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8 The Dally News, Friday, December 6, 199 Environment
Churches can play a role in saving environment
I recently attended a community
eco-summit sponsored by the St.
Croix Environmental Association.
This summit was organized to
address community leaders and the
general public to some of the envi-
ronmental issues that face these
islands.
Topics and speakers included
government plans for solid waste,
composting, environmental justice,
recycling and the role of churches
in environmental protection.
I was particularly taken by the
seminar on the church's role, which
was run by Dr. Job Ebenezer.
It makes sense that the churches
Olasee
Davis
enuromment
also should be responsible for
teaching environmental stewardship
to its congregati If I am not mis-
taken, God gave man dominion
over his creation. To me, this pro-
nouncement means to be a good
steward of the Earth's natural
resources:
"And God said, let us make man
in our image, after our likeness: and
let them have dominion over the
fish of the sea, and over the fowl of
die air, and over the cattle, and over
all the earth, and over every creep-
ing thing that creepeth upon the
earth." Genesis 1:26.
If God saw his creation as good,
we who are created in his image
should also be good keepers of the
Earth.
As God created the Earth, he
said: "Let the waters under the
heaven be gathered together unto
one place, and let the dry land
appear: and it was so. And God
called the dry land Earth and the
gathering together of the waters
called the seas. And God saw that it
was good." Genesis 1:9, 10.
If God saw his creation as good,
should that mean polluting the earth
is a sin? Many of us never consid-
ered dumping trash in the streets as
a sin. But churches teach that break-
ing the commandments of God is a
sin against God.
Environmental stewardship is
not only being a caretaker of Earth,
but being a keeper of the Earth. To
me, whenever we conscientiously
V See OLASEE, page 19
Environment The Day News. Friday, December 6,1996 19
OLASEE co NUED FROM PAGE 1
Congregations can institute environmental tithing
pollute the environment, we are members to commit themselves to Environmental tithing also entails ing on both sides of the paper
transgressing the laws of God. You personal lifestyles that contribute to giving time to learn about environ- whenever possible.
see, church-goer are responsible as the health of the environment. From mental problems and to work with Use recycled paper containing
well as non-church gocra to be good this commitment, they came up others toward solutions" at least 10 percent post consumer
stewards of these islands. with environmental tithing. When Dr. Job Ebenezer talked at waste.
Thus, pastors of churches have The church defined enviromen the summit about the role of These are just a few things Dr.
the responsibility to teach their con- tal tithing by stating "We challenge churches in environmental protec- Job Ebenezer mentioned In his pre-
gregations that God holds everyone ourselves, particularly the economi- tion, he gave some examples of sentation. Come on church mem-
accountable, not only for the way llysecure, to tithe environmental- environmental tithing. As individu- ber, do your part by protecting the
we treat each other, but also for the ly. Tithers would reduce their bur- als and as a congregation we should nvro ent ofthese islands.
way we treat our environment, den on the earth's bounty by pro- strive to: Olasee Davis, who hold a mas-
In 1993, the Evangelical Luther- during ten percent less in waste, Reduce electrical usage by 10 ter of science degree in range man-
an Church in America passed a consuming ten l nnon pent in non- percent agement and forestry ecology, Is a
social statement on the caring for renewable resources, and contribut- Reduce paper consumption at St. Crolx ecologist, activist and
creation. The church challenged its fag the savings to earth care efforts. the church by 10 percent by print- writer.
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