OP-ED: People of faith should care about environmental justice
Churches and faith communities across the world have been leaders in environmental justice from the beginning of the movement. This might surprise you since some faith leaders and theologians teach that the Bible does not condone Christian participation in activism that centers on the Earth, especially if it seems to de-center God or the core gospel message. On the other hand, some Protestant and Catholic Christian communities, as well as people from other religious backgrounds, believe that environmental justice is a critical part of living a life rooted in faith.
Environmental justice confronts the harmful and discriminatory policies that cause poor and marginalized communities to bear the brunt of pollution, toxic waste, and unsafe air and water. It’s about ensuring that everyone has the right to live in a healthy, safe environment with access and opportunities to thrive.
In seminary, I learned that environmental justice is consistent with many teachings of the Bible and of Jesus. I also learned that some Christian leaders emphasize God’s command to “dominate” the Earth (Genesis 1:28 NRSV) rather than to “till and keep it” (Genesis 2:15 NRSV). That difference matters – are we meant to dominate creation, or to care for it? While I will write mainly from a Christian perspective here, it’s worth noting that other religious communities grapple with their own unique questions about these topics.
The Bible does not go silent on care for the Earth after the creation stories. God’s people are called to Sabbath years when people cease their tilling to let the land rest, poor folks and wild animals can feed freely on the land, people can live without debt, and servants can walk free. The natural world participates in God’s work of punishing oppressive leaders, such as in the plagues in the Exodus story. Jesus performs miracles that involve the participation of creatures and the elements. The Bible displays a creation that is an active member of God’s story and that humans have responsibilities to protect and care for.
The Bible also strongly advocates for social justice: in Jesus’s ministry that addresses the spiritual as well as material wellbeing of people living in poverty, in the prophets’ repeated calls for justice for people living under oppressive conditions, and in the over 2,000 verses throughout the Bible that advocate for care for the poor. The kind of economic and social justice the Bible speaks to is consistent with the goals of environmental justice work.
In our region, where many of our families have lived for generations, we know a thing or two about tilling and keeping the land and the value of having deep ties with the forests and streams. Industries like coal and fracking have brought jobs and enrichment for some in our counties, but we’ve yet to see any lasting economic advantages for poor and working class families. Any benefits these industries bring always come at a price, including costs to health and safety. The suffering of our neighbors demands a response from people of faith.
The Center for Coalfield Justice is committed to answering that call, bringing people together across race, class, religion, and other backgrounds to demand a healthier, more just future for our region.
Faith calls us not just to reflect, but to act. We invite you to join us on Wednesday, Oct. 22, at 6:30 p.m. at Washington & Jefferson College’s Howard J. Burnett Center in the Yost Auditorium, where we will hear from faith-based environmental justice activist Sharon Lavigne (RISE St. James), members of MAD-FACTS (Moms and Dads Family Awareness of Cancer Threat Spike), and Interfaith Power and Light. This is an interfaith event and is open to people from all religious and spiritual backgrounds. Learn more and register to attend at https://centerforcoalfieldjustice.org/actions-events/.
Addie Pazzynski is a Communications Fellow at the Center for Coalfield Justice with a Master of Arts and Master of Sacred Theology from Union Theological Seminary.