John Paul II: Peace With God the Creator, Peace With All of Creation
Summary
Introduction
John Paul II says there is growing awareness today that world peace is threatened by lack of respect for nature, using up too many natural resources and a constant decrease in quality of life. This also leads to selfishness, disregard for others and dishonesty. Now that we have destroyed the environment people have realised that we can’t continue to use up the earth’s resources. An ecological awareness is beginning to spread throughout the public as well as political leaders, which should be encouraged. Many of the challenges throughout the earth depend on each other; this means that solutions need to be logical and useable around the whole world.
“And God Saw That it Was Good”
In the book of Genesis the phrase “And God saw that it was good” is repeated many times. After creating everything upon the earth God created man and woman and after this the phrase changes considerably, “And God saw everything he had made, and behold, it was very good”. Only after God had created man and woman to look after the rest of creation could he rest. This act separates humans from all other creatures but also establishes a relationship between humans and creation. Adam and Eve were to have dominance over the earth as they were made in the likeness and image of God. Unfortunately they disobeyed God and chose sin, upsetting the present harmony of the earth and resulting in a bad future for man from that point onwards. However, Christians believe that the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ reconciled humanity with God by “making peace by the blood of his cross”. Creation was then made new and received new life as it waited for a new earth that was peaceful. God had shown his wisdom in his plan to use Jesus to unite all things in God’s name.
These stories from the bible help us understand the relationship that humans have with all of creation. When man disobeys the Creator’s plan, this affects the rest of creation. If man is not at peace with God then the earth cannot be at peace either. Therefore, everything on earth is upset by the bad choices of humans and the earth is suffering. This occurs when people disregard their actions as they do not directly affect them. People are now asking if we can repair the damage that has been done and obviously, as much as it will help, we can’t just cut down on our use of the earth’s resources. Instead we must face the entire problem, and destruction of the environment is only one part of it.
The Ecological Crisis: A Moral Problem
There have been many advances in science and technology that have benefited humans. However, they have also resulted in harmful long-term effects on the earth. We now realise that we can’t continue to interfere with part of our ecosystem without thinking about how it will affect other areas of the ecosystem and also how it will affect future generations. The ever-growing hole in the ozone layer and greenhouse effect are now a very serious problem because of industrial and urban growth and increased needs for energy. Industrial waste, burning fossil fuels, deforestation and using certain chemicals can all harm the atmosphere. The damage is already done in some areas but in other cases it can still be stopped. However, everyone must realise that it is their responsibility as much as everyone else’s to contribute and make a difference.
The most obvious cause for these problems is lack of respect for life which is evident through the way people pollute with no consideration to its effects. Many people in production are more concerned about getting it done than concerned about how it will affect workers and economic decisions are made without consideration of effects on other people. In these cases environmental destruction is caused by man’s obsession with getting what he wants, no matter the consequences of his actions. Fragile ecosystems are also disrupted by unrestrained use of natural resources and destruction of animal and plant life. Also, if we do biological research and experimentation and genetically create new life forms this could affect the balance of ecosystems and have bad consequences. In order to obtain a stable ecological environment we must respect all forms of life and the dignity of the human being.
In Search of a Solution
We must respect the balance of the earth. God created the earth so that every individual would have access to its resources, however today there are only an amount of fortunate people who have more than they need, while many people are living in terrible conditions and do not have enough to sustain themselves. This demonstrates how greed and selfishness are contributing to the way in which we do not follow the plan of the creator.
We also need to face these problems internationally and have all States cooperating with each other to come up with a long-term plan of action. However, this does not mean that there is less of a responsibility for each individual State. Each State should look after its economy and the well-being of its own ecosystem. The public should have the right to a safe environment.
Urgent Need for a New Solidarity
There is an urgent ethical need for a new unity between States and countries. For example the recently industrialised States can’t be expected to be restrictive with their industries unless already industrialised States abide by the same rules. Also, countries that are becoming industrialised are likely to make the same mistakes that have been made by others in the past and continue to damage the environment. Here, we need to come up with a way to safely treat and dispose of toxic wastes. Not much can be done though, unless world leaders realise the need for solidarity which is essential for coming up with the answer to ecological problems. This offers new opportunities to establish peaceful and cooperative relationships between States.
Proper ecological balance cannot be found unless we properly focus on resolving issues of poverty in the world. Poorer people earn money from farming however, their land is not great and once it can no longer be of use to them they move on to new land. This can either increase the problem of deforestation as they clear more land or these people move to urban areas which can’t properly support them. Also, some largely indebted countries are destroying their natural heritage in order to export new products, which is largely contributing to ecological imbalances. Therefore it would be immoral to say that it is the only the poor that are having negative impacts on the environment because of their actions. Instead, we must help the poor out of their situation.
War is another threat to us and science has already been able to change the environment for unpleasant purposes. If a global war was to occur, it would have massive impacts on the ecology. Even small wars between countries do more than just destroy human life. They can also damage the land; crops, vegetation as well as poisoning water and soil.
