Innovation and Religion
There are many factors that underlie innovative action. Most come from underlying factors that are based in prevaiding cultural belief systems; yes .. more specifically how you believe in gGod. What is gGod to you, and how does the way you bring design into the world reflect your belief in that higher power? You're right, this is not a short essay. For now, I urge you to consider how your innovative nature relates to humanity's greater "Nature" and its understanding of who we think gGod is.
Case and point below, which is a reference to something that I have been waiting to come for a long time ... HA!; some may even call it the 'second' coming! The most powerful religious forces in the world - the Catholic Church - is announcing its position on 'green'. They are one of MANY religious systems that are stepping forward to announce there position on the Planet's wellbeing; in the name of their gGod. Do you think all this will change the way you innovate? You can bet your belief in your gGod that it certainly will. As John Luke would say, "make it so".
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PROTECT GOD'S CREATION: VATICAN ISSUES NEW GREEN MESSAGE FOR WORLD'S CATHOLICS
By John Vidal and Tom Kington in Rome
The Guardian
April 27, 2007
The Vatican yesterday added its voice to a rising chorus of warnings from churches around the world that climate change and abuse of the environment is against God's will, and that the one billion-strong Catholic church must become far greener.
At a Vatican conference on climate change, Pope Benedict urged
bishops, scientists and politicians -- including UK environment
secretary David Miliband -- to "respect creation" while "focusing on
the needs of sustainable development".
The Pope's message follows a series of increasingly strong statements
about climate change and the environment, including a warning earlier
this year that "disregard for the environment always harms human
coexistence, and vice versa".
Observers said yesterday that the Catholic church is no longer split
between those who advocate development and those who say the
environment is the priority. Cardinal Renato Raffaele Martino, head of
the Pontifical Council of Justice and Peace, said: "For environment
. read Creation. The mastery of man over Creation must not be
despotic or senseless. Man must cultivate and safeguard God's Creation."
According to Vatican sources, the present Pope is far more engaged in
the green debate than John Paul. In the past year Benedict has spoken
strongly on the need to preserve rainforests. In the next few weeks he
visits Brazil.
"There is no longer a schism. The new interest in climate change and
the environment is not surprising really. Benedict comes out of 1960s
Germany, where environment and disarmament were major issues. It's
conceivable that his ministry could even culminate in a papal
encyclical on the environment," said one analyst. This would be the
most powerful signal to the world's Catholics about the need for
environmental awareness at every level.
The Catholic church is just one major faith group now rapidly moving
environment to the fore of its social teachings. "Climate change,
biotechnology, trade justice and pollution are all now being debated
at a far higher level by the world's major religions," said Martin
Palmer, secretary general of the Alliance of Religions and
Conservation (Arc).
In some cases the debate is dividing traditionalists from younger
congregations. In the US the diverse 50m-strong conservative
evangelical churches are increasingly at war about the human
contribution to global warming.
Many evangelical leaders say they are still not convinced that global
warming is human-induced and have argued that the collapse of the
world is inevitable and will herald the second coming of Christ.
But most younger leaders have broken ranks. About four years ago the
progressives began to argue strongly that man had a responsibility to
steward the earth. Redefining environmentalism as "creation care",
they are now lobbying President Bush and the US administration to take
global warming far more seriously.
"They are the most effective lobby," said one observer yesterday.
"They represent the conservative vote so Bush has to listen to them."
Although the World Council of Churches in Geneva has had a department
to investigate climate change since 1990, churches have come late to
the debate. "The [environment and religion] is a no-brainer, but we
are all only now realising it", said Claire Foster, environmental
policy adviser to the Church of England.
Many faiths also realise their potential to influence politicians and
financiers. A survey by US bank Citigroup found that the 11 major
faiths now embrace 85% of the world's population and are the world's
third largest group of financial investors. In the US the United
methodist church pension fund alone is worth $12bn-$15bn (£6bn-£7bn).
Total investment of US churches is nearly $70bn. Switching to ethical
investments would be hugely significant.
One Catholic priest impatient for change is Seán McDonagh, a Columban
missionary and author of books on ecology and religion. "The Catholic
church's social teaching on human rights and justice has been good,
but there has been little concern about the impact on the planet. The
church has been caught up on its emphasis on development and on
resisting population control, but if we are pro-life we should be
banging the drum now about climate change."
Backstory
Most of the world's mainstream faiths have at their core a deep
respect for nature, but over hundreds of years many have developed an
ambivalent attitude towards ecology and the pressures put on the earth
by humans. Church leaders have largely stayed silent on the extinction
of species and natural capital and have concentrated their ethical
teachings on the need to relieve human poverty. But the reality of
impending climate change and the effects it will have on the poor is
concentrating minds and causing many to fundamentally reassess their
understanding of man's place in the world.
From The Guardian