Theology, Ecology, and Ideology

Another article that I have read was titled "Theology Safeguards Ecology from Ideology," and discussed how theology can protect ecology and ecological discussion from being swayed by individual ideologies.The author argues that, without religion, the vast and varying opinions on what should be done ecologically would leave the environment susceptible to vast changes in care whenever the politics of an area shifted. With religion, however, the moral code of an area remains relatively stable. When dealing with religion, the belief systems and values of a particular religion stay the same over longer periods of time than the political climate of a given region, providing more consistent care and prioritization that depends on the religious value present, rather than political ones.

When the author talks about how Christian values impress upon people that human technology cannot solve all of the earth's problems, I can see the value in that. Many people believe that all we need to do to save the world is to continue to invent, but they miss the fact that certain things cannot be replaced. Even if we found a way to replace the carbon cycle and create our own fresh water without natural ecosystem services, there is more to nature than just what monetary value it offers us. However, I disagree that religious consistency is the only way to enact environmental protection. It may not be as flexible as changing political opinions, and global religions, such as Christianity, do not have the same land-based practices as indigenous religions, potentially making them too global to deal with singular ecosystems over long periods of time.