We must also be educated on ecological responsibility, both for ourselves, others and for the earth. We must be taught how to act and think appropriately and in the family must the child must learn to respect and care for everything. Religious, non-governmental and governmental organisations and everyone in general can all assist in the role of education.
The visual value of creation is also important. The bible always speaks of the goodness and beauty of creation. The beauty of creation itself should motivate people to care for and preserve it.
The Ecological Crisis: A Common Responsibility
The ecological crisis is the responsibility of everyone. It also proves the need for collaborations between countries, states, communities and individuals. We also need to preserve the environment for future generations. Even people who are not religious realise their duty to the contribution of restoring the environment to a healthy state; so those who believe in God and his plan for creation and believe in the unity and order in the world, should especially be ready to contribute to the cause. For Christians this is an important part of their faith.
Catholics should be particularly committed to helping the earth through their belief in God the Creator, their recognition of sin, both the sin original sin of Adam and Eve and also personal sin, and finally from the knowledge that they were reconciled by Jesus Christ.
In 1979, St Francis of Assisi was declared patron of those promoting ecology because of his genuine respect for nature. He was a friend to the poor and loved by all of creation and tells us that when we are at peace with God we can devote ourselves to creating peace between creation. Pope John Paul II hopes that St Francis will inspire us to keep a sense of brotherhood and harmony between all of God’s creation and also that it is our duty to respect and look after it, just in the way that exists within our human family.
How This Idea Is Relevant Today
This idea, proposed by Pope John Paul II in 1990, is still very relevant to today’s society. It is still the responsibility of man to care for creation and we still have not changed our ways enough to make a significant difference. We are still depleting natural resources and affecting animals and other parts of creation through our actions. We are still also polluting the air and water by throwing toxins into the atmosphere. Most people still do not care how they affect the rest of the earth by getting what they want and there is still a lack of respect for nature. Greed and selfishness are also ever-present among man. War, poverty and lack of education still continue to threaten the health of our environment, even today. These issues are also still everyones responsibility and everyone can make a difference in their own way. It still calls for collaboration of more than one group of people, for example countries still need to work together to come up with an adequate long-term solution to the problems at hand. The environment needs to be preserved for future generations. Damage that cannot be repaired can still be prevented from getting worse. We still need to try to follow the plan of the Creator and trust in the way he planned for every part of creation to connect and work together in peace and harmony with man watching over all.
Introduction
John Paul II says there is growing awareness today that world peace is threatened by lack of respect for nature, using up too many natural resources and a constant decrease in quality of life. This also leads to selfishness, disregard for others and dishonesty. Now that we have destroyed the environment people have realised that we can’t continue to use up the earth’s resources. An ecological awareness is beginning to spread throughout the public as well as political leaders, which should be encouraged. Many of the challenges throughout the earth depend on each other; this means that solutions need to be logical and useable around the whole world.
“And God Saw That it Was Good”
In the book of Genesis the phrase “And God saw that it was good” is repeated many times. After creating everything upon the earth God created man and woman and after this the phrase changes considerably, “And God saw everything he had made, and behold, it was very good”. Only after God had created man and woman to look after the rest of creation could he rest. This act separates humans from all other creatures but also establishes a relationship between humans and creation. Adam and Eve were to have dominance over the earth as they were made in the likeness and image of God. Unfortunately they disobeyed God and chose sin, upsetting the present harmony of the earth and resulting in a bad future for man from that point onwards. However, Christians believe that the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ reconciled humanity with God by “making peace by the blood of his cross”. Creation was then made new and received new life as it waited for a new earth that was peaceful. God had shown his wisdom in his plan to use Jesus to unite all things in God’s name.
These stories from the bible help us understand the relationship that humans have with all of creation. When man disobeys the Creator’s plan, this affects the rest of creation. If man is not at peace with God then the earth cannot be at peace either. Therefore, everything on earth is upset by the bad choices of humans and the earth is suffering. This occurs when people disregard their actions as they do not directly affect them. People are now asking if we can repair the damage that has been done and obviously, as much as it will help, we can’t just cut down on our use of the earth’s resources. Instead we must face the entire problem, and destruction of the environment is only one part of it.
The Ecological Crisis: A Moral Problem
There have been many advances in science and technology that have benefited humans. However, they have also resulted in harmful long-term effects on the earth. We now realise that we can’t continue to interfere with part of our ecosystem without thinking about how it will affect other areas of the ecosystem and also how it will affect future generations. The ever-growing hole in the ozone layer and greenhouse effect are now a very serious problem because of industrial and urban growth and increased needs for energy. Industrial waste, burning fossil fuels, deforestation and using certain chemicals can all harm the atmosphere. The damage is already done in some areas but in other cases it can still be stopped. However, everyone must realise that it is their responsibility as much as everyone else’s to contribute and make a difference.
