RE Tuesday 4th June 2024
Does the Earth belong to God? Or to humanity? Or to every living thing?
Revisit:
Revisit:
A person who disbelieves or lacks belief in the existence of God or gods.
Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Hinduism
A person who holds the view that any ultimate reality (such as God) is unknown and probably unknowable.
We live on an amazing planet.
This unit will look at issues of climate change, environmental protection and the future sustainability of the planet, particularly from religious viewpoints. We will find out about Jewish, Christian, Hindu and / or Islamic ideas about the natural world.
Watch the clip below to see how amazing Earth is.
Today we will be exploring the views of climate change from a young, non-religious, environmental activist, Greta Thunberg, and from the Catholic viewpoint, in particular the Pope, in relation to our key question:
Does the Earth belong to God? Or to humanity? Or to every living thing?
Think about how these two people are similar and different throughout the lesson.
Who is Greta Thunberg?
Greta Tintin Eleonora Ernman Thunberg ( born 3 January 2003) is a Swedish environmental activist who is known for challenging world leaders to take immediate action for climate change reduction.
When Greta was eight years old, she learned about climate change and decided to make changes in her life to try and combat the problem. Within a few years, Greta became a vegan and refused to travel by aeroplane, as both air travel and livestock farming are thought to be large contributors to climate change.
Greta is non-religious, but has very strong beliefs: humans must be responsible for their actions. Words without actions are useless. The Earth is precious. The older generations must act to support the younger.
What does creation mean for Catholics?
The Catholic Church teaches that creation is a direct result of God and that nothing could have come into existence without him. As a result, the Church also teaches that people have certain responsibilities towards the Earth and all of God’s creation. This responsibility falls on every Catholic and it is their duty to protect and care for the environment.
Pope Francis in his Circular letter to the world’s billion+ Catholic Christians has called for all Christians to renew their care for nature, as
‘God’s Good Earth.’
Humans are commanded to care for God’s creation.
What are the similarities and differences between Greta and the Pope?
Whose world is this?
Why do humans pollute their own earth?
Can we care better for our planet?
Who is most at risk from environmental change?
Does the earth belong to God?
If some people believe the earth does belong to God, how should they live?
What about different beliefs – does the earth belong to humanity, or to all living creatures equally?
If the Earth is alive, what difference does that make to how we should treat her? (for example, some pagans see the Earth as Gaia, the mother goddess)
On your flipchart paper, in your groups, brainstorm your thoughts to the questions below: