[Trees-list] Fwd: RE: Venice Declaration

Tue, 02 Jul 2002 11:36:36 -0700

--=====================_2562755==_.ALT
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

>Dear TREES Folks:

This was forwarded to me by Mary Evelyn Tucker, I thought you might like to 
read it!

Whitney

>              "We Are Still Betraying the Mandate God Has Given Us"
>
>
>We are gathered here today in the spirit of peace for the good of all human
>beings and for the care of creation. At this moment in history, at the
>beginning of the third millennium, we are saddened to see the daily
>suffering of a great number of people from violence, starvation, poverty,
>and disease.
>
>We are also concerned about the negative consequences for humanity and for
>all creation resulting from the degradation of some basic natural resources
>such as water, air and land, brought about by an economic and technological
>progress which does not recognize and take into account its limits.
>
>Almighty God envisioned a world of beauty and harmony, and He created it,
>making every part an expression of His freedom, wisdom and love (cf. Gen.
>1:1-25).
>
>At the center of the whole of creation, He placed us, human beings, with
>our inalienable human dignity. Although we share many features with the
>rest of the living beings, Almighty God went further with us and gave us an
>immortal soul, the source of self-awareness and freedom, endowments that
>make us in His image and likeness (cf. Gen. 1:26-31; 2:7). Marked with that
>resemblance, we have been placed by God in the world in order to cooperate
>with Him in realizing more and more fully the divine purpose for creation.
>
>At the beginning of history, man and woman sinned by disobeying God and
>rejecting His design for creation. Among the results of this first sin was
>the destruction of the original harmony of creation. If we examine
>carefully the social and environmental crisis which the world community is
>facing, we must conclude that we are still betraying the mandate God has
>given us: to be stewards called to collaborate with God in watching over
>creation in holiness and wisdom.
>
>God has not abandoned the world.  It is His will that His design and our
>hope for it will be realized through our co-operation in restoring its
>original harmony. In our own time we are witnessing a growth of an
>ecological awareness which needs to be encouraged, so that it will lead to
>practical programs and initiatives. An awareness of the relationship
>between God and humankind brings a fuller sense of the importance of the
>relationship between human beings and the natural environment, which is
>God's creation and which God entrusted to us to guard with wisdom and love
>(cf. Gen. 1:28).
>
>Respect for creation stems from respect for human life and dignity. It is
>on the basis of our recognition that the world is created by God that we
>can discern an objective moral order within which to articulate a code of
>environmental ethics. In this perspective, Christians and all other
>believers have a specific role to play in proclaiming moral values and in
>educating people in ecological awareness, which is none other than
>responsibility towards self, towards others, towards creation.
>
>What is required is an act of repentance on our part and a renewed attempt
>to view ourselves, one another, and the world around us within the
>perspective of the divine design for creation. The problem is not simply
>economic and technological; it is moral and spiritual.  A solution at the
>economic and technological level can be found only if we undergo, in the
>most radical way,
>an inner change of heart, which can lead to a change in lifestyle and of
>unsustainable patterns of consumption and production. A genuine conversion
>in Christ will enable us to change the way we think and act.
>
>First, we must regain humility and recognize the limits of our powers, and
>most importantly, the limits of our knowledge and judgment. We have been
>making decisions, taking actions, and assigning values that are leading us
>away from the world as it should be, away from the design of God for
>creation, away from all that is essential for a healthy planet and a
>healthy commonwealth of people. A new approach and a new culture are
>needed, based on the centrality of the human person within creation and
>inspired by environmentally ethical behavior stemming from our triple
>relationship to God, to self, and to creation. Such an ethics fosters
>interdependence and stresses the principles of universal solidarity, social
>justice, and responsibility, in order to promote a true culture of life.
>
>Secondly, we must frankly admit that humankind is entitled to something
>better than what we see around us. We and, much more, our children and
>future generations are entitled to a better world, a world free from
>degradation, violence and bloodshed, a world of generosity and love.
>
>Thirdly, aware of the value of prayer, we must implore God the Creator to
>enlighten people everywhere regarding the duty to respect and carefully
>guard creation.
>
>We therefore invite all men and women of good will to ponder the importance
>of the following ethical goals:
>
>1.  To think of the world's children when we reflect on and evaluate our
>options for action.
>
>2.  To be open to study the true values based on the natural law that
>sustain every human culture.
>
>3.  To use science and technology in a full and constructive way, while
>recognizing that the findings of science have always to be evaluated in the
>light of the centrality of the human person, of the common good, and of the
>inner purpose of creation. Science may help us to correct the mistakes of
>the past, in order to enhance the spiritual and material well-being of the
>present and future generations. It is love for our children that will show
>us the path that we must follow into the future.
>
>4.  To be humble regarding the idea of ownership and to be open to the
>demands of solidarity. Our mortality and our weakness of judgment together
>warn us not to take irreversible actions with what we choose to regard as
>our property during our brief stay on this earth. We have not been
>entrusted with unlimited power over creation, we are only stewards of the
>common heritage.
>
>5.  To acknowledge the diversity of situations and responsibilities in the
>work for a better world environment. We do not expect every person and
>every institution to assume the same burden. Everyone has a part to play,
>but for the demands of justice and charity to be respected the most
>affluent societies must carry the greater burden, and from them is demanded
>a sacrifice greater than can be offered by the poor. Religions,
>governments, and institutions are faced by many different situations; but
>on the basis of the principle of subsidiarity all of them can take on some
>tasks, some part of the shared effort.
>
>6.  To promote a peaceful approach to disagreement about how to live on
>this earth, about how to share it and use it, about what to change and what
>to leave unchanged. It is not our desire to evade controversy about the
>environment, for we trust in the capacity of human reason and the path of
>dialogue to reach agreement. We commit ourselves to respect the views of
>all who disagree with us, seeking solutions through open exchange, without
>resorting to oppression and domination.
>
>
>It is not too late. God's world has incredible healing powers. Within a
>single generation, we could steer the earth toward our children's future.
>Let that generation start now, with God's help and blessing.
>
>
>              Rome -- Venice
>              June 10, 2002
>
>
>
>[Original English language text issued simultaneously by the Office of the
>Ecumenical Patriarch and by Vatican Press Office]

