The Influence of Western Civilization

Western civilization has significantly shaped our worldviews and behaviors, not always for the better. It has championed an excessive form of intellectualism that often neglects spiritual balance. Simultaneously, it has fostered extreme individualism, undermining the importance of community cohesion.

Economic Impact on Nature

The West’s approach to economy and progress has led to significant environmental degradation. Through rampant market consumerism, it has encouraged the overexploitation of natural resources, damaging ecosystems and depleting resources. Its uncritical adoption of economic globalization and exclusive nationalism has often come at a high cost, namely human lives and well-being.

Human Nature and Responsibility

However, blaming Western civilization solely for these issues oversimplifies the problem. The root cause lies in human nature itself. Rather than pointing fingers at specific cultures or structures, we should examine our own roles within society. After all, our actions as individuals contribute to the collective outcome. Recognizing our wasteful habits and their origins in our propensity towards sin could be a key step towards addressing the environmental crisis.

Rethinking Sin and Responsibility

Religious communities have traditionally viewed sin as a disruption in relationships between humans or between humanity and God. However, the current environmental crisis urges us to consider the broader implications of sin, which extend beyond social or narrowly spiritual dimensions. Every act of pollution or destruction against nature is, in essence, an offense against its Creator.

Stewardship, Not Ownership

As humans, we are stewards of creation, not its owners. The environmental issue is not merely ethical or moral; it’s ontological, requiring a change in our very being and behavior. This change is what repentance implies – a radical shift in perspective and conduct.

Repentance and Worldview

In Greek, the word for “repentance” is metanoia, signifying an inner transformation that inevitably alters one’s entire worldview. We need to repent not only for our wrongdoings against God and fellow humans but also for our attitude towards the world and how we treat it.

Broadening the Concept of Sin

The understanding of sin must encompass all human beings and all of creation. Religions need to recognize the severity of this kind of sin to cultivate the right values and virtues needed to protect God’s creation in all its forms – human, animal, and natural. A renewed commitment to repentance in our attitude towards nature is urgently needed to mitigate threats to our planet’s fragile ecosystems, such as global warming.