We are not God. The earth was here before us and it has been given to us. This allows us to respond to the charge that Judaeo-Christian thinking, on the basis of the Genesis account which grants man \u201cdominion\u201d over the earth (cf.\u00a0<\/span>Gen\u00a0<\/i>1:28), has encouraged the unbridled exploitation of nature by painting him as domineering and destructive by nature. This is not a correct interpretation of the Bible as understood by the Church. Although it is true that we Christians have at times incorrectly interpreted the Scriptures, nowadays we must forcefully reject the notion that our being created in God\u2019s image and given dominion over the earth justifies absolute domination over other creatures. The biblical texts are to be read in their context, with an appropriate hermeneutic, recognizing that they tell us to \u201ctill and keep\u201d the garden of the world (cf.\u00a0<\/span>Gen\u00a0<\/i>2:15). \u201cTilling\u201d refers to cultivating, ploughing or working, while \u201ckeeping\u201d means caring, protecting, overseeing and preserving. This implies a relationship of mutual responsibility between human beings and nature. Each community can take from the bounty of the earth whatever it needs for subsistence, but it also has the duty to protect the earth and to ensure its fruitfulness for coming generations. \u201cThe earth is the Lord\u2019s\u201d (<\/span>Ps<\/i>\u00a024:1); to him belongs \u201cthe earth with all that is within it\u201d (<\/span>Dt\u00a0<\/i>10:14). Thus God rejects every claim to absolute ownership: \u201cThe land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for the land is mine; for you are strangers and sojourners with me\u201d (<\/span>Lev<\/i>\u00a025:23).<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
We are not God. The earth was here before us and it has been given to us. This allows us to respond to the charge that Judaeo-Christian thinking, on the basis of the Genesis account which grants man \u201cdominion\u201d over the earth (cf.\u00a0Gen\u00a01:28), has encouraged the unbridled exploitation of nature by painting him as domineering […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":92,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[718],"class_list":["post-93006","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-laudato-si"],"yoast_head":"\n
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