exercising unconditional dominion over things, heedless of any moral considerations which, on the contrary, must distinguish all human activity (461).
In his address to the participants in a convention on The Environment on Health in March 1997, Pope John Paul II brought out concretely the issue at stake: The aspect of the conquest and exploitation of resources has become predominant and invasive, and today it has even reached the point of threatening the environment’s hospitable aspect: the environment as resource risks threatening the environment as home.
This mentality which John Paul II addresses comes not necessarily from science and technology, both of which are esteemed by the Church, but from scientism and technocratic ideologies where nature appears as an instrument in the hands of man, a reality that he must constantly manipulate (CSDC, 462).
The Church on safeguarding the environment
Therefore the Church aims not only at safeguarding nature but also at ensuring its correct and balanced view which prevents the utilitarian reduction of nature to a mere object to be manipulated and exploited.
At the same time, it must not absolutise nature and place it above the dignity of the human person himself. When one has a healthy relationship with God he stands a better chance of having an equally healthy relationship with others and with the environment, especially appreciating nature as a precious gift from God to be nurtured and safeguarded (CSDC 463-4).
In his 1997 address, John Paul II optimistically expressed the conviction and hope of the Church: If humanity today succeeds in combining the new scientific capacities with a strong ethical dimension, it will certainly be able to promote the environment as a home and a resource for man or all men, and will be able to eliminate the causes of pollution and to guarantee adequate conditions of hygiene and health.
Safeguarding the environment is a universal duty for the common good and that of future generations. Responsibility for the environment, the common heritage of mankind, extends not only to the present needs but also to those of the future, the CSDC says.
There must be equilibrium between economic activity and environmental protection; economic development should not solely be a matter of maximisation of profit.
Similarly, biotechnologies, certainly useful, must be evaluated not only in terms of usefulness but also their moral impact.
However, nature is a gift offered by the Creator to the human community, entrusted to the intelligence and moral responsibility of men and women. For this reason the human person does not count an illicit act when, out of respect for the order, beauty and usefulness of individual living beings and their function in the ecosystem, he intervenes by modifying some of their characteristics or properties (CSDC 473).
While it is true there are alarming effects of ecological disturbance, it is not fear that inspires the Church in its call to safeguard the environment, but respect for the idea that the goods of the earth are destined for all.
Of course, serious ecological problems call for an effective change of mentality leading to the adoption of new lifestyles (CSDC 486). This change is the discipline of how we use goods; we fight against the mentality of mere consumption and develop the forms of production that respect and safeguard creation.
Human beings will show gratitude to God in the manner they use creation, thus, belief in God the Creator is important also for ecology, just as respect for ecology says a lot about our reverence for the creator.
Mahatma Gandhi adds his voice to this vocation of humankind: What we are doing to the forests of the world is but a mirror reflection of what we are doing to ourselves and to one another.
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