Critical Reflection Paper

Posted: October 17th, 2013

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The universe holds various mysteries that science is still trying to uncover. However, one thing is clear, the world and the universe as a whole is interconnected. Man has inhabited the earth for a long time. As he continues inhabiting the world, his destructive nature is present. The sustainability of the world is being threatened by his industries that have polluted the earth’s waters, atmosphere and land. In all his activities, the threat of global warming and climate change is increasing each day. Twenty thousand species die out every year due to the harmful industrial practices of man (Grim & Tucker, ch 7 p 82). It is becoming increasingly evident that human kind seems to be unaware of the damage they are causing to the world. It is necessary for man to explore the role ecology and religion can play in ensuring that this trend is halted before all the earth’s species die out.

Religion is a vital part in the existence of man. Yet it widely understood that different religious groups are struggling to maintain their relevance in the world at the expense of issues that matter. Religion in its true nature believes in the sustenance of gifts endowed to earth by a creator. Ecology and religion would agree on this point. The industries continue to pollute and destroy the earth ignorant of the injustices and environmental degradation their activities bring (Grim & Tucker, ch 7 p 82). Religion could be the solution to the environmental issues the world faces today. It is time that the world adopts a religious environmentalism (Grim & Tucker, 83), aimed at making understood the sanctity of the earth. Religion and ecology therefore come together to fight the industrial vices of humankind and save the earth from extinction. Religion should reevaluate their stand on the environment and start making the people aware of the roles they need to play in making the world a better place.

Religion and ecology share a mutual concern for the environment (Grim & Tucker, ch.7 p86). They both understand the challenges that the earth face. These two fields can be dependent on each other so that their mutual apprehension for the environment can be heard. Scientific breakthroughs might be spectacular but people do not pay attention to the implications of scientific discoveries. Religion on the other hand has a large following the world over. The discoveries about the earth can be relayed to the masses via a religious platform.

The world does not understand the harm it is causing in the environment. I our quest to become an industrialized world, humankind forgot his role in protecting the environment and instead undertook to deplete it of it massive endowments. What they also forgot is that they had to take care of their source of livelihood. Profit and greed has degraded the values that would have helped the world sustain its resources today and for generations to come. In addition, man is constantly being warned of the threat his practices are capable of and ignore them anyway. It is now upon religion to reconcile its differences and understand that humanity is at the brink of total annihilation. The only entity with the resources to affect a change in man’s destructive practices is the religion.

Despite the relevance of religion, it is important to point out that people in the world is increasingly losing faith in religion. Religion has to find a way in which the people in the world will go back to the reverent practices toward the earth. Until this has been achieved, there is no telling what will happen if our practices are not revised to honor and protect the earth. Religion is humankind’s last line of defense, but so far, religion is preoccupied with other issues. If our practices go unchecked, humanity will surely come to an untimely extinction.

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