Healing the Earth?

BARRY BRANNAN

“Healing the Earth with Care and Concern” was the title of a multi-faith forum at the University of Tasmania in Hobart on Monday 8 June 2009.
After seeing a small article about it in the Mercury, I thought I would go along to learn about how many different faiths might help “heal the earth”.

Unfortunately, what I got seemed little more than another attempt to maintain the relevance of religion in the modern world and to reinforce existing beliefs.

As I walked in to the lecture theatre, I saw a section of Buddhists dressed in robes with hands clasped. I overheard a lady behind me wonder if there were any atheists present so she could hear their perspective.

The first major speaker was Professor Desmond Cahill who is the Program Director of the 2009 Parliament of World Religions to be held in Melbourne in December. He is also one of three researchers for the Freedom of Religion and Belief project (http://www.hreoc.gov.au/frb/frb_2008.html#researchers).

The Professor outlined some of the program of the event, as well as other concerns that he had. He said that the Parliament was not about conversion but the typical outcome is a strengthening of one’s own faith. He said it was important to counter extremism in religion.

He raised concern about a negative attitude towards religion in the media, universities and some sections of the arts. He said that irrationality and superstition were amongst the criticisms of religion but that social researchers were “coming to realise” that religion is a positive force overall, citing evidence that religious people were more likely to volunteer and it gives people a sense of belonging that we all need. He warned of the power of secularism in Australia.

Presenting a slide entitled “The Religious Crisis in Tasmania”, he expressed disappointment about the trend of declining Christian religiosity in Australia and particularly Tasmania. He cited census figures showing a 32.15% jump in the “No religion” category from 76,000 in 1996 to 101,569 in 2006.

The second major speaker was Trevor Parton from the Centre for Ecology and Spirituality in Glenburn, Vic. After asking the audience to sing three times “Fire I am. Air I am. Water, Earth and spirit I am” he said that there have been significant shifts in religious thinking over the last 50 years. He said scientific discoveries indicate we live in an expanding, evolving universe and that humans are integral to the process by means of a “likely evolution of our species from earlier ones”. That we must now accept that humans are part of nature and not separate from it. He talked about a “Deep Ecology” movement that has swept the world over the last 20 years and that it could be an ethic that all religions can embrace.

We then heard more briefly from a number of faiths. Speakers indicated they were asked to speak about how their faith motivates their interest in “healing the earth with care and concern”.

The speakers were:
* Aunty Eva Richardson – Aboriginal Elder
* Dr Lucy Tatman – Quaker – UTas School of Philosophy
* Ven Choje Lama Shedrup – Buddhist
* Michal Golebowicz – Jewish
* Assoc Prof Udayan Ray – Hindu
* Rev John Middleton – Anglican
* Imam Sabri Samson – Muslim
* Stuart McKenzie Hall – Baha’i

It was labelled a “panel discussion” but there was no time left for discussion or questions. Instead, each speaker made a presentation, one at a time, at the lectern, about some of their beliefs and background.
More than one speaker showed a glint of enthusiasm about telling their story to a new audience.

There were scattered mentions of caring for God’s creation. The Buddhist mentioned living a simple life. The Jew said we could repair the world through prayer. The Anglican said his love of God or his understanding of God’s creations were sufficient to motivate his care for the earth.
The Muslim had a slide saying “Be merciful to Allah’s creation and he will be merciful to you”. The Baha’i gave a quote “Contemplation of nature creates an awareness of the ‘signs’ and ‘tokens’ of God and constitutes proof of His existence”.

What was missing here was any real focus on “healing the earth”. What problems needed healing and what were the solutions? Nothing specific was mentioned. What would religious organisations do about global warming? How would they help the starving? How would they fix water shortages? Where was the data and analysis about religious attitudes towards ecological issues? Nothing mentioned.

Instead of setting a basis for changing priorities and attitudes, the forum was focussed how religion was relevant. Getting multiple religions together to all agree that they have some reason to be involved.

Of course, religions have no role to play, and no interest. Religious texts have little relevance to modern ecological issues. Religious believers are too busy praying to be extracting ice core samples in Antarctica. Obsessed with fighting abortion and euthanasia laws, they have little time for science.

Religions are only interested in themselves, and any professed interest in healing the earth is either a ruse or delusion. It’s an indictment on religion itself.

Barry Brannan
Sandy Bay