Religious Teachings on Climate
Justice
Updated July 2023

Why organize from a faithperspective?
●Over 80 % of the world are people of faith!

●We look to our spiritual and religious teachings forguidance on how to live our lives.

●All of our faith traditions have texts, teachings, andprayers that orient us towards taking care of eachother, the planet, and promoting peace, harmony,balance, justice, and compassion

What are the teachings and spiritualresources that you bring to this work?

Christian Teachings

1.

1. For the beauty of the earth,
For the beauty of the skies,
For the love which from our birthOver and around us lies,

Jesus said to him: Thou shalt love the Lord
thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy
whole soul, and with thy whole mind. ... And
the second is like to this: Thou shalt love thyneighbor as thyself. On these twocommandments dependeth the whole law
and the prophets.” (Matthew 22: 35-40).
We know that the whole creation
has been groaning in labor pains
until now; and not only thecreation, but we ourselves(Romans 8:22-23)

2.

[Chorus]
Lord of all, to thee we raiseThis our hymn of grateful praise.

3.

2. For the beauty of each hour
Of the day and of the night,
Hill and vale, and tree and ﬂow’r,
Sun and moon, and stars of light,

4.

3. For the joy of human love,
Brother, sister, parent, child,
Friends on earth, and friends above,
For all gentle thoughts and mild,“For the Beauty of the Earth” (song)

Islamic Teachings
In Surah ‘Ali Imran: “And to Allah belongs the dominionof the heavens and the earth; and Allah is All-Powerful.
Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth,and the alternation of the night and the day are signs
for those of understanding.” (Qur’an 3:189-190)
In Surah An-Nisa: “Worship Allah and associate none withHim; and be kind to parents, and to relatives, orphans, theneedy, the near neighbor, the neighbor farther away, thecompanion by your side, the travelers, and those whom yourright hands possess. Indeed, Allah does not like those who are
self-deluding and boastful.” (Qur’an 4:36)

Hindu Teachings“This is the sum of duty; donaught onto others what you
would not have them do untoyou.” (Mahabharata 5,1517)

Ahimsa (nonviolence) is thedharma. It is the deepest
puriﬁcation and the highest truth
from which all dharma proceeds.
(Mahabharata)

Dharma exists for the general welfare of all living beings;
hence, that by which the welfare of all living beings issustained, that for sure is dharma. (Mahabharata)

Jewish Teachings
24:1 A Psalm of David. The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness
thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.

The phrase tikkun olam is understood to mean “repairingthe world” and has become synonymous with social actionand social justice activities.

Bereishit 2:15 And the LORD God took the man,and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it
and to keep it.

Buddhist Teachings
Even as a mother protects with her life
Her child, her only child,
So with a boundless heart
Should one cherish all living beings (…)- Metta Sutta, “Loving-Kindness”"Aware of the suffering caused by the destruction of life, I undertake tocultivate compassion and learn ways to protect the lives of people,
animals, plants, and minerals. I am determined not to kill, not to let
others kill, and not to condone any act of killing in the world, in mythinking, and in my way of life."(Thich Nhat Hanh’s translation of the First Precept, from For a Future toBe Possible)

The Power of People of Faith
What is the potential of people offaith to address the climate crisis?
What is the power we have as
people of faith to change thecourse of history at this moment?