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Are people leaving the churches to become environmentalists?

25/06/2009 15:10:00


In the Guardian, a 'Comment is Free - Belief' column by Rowenna Davis: Environmentalism: A new religion?

Like Christianity, environmentalism provides its members with a community of likeminded individuals, and gives them a higher moral cause to fight for. Atheism, after all, can be a lonely and confusing business. Environmentalism provides the faithless with an alternative set of guidelines for living a good life. Greenies might not have 10 commandments, but rules about turning the TV off standby, composting and low energy light bulbs must be obeyed.

The negative parallels hold too. Like Christianity, environmentalism can drive people to self-flagellation and self-righteousness. Non-believers are often threatened with dangerous consequences. Failing to subscribe to eco-rules might not send us to hell, but it will bring about an equivalent apocalyptic vision of a world in climate chaos.


An interesting article, although I remain to be convinced by some of the references to statistics on church decline. The analysis of the Christian Research statistics by Ruth Gledhill, to which Rowenna Davis links, (Churchgoing on its knees as Christianity falls out of favour) was widely disputed at the time. See my blog post (and cartoon) on the subject from May 2008: Is the church in decline?

The suggestion that "the growth of our environmental consciousness may – in some cases – be helping to fill the void left by secularisation" is an interesting one. Of course many, as the article points out, find it important to combine religious belief with environmental action. See, for instance, my recent blog posts on the subject, Climate change action in every parish and Archbishop urges churches to act and pray for the planet.


I think it's very astute of you to compare the churches and environmentalism, because the latter is the "new religion" and will stop at nothing to replace the old one, ie ours.

Frugal Dougal | 26/06/2009 10:06:29




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