Re: CHAT: Religion, Philosophy & Politics

Jonathan Chang wrote:
>     ::wry grin:: Interesting case of species-centrism.
I'm not ashamed of being Species-centric.  But I do believe that
Humanity has a special role to play, and that the destruction we've
wrought is shameful, both in that it has actually harmed humanity (by
reducing soil fertility), and in that the destruction of God's creation
is a terrible thing in and of itself.

> It is so unfortunate that
> certain worldviews (esp'ly European) tend to see humanity as separate & above
> the rest of "Creation."
My view is that we're above, but not separate.  It's obvious that we're
not, damage to the environment hurts us.

>     IMHO any loss is tragic... but yes that's life. But WHY support further
> exploitation & destruction by one's silence or active investment(s)?
That's not what I was saying.  Nature does have value by itself.  It is,
in my admittedly humanocentric, Judeo-Christian worldview, a work of Art
by God Himself, thus worthy of protection.  Any loss is a diminishment
of that art, and a potential loss to ourselves, as well (e.g., potential
medicines).  But that work of art is less valuable than humanity, His
greatest work of art.

Mind you, I'm not criticizing you, I'm merely stating *my* beliefs.  I
can see some of the Earth-first view, but it's that "first" that bothers
me.

--
"If the stars should appear one night in a thousand years, how would men
believe and adore, and preserve for many generations the remembrance of
the city of God!" - Ralph Waldo Emerson
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