Environmental Stewardship – A Religious Issue?
Changing Public Policy Through Spiritual Perception
The land is endowed with many spirits. It is sacred. Paganism and Earth based Spirituality is keenly aware of this fact.
Unfortunately, not all religions are.
The data shows that religious ideals can effect public policy and even how people vote.
(Data From Enviroknow)
Popular political issues in terms of religion are reducing poverty and preventing abortion.
Yet the desire to reduce pollution and climate change are at the bottom of the list.
Imagine how society would change, if more people connected with the Earth at a spiritual level, rather than just looking at it as a data point or as a resource for consumption.
And for the Judeo Christians out there, even the bible states that lessons can be learned from the Earth.
Job 12:7-10. But ask the animals, and they will teach you; or birds of the air
and they will tell you; or speak to the earth and it will teach you; or let the fish
of the sea inform you.
And that we are responsible for the land’s care:
Lev. 25:23-24. The land is mine and you are but aliens and my tenants.
Throughout the country that you hold as a possession, you must provide for the
redemption of the land.
Metal Gaia 
i don’t know that it is a religious issue, but I think it is an issue of conscience and spirituality. The concept of moral discernment applies to environmental stewardship. Did I leave it better than I found it? That is important to ask one’s self.
November 8, 2012 at 10:12 pm
Yes, I agree. Religion in itself is a sticky issue. Yet the reality is that a large proportion of the electorate make decisions based on their religious belief (since the Judeo Christian crowd are the majority). If the United States were truly a secular country, Gay marriage and adoption wouldn’t be issues. There would be no need to talk about abortion. Teaching evolution in the classroom wouldn’t be such a hot button concept. Yet religion, it seems, still motivates a lot of people to effect policy. Environmental stewardship is definitely a matter of conscience, spirituality and morality. The Earth is our mother and a good person treats their mother with respect and love (since the Earth is a nourishing and replenishing mother). Yet I think if more people saw Environmental Stewardship as a religious issue too, people would be more moved to do what is necessary to care for an entity that is sacred – rather than just using it like a machine. Thank you for your response!
November 9, 2012 at 1:01 am
You are welcome and thank you for this. I enjoyed your mindful response.
November 9, 2012 at 10:08 am