By HH Mohrmen
In the concluding session of the recent successful Citizen’s Conference on Environmental Governance organized by Informed-Conscious and Responsible Existence (ICARE) in his closing remarks Phrang Roy raised a pertinent question about the role of faith-based groups in protecting the environment. Rev W. Khongwir, senior pastor of the Presbyterian Church who took the dais later informed that his Church has been organizing Environment Sunday on the first Sunday of June every year. Some days ago it was reported that the Catholic Church under the Mawbir diocese came up with a brilliant idea of generating a new sacred forest and organized a blessing to sanctify the same. This is not only innovative but is also in keeping with the tradition and the idea of generating new sacred groves. It is keeping our ancestral wisdom alive. The Sein Raij with the help of the invention made by late Kambel Shullai has been able to reduce the use of firewood by using eco-friendly crematoria.
Surely other churches and religious groups like the Seng Khasi, the Sein Raij, the Hindu Puja Committee, the Muslim or the Buddhist group have at some time or the other observed World Environment Day (WED) or organized tree plantation to express their concern about the rapid environmental degradation. But the question is whether mere planting of trees and observing WED is enough.
In the West, churches or other religious groups organize special programs to create awareness of the imperative for environmental conservation. For instance the Church of England runs a special program called ‘Shrinking the footprints.” The Church is committed to a Carbon reduction target of 80% by 2050.
The United Church of Christ (UCoC) established a special ministry called the Environmental Ministry which is grounded on Biblical foundation. In Genesis: 1, when God created the heavens and the earth he saw that everything was “very good.” Genesis: 2 says humankind has the freedom to make moral choices; all are responsible for their personal actions or inactions. The UCoC also states freedom entails responsibilities (Prophet Micah) for sustainable lifestyle choices. Micah says we are to do justice, love kindness and mercy, and walk humbly with our God [Mic.6:6-8].
The scriptures compel Christians to act out their faith which is based on wonder, reverence, love, and respect for all of God’s creation. But evidently God’s creation today is groaning under the burden of injustice, greed, and arrogance. Our choices have resulted in vanishing and degraded farmlands, air unfit to breathe and water unfit to drink, unsustainable energy processes and consumption, and the perilous immediate and long-term worldwide consequences of global warming and climate change. And now, we realize every day that our choices threaten the voiceless natural systems that sustain life itself says the UCoC statement.
The Seng Khasi and Sein Raij which are nurturing the ancestral faith and wisdom were also established on a strong theological foundation of respect and reverence for creation. The ancient wisdom of the Khasi Pnar teaches respect for our fellow creatures and to revere Nature where u Ryngkaw u Basa and other deities dwell. Even rivers and other natural phenomenon are worshipped as deities by our ancestors. In the context of Hinduism, the Atharva Veda says “Let there be peace in the heavens, the earth, the atmosphere, the water, the herbs and vegetations, among the divine beings and in Brahman, the absolute reality. Let everything be at peace and in peace. Only then will we find peace.”
The World Council of Churches (WCC) also addresses environmental concerns. It encourage work on the ecological and social effects of climate change, addresses the rights and access to water; develops alternative responses to unsustainable, ecologically unfriendly market and trade paradigms; monitors activities of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, as well as transnational and regional finance institutions, which have environmental impacts. At a Vatican conference on climate change, Pope Benedict urged bishops, scientists and politicians – including UK environment secretary David Miliband – to “respect creation” while “focusing on the needs of sustainable development”.
In September 1986 the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) celebrated its 25th anniversary by bringing together authorities from five major world religions to declare how the teachings of their faith leads each of them to care for nature. The event was instigated by WWF International President Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, and took place over two days in the Italian town of Assisi, chosen for its association with St Francis of Assisi the Catholic saint of ecology. What resulted from this unprecedented project were the Assisi Declarations: separate calls from Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish and Islamic leaders to their own faithful concerning their spiritual relationship with nature and sacred duty to care for it.
But in spite of the fact that all religions are based on strong theological foundations of respect and reverence for nature and in spite of the efforts by religious groups to address the issue of environmental degradation, why are we still facing this environmental crisis of a huge magnitude? Is it because religious groups have failed the environment? Or is it because there is no sincere attempt by the faith-based groups to protect and conserve the environment? Or has religion lost its relevance by not being able to communicate to its members this important issue which is also a threat to the very existence of human being? In the words of Iranian-American philosopher Seyyed Hossein Nasr, “the environmental crisis is fundamentally a crisis of values,” and religion, being the primary source of values in any culture, are thus implicated in the decisions humans make regarding the environment.
Religious group cannot simply wash their hands in this regard. It is obvious that something is wrong in the way the church is handling the environmental issue. Dr. Abdullah Omar Naseef a Muslim leader said “For the Muslim, humankind’s role on earth is that of a Khalifah – vice-regent or trustee of Allah. We are Allah’s stewards and agents on Earth. We are not masters of this Earth; it does not belong to us to do what we wish. It belongs to Allah and He has entrusted us with its safekeeping.” Perhaps the problem is that for too long we have been made to understand that we humans are the masters of the earth instead of its stewards or co-stewards.
At the organisational level the church, synagogue, mosque, temples, gurdwara, monastery and other religious groupings can start from small beginnings. Faith groups which used to cremate their dead can use eco-friendly crematoria and convert their cremation grounds to sacred forests. Churches can think on this line and consecrate graveyards into sacred groves and insist that instead of making tombstones, families should plan trees in memory of their loved ones. Religious groups can think of constructing eco-friendly buildings and use only renewable energy like wind and sun to power their buildings and premises.
At the individual level, religions can inculcate ethical eating amongst its members; they can also make use of the pulpit to preach on using water and electricity judiciously. They could provoke their members to think how many cars they need or what type of vehicle do they really need to buy. They could influence members to use car pooling and insist that they use public transport as much as possible. Perhaps religious groups can impress on their followers the need to take better care of their waste and more importantly to minimize waste generation and to help segregate waste at household levels.
These are small and simple acts that not only religious people can do, but even agnostics and atheists can act likewise and make a big difference. We all have a role to play in protecting and preserving the environment. I believe every simple act counts and even choosing not to throw sweets wrappers, pan-masala and gutka packets in the street can make a difference. Doing so is no longer an option. It is an imperative. Unless we do so we will perish because if the environment dies we die too.