What does this mean in practice?
For many Christians, the guiding principles are to respect God's handiworkThings that have been made or crafted by a person's own efforts. of creationThe act of bringing something into existence. In religion, this refers to the creation of the world by God., not to exploit any aspect of creation and to be aware of the needs of future generations. Many Christians apply these principles to the question of looking after the environment in a variety of ways.
The Catholic ChurchThe Catholic Church is a community of baptised believers in Christ that is led by the Pope. The Catholic Church teaches that the Pope has special authority that descends from Jesus himself. has responded to the challenges raised by environmental issues by stressing the need for every individual and every nation to play their part. The important points that the Church makes include the beliefs that:
- creation has value because it reveals something about God the creator
- creation has value in itself
- humanity depends on God but everyone has a responsibility for the world and the environment
Pope John Paul IIReigned as Pope of the Catholic Church from 1978 until his death in 2005. said:
…the dominion granted to man by the Creator is not an absolute power, nor can one speak of a freedom to 'use and misuse', or to dispose of things as one pleases.