Ethical Beliefs on Climate Change as Observed by Christians and Muslims - Paper Example

Introduction

This report shows the different ethics assumed by Christians and Muslims on climate change and is imperative as it expounds on the possible conflicts which may arise if these religious groups continue to observe their stands. The first part involves the Christianity and Islamic views followed by their differences and similarities. Also, the report captures on the possible tensions which might arise and the future suggestions to eliminate the disparities. Climate change has been one of the issues which have gained global attention and refers to the alterations witnessed in the weather patterns that persist for more extended periods such as decades (Hodkinson, Jones, Waldren & Parnell, 2011). In most cases, climate change has been associated with human activities such as burning of fuels which increase the number of gases such as carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

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Climate change poses adverse effects which include a rise of atmospheric temperature leading to the melting of ice caps, flooding due to the increase in water levels and unpredictable weather patterns which affect agriculture (Auerbach, 2011). The history of climate is dated in the nineteenth-century after the changes in the ice ages and greenhouse effect were identified. Human activities such as burning fuels and the use of aerosols and were associated with the increased temperatures as they trapped solar heat in the atmosphere. Since climate change poses a threat to the wellbeing of people, individuals have embarked on activities to suppress its causal factors. Laws have also been structured to monitor the carbon footprint created by different organizations.

Christianity and Islamic Views on Climate Change

One of the Christian views is that climate change is the work of God and should not be interfered (Traer, 2009). For example, the evangelical Christians hold a belief that God is in control of His creation and they should not involve themselves in efforts geared towards combating climate change. Although a larger part of Christians hold that human activities have led to climate change, the Orthodox Christians believe that climate issue is a hoax. Besides, the evangelical Christians think that God cannot let bad events happen to His creation and will do anything to save them. Such views emanate from the belief that the world came into existence after the creation episode whereby human beings were the results of the creation. Therefore, individuals should not engage themselves in the changes witnessed due to climate change as God will take care of it.

Another view of the Christians towards climate change is that human beings were created to have a full dominion and must be responsible for what happens to nature. Since man was given the earth to exercise complete control, the Christians who object the thought of the evangelicals reinstate that counteracting climate change is one of the ways on how human beings show they are under control. Besides, this group of Christians argues that human beings were instructed to show love to their counterparts. Engaging in activities which increase the number of greenhouse gases causes an adverse effect such as droughts to other parts of the country although they have adopted policies to minimize climate change. Such actions do not depict love to one another and are contrary to the doctrines as emphasized by the Protestants of the evangelicals' line of thought. Thus, these Christians term themselves as caretakers of nature and acknowledge the presence of adverse effects brought about by climate change.

Although the evangelical Christians urge that climate change is a hoax and its effects are not grave it exists, the Muslims have acknowledged the presence of climate change and have embarked on ways of its counteraction. Smil (2010) notes that many Muslim countries are rich in fossil fuels, a factor which has led to a stern stand by the Muslim leaders to lower the footprint. For example, the Muslim leaders have been vocal in advocating for the use of renewable energy sources which minimize the emission of greenhouse gases. Also, the leaders have welcomed the idea of the formation of agreements and pacts which force states to reduce the carbon emissions which reduce the level of such gases in the atmosphere. Such actions show that the ethics observed Islam community concurs with the scientists about the harmful effects of the human activities to the environment which has led to climate change.

Similarities and Differences Between Islam And Christianity on Climate Change

One of the similarities between Islam and Christian views on climate change is that a large part of the population believes in the presence of climate change. Apart from the evangelical Christianity, the rest of the Christians and Muslims believe that climate change is an issue which requires global attention and has joined efforts to advocate for practices which reduce the emission of greenhouse gases.

However, some of the Christians believe that global warming is a way of showing science is superior to religion. In their arguments, the climate change issue is beyond the human efforts and cannot be solved. On the other hand, all the Muslims believe in the existence of climate change and advocate for the adoption of measures which reduce the emission of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere (Blatt, 2011).

The existence of different views about climate change can lead to tensions between Islam and the Christians, a factor which can jeopardize global peace. It is evident that there is a presence of a strained relationship between Christians and Islam as each claim the validity of its doctrine. From the different stands shown by both religions, Muslims might claim that Christianity does not address the issues facing its followers. In this regard, the presence of another aspect where the ethics observed by each religion differ might worsen the already strained relationship leading to more conflicts.

From the views held by Muslims and evangelical Christians, the views held by Muslims will lead to more favorable outcomes. Climate change has been a global concern and states in collaborations with organizations have created an awareness of the adverse effects brought about by climate change and how they can be minimized. As such, most of the people will concur with the Muslims stand and embark on schemes such as using renewable energy sources instead of fossil fuels.

Conclusion

From the analysis, different religious groups hold different views when it comes to climate change. Although the large portion of the Christians hold that climate change is real, evangelical Christians maintain that climate change is a hoax. In their arguments, scientists want to prove their dominance exaggerating the effects of climate change in the environment. Besides, human beings cannot cause such a significant impact as God's creation is perfect. On the other hand, the Muslims concur with states and other organizations on the presence of climate change and urge their followers to adopt green energy as a way of reducing greenhouse emissions. For all the religions to have a common goal of compacting climate change, one of the future suggestions is that governments should involve evangelical Christians on forums which educate on climate change. Also, the government should come with a policy whereby all individuals should observe the policies geared towards combating climate change.

References

Auerbach, P. S. (2011). Wilderness Medicine E-Book: Expert Consult Premium Edition - Enhanced Online Features. Missouri: Mosby.

Blatt, H. (2011). America's environmental report card: Are we making the grade? Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press.

Hodkinson, T., Jones, M., Waldren, S., & Parnell, J. (2011). Climate change, ecology and system. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Smil, V. (2010). Energy transitions: History, requirements, prospects. Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger.

Traer, R. (2009). Doing environmental ethics (large print 16pt). Philadelphia: Westview press.