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by Ruth Burgess

Is there a dark side to religious environmentalism?

Between 6-18^th November, the UN climate conference COP27 was held on the Sinai Peninsula in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. What may not be so well-known is that religious leaders from across the three monotheistic faiths signed the “Jerusalem Climate Declaration” just prior to the climate conference.  Their stated aim was to encourage and empower religious communities around the world to curb climate change.

It has been revealed that at the conference, interfaith leaders also gathered to call for “climate justice and a ceremony of repentance”, during which a “New Ten Commandments” was conceived.  The organisations responsible for co-ordinating this were: the Elijah Interfaith Institute and its Board of World Religious Leaders; the Interfaith Centre for Sustainable Development (ICSD); the Peace Department, a US non-profit; and climate activist Yosef Abramowitz.

The newly developed “Ten Principles for Climate Repentance” are:

1. We are stewards of this world
2. Creation manifests divinity
3. Everything in life is interconnected
4. Do no harm
5. Look after tomorrow
6. Rise above ego for our world
7. Change our inner climate
8. Repent and return
9. Every action matters
10. Use mind, open heart

Long in the Making

However, the new 10 commandments are not so new. The 10 commandments of climate change were devised some time ago by Pope Francis. An article from 2015 cites Pope Francis calling for a ‘cultural revolution’ to halt the ‘disturbing warming of our planet’.  The actual document is 184 pages, but the summarised commandments can be seen here.

It is no surprise that Pope Francis is a leading voice in promoting the coming together of world religions to address what is widely perceived as an existential crisis. He has always encouraged interreligious dialogue and collaboration. This was clearly demonstrated in the first ever ‘Pope Video’ message on his ‘Monthly Prayer Intentions’ (2016), where he makes the assertion that regardless of religion, we are all children of God:

“Many think differently, feel differently, seeking God or meeting God in different ways. In this crowd, in this range of religions, there is only one certainty that we have for all: we are all children of God.”

The video features representatives of Buddhism, Christianity, Islam and Judaism, who proclaim their respective beliefs in God, Jesus Christ, Allah and Buddha; and who then declare their common belief in “love”. See here:

Scripture, however, disagrees with the Pope — we are not all children of God.

“The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.
He was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognise Him. He came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive Him.
Yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God — children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.”
~ John 1:9-13

Moses, the Ten Commandments, and Religious Environmentalism

In our times, the focus of this interfaith movement appears to be what is commonly termed the “climate crisis”.

One of the plans was to hold a large ceremony of repentance on Jabal Musa (purportedly the biblical Mt Sinai site). However, only a small group of faith leaders were allowed due to security concerns. As we know, Mt Sinai is a sacred place of revelation.  It was the place where God’s Ten Commandments were revealed to Moses and written by the finger of God on two stone tablets.

On one of Moses’ Mt Sinai ascensions, he was away so long that the Israelites, thinking he may have perished, demanded Aaron make an idol for them to worship and to go before them as their god. Aaron made a golden calf, and the people rejoiced. When God revealed this to Moses, he descended in a rage, and witnessing the celebrations, smashed the stone tablets in anger — perhaps to demonstrate how badly the Israelites had broken God’s Law.

In a mock representation of this historic event, climate activist Yosef Abramowitz smashed two tablets atop Jabal Musa to symbolise the world’s lack of action on climate change. In doing so, Yosef was expressing anger at man’s disregard for the earth, rather than man’s rebellion against God’s eternal Law (as per Moses’s action). One of these tablets was painted with the words “broken promises” in Hebrew; the other was painted green to symbolise the “green commandments”.

Yosef Abramowitz smashes tablets atop Jebel Musa in Egypt, thought by some to be the site of Mount Sinai, to symbolize the world’s lack of action on climate change, November 13, 2022. (Sue Surkes/Times of Israel)

“The Climate Crisis is a Spiritual Crisis”

Rabbi Yonatan Neril, the founder of the ICSD, stated:

“The climate crisis is a spiritual crisis and therefore we need the world’s religious leaders to address the problem. We will do everything to unite as many religious leaders as possible in the world to act on the climate issue.”

The interfaith re-dress of the “climate crisis” has now been initiated, with representatives of all the world’s major religions gathering on Nov 13^th simultaneously in London, Sharm El Sheikh, Jerusalem and other locations around the world to hold a Climate Repentance Ceremony.

It’s interesting to note that the places chosen are the high points: London’s Parliament Hill, and high points in Jerusalem, Salt Lake City, Ecuador, Australia, India’s Mt Abu, and Mt St Francis in Indiana. Biblically speaking, the high places were the sites of pagan rituals.

Here, the leaders walked together in a “prayerful, penitential march” with scrolls bearing the Ten Principles for Climate Repentance.  This was followed by a planned series of climate change events for religious leaders all over the world: uniting for the sake of the planet.

Global religious leaders on Parliament Hill, the highest point in London, with scrolls in hand.

Creation Care vs Gaia Worship

All Christians agree that God has commanded us to be good stewards of the earth, and in this, we could certainly do better. Care for God’s creation is supported by a number of passages in the Bible:  the original call to stewardship being in Genesis:

God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
~ Genesis 1:28

Others include (not an exhaustive list): Leviticus 25:23-24; Ezekiel 34:2-4; Isaiah 24:4-6; Jeremiah 2:7; and Revelation 11:18.

And so, there is no dispute that we are charged to look after the planet we live on. However, God’s first two commandments clearly state that we are to have no other gods before Him and are not to make idols. Therefore, questions need to be asked regarding the spirit of this movement. Have God’s commandments been replaced by new commandments? Has the earth become an object of worship rather than stewardship?

There is no doubt that in addition to emotional manipulation, religious language and imagery are being used by this movement: new prophets, new commandments, new covenant, and even a new “Eco Bible” (an Amazon Kindle #1 best seller) are examples. A quick google search will also reveal an ever-increasing and evolving pantheistic worldview, through the popularity of Gaia worship and other manifestations of earth worship, which emphasise worshipping the creation rather than the Creator.

What appears is be occurring is that our “climate crisis” is acting as a catalyst for a new religion embraced by many belief systems. This new religion is a non-judgemental, feel-good religion of ecumenism and inclusion, and acceptance of all people and all lifestyles. Notably, the only exception — the only people being rejected — are the followers of Jesus Christ.

God Never Forgets His Covenant

Regardless of this humanistic movement, and the object of worship that unites them, it’s comforting to know that God remains in control. He is sovereign and rules over the earth, its climate and all the events to come:

And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between Me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set My rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth.

Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember My covenant between Me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life.

Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.”
~ Genesis 9:12-16

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Photo by Centre for Ageing Better.