Catholic ecology

In writing my final paper I read a number of papal addresses about the need for treating the environment. A big role model for me is Saint John Paul II, his thoughts on caring for the environment inspired me. I learned more about John Paul II in a biography on him by Jason Evert. Evert wrote about John Paul's greatest five loves, love of the Eucharist, love of the Virgin Mary, and love of the Youth. These three chapters about John Paul changed my life. The fact he viewed these things and everything and person he encounter as a gift. I could not imagine that. As a man in the twentieth century, I found his perception of things as inspiring and beautiful. I wanted to perceive the world like John Paul because he was able to see God and Jesus just about everywhere. This perception was a big part of the class for me. My interaction with the environment and everyone in it can be a way for me to glorify God.

Ecology of Eden

I found my chapter on the over consumption of the land coming from the advancement of agricultural technology, interesting. Through the technology inspired by monks, the agriculture industry grew rapidly which Eisenberg argues caused the black death. The argument is not full proof but interesting. The agriculture advancement appeared to have an impact on the population. The population increased exponentially over a short period of time. Agricultural clearly has a large impact on mankind. The industry is run by man yet, man does not appear to be fully in control. Yet, the greed of man is what appears to be in control. Even today big corporations overrun the agriculture industry and corrupt it. I watched Food Inc. and watching how the corporations in the poultry industry forced people to treat their chickens in terrible ways was heartbreaking. I turn back to the idea of Christians needing to be the beginning of a change in these areas. There was talk of ministries beginning for these problems in Nature to Creation. I love the idea that Christians begin ministering to the agriculture industry, ministering to God's creation. I think ministering to humans is obviously more important but bringing those who need ministering to into these programs is ministering. Additionally, the good effect it would have would be beneficial to a large number of the population. Caring for God's creation with His children!

Nature to Creation

In Nature to Creation, there was a focus on Christians being specially called to stand for change n the treatment of the environment. Because of God's gift of man having dominion over the earth, there is a responsibility of man to the world. As human and especially as Christians the responsibility is because our understanding the gift God gave to us. I love the idea that with this great knowledge of God's gift we have a great responsibility to care for it. Christians have a responsibility to spread the Gospel and a similar but less important responsibility to care for the earth and share their knowledge of why with the world. Through God's Word, Christians know this and through His grace, we can fulfill His command, not perfectly.

Receiving gifts

In Christian tradition, the sacrament of the Last Supper is a remembrance of Jesus' sacrifice on the Cross. The different denominations do not agree on the theology behind the actual substance of the bread and wine received. As a Catholic, I believe it to be, through the grace of God, the actual Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus being received each time in the Eucharist. The theology behind this can be tough to explain. The point of all this is that as Christians we understand that there are gifts that we receive that can't possibly be imitated. In class, there was a discussion on how consuming food was this great gift. I would not recommend a Sacramental approach to food. I would recommend however that there needs to be a greater care for food and how we consume because of the great gift it is. Christians must once again be at the front of the change in the world's perception of food. It is a gift, not anything we deserve, only through the love of God do we have it.

Power of voice

In class we talked about how in the book of Genesis God gave man dominion over the world through words. The power of speech is another gift from God. A gift that should be utilized by man. Utilized by man in order to better care for the earth he has dominion over. The speech used given to man dominion, while simple, were more powerful than any other words ever. Simplicity and truth must be spoken in order to right the wrongs of the culture that has no care for the environment. Through this class I began to understand just how important and my voice is. My voice must be used for good and truth. When thinking about the environment I realize that my voice must be used to glorify God.

Ocean pollution

My senior year of high school I did a project on the great pacific garbage patch. This collection of garbage in the pacific ocean is as big as Texas. It is cause by this thing called an ocean gyre. The currents of the ocean flow in a way that keeps the trash in the center of the gyre. The trash is incredibly tough to pick up because the sun has disintegrated the plastic into small pieces. Over the past few years I have heard of a few ideas that were out there about how to pick up the garbage. There is still a garbage patch, no solution has been enacted. There are probably a number of smaller scale environmental issues that have been similarly put off. My question is why? What are we waiting for? The perfect solution isn't out there, inaction will not promote change. I write this questioning what is stopping change and how we can promote a culture of effecting positive change to the treatment of the environment, especially for Christians.

Litter

I have a problem, I hate trash.Everywhere I go I try to pick up all the trash. I don't have enough time to pick up all the trash I pass just on my walk to class. The lack of care somebody has to have to leave or drop trash intentionally really troubles me. In thinking through our time in class, we talked about the lack of respect we appear to have for the earth. I experience it every time I walk outside. There is constantly trash. The only potential solution to this appears to be changing the human perspective on the damages of littering. Knowledge and small changes can have a giant impact, I wish very bad that people would recognize that. I remember my freshmen year I had a idea for a organization combining cleaning up garbage and Christian ministry. After this class I realize that being a Christian means that I have a responsibility to care for the earth.