TREES
<www.gtu.htm>Theological Roundtable for Ecological Ethics & Spirituality 
<http://george.gtu.edu/mailman/listinfo/trees-list>(listserv<http://george.g 
tu.edu/mailman/listinfo/trees-list>)
www.gtu.edu/StudServ/TREES (web-site)
Graduate Theological Union
2400 Ridge Road
Berkeley, CA 94709
510-649-2560
Trees@GTU.edu

--=====================_2562755==_.ALT
Content-Type: text/html; charset="us-ascii"

<html>
<blockquote type=cite cite>Dear TREES Folks:</blockquote> 
This was forwarded to me by Mary Evelyn Tucker, I thought you might like
to read it! 
 
Whitney 
 
 
 
 
<blockquote type=cite cite>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
&quot;We Are Still Betraying the Mandate God Has Given Us&quot; 
 
 
We are gathered here today in the spirit of peace for the good of all
human 
beings and for the care of creation. At this moment in history, at
the 
beginning of the third millennium, we are saddened to see the daily 
suffering of a great number of people from violence, starvation,
poverty, 
and disease. 
 
We are also concerned about the negative consequences for humanity and
for 
all creation resulting from the degradation of some basic natural
resources 
such as water, air and land, brought about by an economic and
technological 
progress which does not recognize and take into account its limits. 
 
Almighty God envisioned a world of beauty and harmony, and He created
it, 
making every part an expression of His freedom, wisdom and love (cf.
Gen. 
1:1-25). 
 
At the center of the whole of creation, He placed us, human beings,
with 
our inalienable human dignity. Although we share many features with
the 
rest of the living beings, Almighty God went further with us and gave us
an 
immortal soul, the source of self-awareness and freedom, endowments
that 
make us in His image and likeness (cf. Gen. 1:26-31; 2:7). Marked with
that 
resemblance, we have been placed by God in the world in order to
cooperate 
with Him in realizing more and more fully the divine purpose for
creation. 
 
At the beginning of history, man and woman sinned by disobeying God
and 
rejecting His design for creation. Among the results of this first sin
was 
the destruction of the original harmony of creation. If we examine 
carefully the social and environmental crisis which the world community
is 
facing, we must conclude that we are still betraying the mandate God
has 
given us: to be stewards called to collaborate with God in watching
over 
creation in holiness and wisdom. 
 
God has not abandoned the world.&nbsp; It is His will that His design and
our 
hope for it will be realized through our co-operation in restoring
its 
original harmony. In our own time we are witnessing a growth of an 
ecological awareness which needs to be encouraged, so that it will lead
to 
practical programs and initiatives. An awareness of the 
relationship 
between God and humankind brings a fuller sense of the importance of
the 
relationship between human beings and the natural environment, which
is 
God's creation and which God entrusted to us to guard with wisdom and
love 
(cf. Gen. 1:28). 
 
Respect for creation stems from respect for human life and dignity. It
is 
on the basis of our recognition that the world is created by God that
we 
can discern an objective moral order within which to articulate a code
of 
environmental ethics. In this perspective, Christians and all other 
believers have a specific role to play in proclaiming moral values and
in 
educating people in ecological awareness, which is none other than 
responsibility towards self, towards others, towards creation. 
 