The most obvious cause for these problems is lack of respect for life which is evident through the way people pollute with no consideration to its effects. Many people in production are more concerned about getting it done than concerned about how it will affect workers and economic decisions are made without consideration of effects on other people. In these cases environmental destruction is caused by man’s obsession with getting what he wants, no matter the consequences of his actions. Fragile ecosystems are also disrupted by unrestrained use of natural resources and destruction of animal and plant life. Also, if we do biological research and experimentation and genetically create new life forms this could affect the balance of ecosystems and have bad consequences. In order to obtain a stable ecological environment we must respect all forms of life and the dignity of the human being.
In Search of a Solution
We must respect the balance of the earth. God created the earth so that every individual would have access to its resources, however today there are only an amount of fortunate people who have more than they need, while many people are living in terrible conditions and do not have enough to sustain themselves. This demonstrates how greed and selfishness are contributing to the way in which we do not follow the plan of the creator.
We also need to face these problems internationally and have all States cooperating with each other to come up with a long-term plan of action. However, this does not mean that there is less of a responsibility for each individual State. Each State should look after its economy and the well-being of its own ecosystem. The public should have the right to a safe environment.
Urgent Need for a New Solidarity
There is an urgent ethical need for a new unity between States and countries. For example the recently industrialised States can’t be expected to be restrictive with their industries unless already industrialised States abide by the same rules. Also, countries that are becoming industrialised are likely to make the same mistakes that have been made by others in the past and continue to damage the environment. Here, we need to come up with a way to safely treat and dispose of toxic wastes. Not much can be done though, unless world leaders realise the need for solidarity which is essential for coming up with the answer to ecological problems. This offers new opportunities to establish peaceful and cooperative relationships between States.
Proper ecological balance cannot be found unless we properly focus on resolving issues of poverty in the world. Poorer people earn money from farming however, their land is not great and once it can no longer be of use to them they move on to new land. This can either increase the problem of deforestation as they clear more land or these people move to urban areas which can’t properly support them. Also, some largely indebted countries are destroying their natural heritage in order to export new products, which is largely contributing to ecological imbalances. Therefore it would be immoral to say that it is the only the poor that are having negative impacts on the environment because of their actions. Instead, we must help the poor out of their situation.
War is another threat to us and science has already been able to change the environment for unpleasant purposes. If a global war was to occur, it would have massive impacts on the ecology. Even small wars between countries do more than just destroy human life. They can also damage the land; crops, vegetation as well as poisoning water and soil.
We must also be educated on ecological responsibility, both for ourselves, others and for the earth. We must be taught how to act and think appropriately and in the family must the child must learn to respect and care for everything. Religious, non-governmental and governmental organisations and everyone in general can all assist in the role of education.
The visual value of creation is also important. The bible always speaks of the goodness and beauty of creation. The beauty of creation itself should motivate people to care for and preserve it.
The Ecological Crisis: A Common Responsibility
The ecological crisis is the responsibility of everyone. It also proves the need for collaborations between countries, states, communities and individuals. We also need to preserve the environment for future generations. Even people who are not religious realise their duty to the contribution of restoring the environment to a healthy state; so those who believe in God and his plan for creation and believe in the unity and order in the world, should especially be ready to contribute to the cause. For Christians this is an important part of their faith.
Catholics should be particularly committed to helping the earth through their belief in God the Creator, their recognition of sin, both the sin original sin of Adam and Eve and also personal sin, and finally from the knowledge that they were reconciled by Jesus Christ.
In 1979, St Francis of Assisi was declared patron of those promoting ecology because of his genuine respect for nature. He was a friend to the poor and loved by all of creation and tells us that when we are at peace with God we can devote ourselves to creating peace between creation. Pope John Paul II hopes that St Francis will inspire us to keep a sense of brotherhood and harmony between all of God’s creation and also that it is our duty to respect and look after it, just in the way that exists within our human family.
How This Idea Is Relevant Today
This idea, proposed by Pope John Paul II in 1990, is still very relevant to today’s society. It is still the responsibility of man to care for creation and we still have not changed our ways enough to make a significant difference. We are still depleting natural resources and affecting animals and other parts of creation through our actions. We are still also polluting the air and water by throwing toxins into the atmosphere. Most people still do not care how they affect the rest of the earth by getting what they want and there is still a lack of respect for nature. Greed and selfishness are also ever-present among man. War, poverty and lack of education still continue to threaten the health of our environment, even today. These issues are also still everyones responsibility and everyone can make a difference in their own way. It still calls for collaboration of more than one group of people, for example countries still need to work together to come up with an adequate long-term solution to the problems at hand. The environment needs to be preserved for future generations. Damage that cannot be repaired can still be prevented from getting worse. We still need to try to follow the plan of the Creator and trust in the way he planned for every part of creation to connect and work together in peace and harmony with man watching over all.