3 - Stewardship

• Dominion - The Christian belief that God has given humans power to rule over nature
• Stewardship - Means the God-given responsibility to look after the world
• Sustainability - Using natural resources so that all life can live well now and in the future
• Fitra - The pattern, balance and harmony in the universe
• Christianity Environmental Responsibility -

  It is a duty from God to care for the planet and to live in a sustainable way
• Christianity - Dominion

  • In the creation story God told Adam to have dominion over living creatures
  • Humanity has been given the power by God to rule over nature
  • They can use nature and animals in whatever way benefits humans
  • Humans are more important than animals as we have been made 'in the image of God' and have souls
• Christianity Stewardship -

  • Humans are to look after the world for God. We are caretakers of the planet
  • Earth belongs to God, it is loaned to use but must be returned in good condition
  • We should work with nature, not against it. Nature shouldn't be exploited
  • Being cruel and causing unnecessary pain to animals is wrong as all life comes from God. This rules out hunting and blood sports
  • Using animals for food and medical research is acceptable as they are not as important as humans. They must be well-treated and the research must be important
• Christianity - Sustainability

  • Not damaging the environment in the long-term
  • Only using what we really need and thinking of the needs of plants and animals
  • Using renewable energy sources as much as possible
• Islam Environmental Responsibility -

  Environmental responsibility - it is a duty from Allah to care for the planet and to live in a sustainable way
• Islam Fitra -

  • Fitra means balance and harmony in nature
  • Everything in the world is linked - if you damage one part of the world you might set off a chain of events that damages other parts
  • Humans must keep harmony and balance in nature
  • Earth's resources should be used fairly and sustainably
• Islam Khalifa -

  • The Qur'an teaches that the universe belongs to Allah
  • A Khalifa is a steward who guards and cares for nature on behalf of Allah
  • Muslims will be asked on Judgement Day about their role as caretakers of the world
  • Muslims must care for animals because they are part of Allah's creation
  • Story of the ants - fire lit near anthill and when ants started moving in the direction of the fire, Muhammad put it out
• Humanism

  • Environmental responsibility - we all have a duty to care for the planet as caring for the environment is the most sensible thing to do as part of protecting the planet, as the planet protects us
  • Stewardship - We are to care for the planet on behalf of humanity
  • Sustainability - Not damaging the environment in the long term
  • Social and Community Responsibility - We all have to work together as a community to take responsibility for the world and humanists do this through Humanists for a better world
• H4BW -

  The aim of Humanists for a Better World is to put humanist values into action, because the whole world is in our hands

  • The symbol shows humans holding the world in their hands
  • H4BW acts against climate change
  • They have campaigned against global warming and want better care for animals