What is required is an act of repentance on our part and a renewed
attempt 
to view ourselves, one another, and the world around us within the 
perspective of the divine design for creation. The problem is not
simply 
economic and technological; it is moral and spiritual.&nbsp; A solution
at the 
economic and technological level can be found only if we undergo, in
the 
most radical way, 
an inner change of heart, which can lead to a change in lifestyle and
of 
unsustainable patterns of consumption and production. A genuine
conversion 
in Christ will enable us to change the way we think and act. 
 
First, we must regain humility and recognize the limits of our powers,
and 
most importantly, the limits of our knowledge and judgment. We have
been 
making decisions, taking actions, and assigning values that are leading
us 
away from the world as it should be, away from the design of God 
for 
creation, away from all that is essential for a healthy planet and 
a 
healthy commonwealth of people. A new approach and a new culture 
are 
needed, based on the centrality of the human person within creation
and 
inspired by environmentally ethical behavior stemming from our
triple 
relationship to God, to self, and to creation. Such an ethics
fosters 
interdependence and stresses the principles of universal solidarity,
social 
justice, and responsibility, in order to promote a true culture of
life. 
 
Secondly, we must frankly admit that humankind is entitled to
something 
better than what we see around us. We and, much more, our children
and 
future generations are entitled to a better world, a world free 
from 
degradation, violence and bloodshed, a world of generosity and 
love. 
 
Thirdly, aware of the value of prayer, we must implore God the Creator
to 
enlighten people everywhere regarding the duty to respect and
carefully 
guard creation. 
 
We therefore invite all men and women of good will to ponder the
importance 
of the following ethical goals: 
 
1.&nbsp; To think of the world's children when we reflect on and evaluate
our 
options for action. 
 
2.&nbsp; To be open to study the true values based on the natural law
that 
sustain every human culture. 
 
3.&nbsp; To use science and technology in a full and constructive way,
while 
recognizing that the findings of science have always to be evaluated in
the 
light of the centrality of the human person, of the common good, and of
the 
inner purpose of creation. Science may help us to correct the mistakes
of 
the past, in order to enhance the spiritual and material well-being of
the 
present and future generations. It is love for our children that will
show 
us the path that we must follow into the future. 
 
4.&nbsp; To be humble regarding the idea of ownership and to be open to
the 
demands of solidarity. Our mortality and our weakness of judgment
together 
warn us not to take irreversible actions with what we choose to regard
as 
our property during our brief stay on this earth. We have not been 
entrusted with unlimited power over creation, we are only stewards of
the 
common heritage. 
 
5.&nbsp; To acknowledge the diversity of situations and responsibilities
in the 
work for a better world environment. We do not expect every person
and 
every institution to assume the same burden. Everyone has a part to
play, 
but for the demands of justice and charity to be respected the most 
affluent societies must carry the greater burden, and from them is
demanded 
a sacrifice greater than can be offered by the poor. Religions, 
governments, and institutions are faced by many different situations;
but 
on the basis of the principle of subsidiarity all of them can take on
some 
tasks, some part of the shared effort. 
 
6.&nbsp; To promote a peaceful approach to disagreement about how to live
on 
this earth, about how to share it and use it, about what to change and
what 
to leave unchanged. It is not our desire to evade controversy about
the 
environment, for we trust in the capacity of human reason and the path
of 
dialogue to reach agreement. We commit ourselves to respect the views
of 
all who disagree with us, seeking solutions through open exchange,
without 
resorting to oppression and domination. 
 
 
It is not too late. God's world has incredible healing powers. Within
a 
single generation, we could steer the earth toward our children's
future. 
Let that generation start now, with God's help and blessing. 
 
 
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Rome -- Venice 
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
June 10, 2002 
 
 
 
[Original English language text issued simultaneously by the Office of
the 
Ecumenical Patriarch and by Vatican Press Office]</blockquote>

TREES<br>
<a href="www.gtu.htm">Theological Roundtable for Ecological Ethics &amp;
Spirituality</a>
<a href="http://george.gtu.edu/mailman/listinfo/trees-list">(</a>listserv<a href="http://george.gtu.edu/mailman/listinfo/trees-list">)</a><br>
<a href="http://www.gtu.edu/StudServ/TREES" eudora="autourl">www.gtu.edu/StudServ/TREES</a>
(web-site)<br>
Graduate Theological Union<br>
2400 Ridge Road<br>
Berkeley, CA 94709<br>
510-649-2560<br>
Trees@GTU.edu<br>
</html>

--=====================_2562755==_.ALT--