Protecting the soul equals protecting nature

Feride Funda G.-Gençaslan, Chair of the European Center for Sufism and Interreligious Encounters (right), and Khushwant Singh, from the SikhiCouncil (left), discussed whether God is green at the Global Ethic Foundation. Theresa Beilschmidt moderated. Photo: Global Ethic Foundation, Philipp Siegle

Religion and climate change

"Is God Green?" This question was posed by the Global Ethic Foundation in Tübingen, Germany at the end of June to representatives of numerically small religious communities in Germany. Insights from Muslim Sufism and Sikhism on climate change.

June 28, 2023 / Katja Dorothea Buck

With Feride Funda G.-Gençaslan, Chair of the European Center for Sufism and Interreligious Encounters and a member of the board of GreenFaith Germany, and Khushwant Singh, from the SikhiCouncil, the Global Ethic Foundation had invited two speakers from religions to the podium. ... Khushwant Singh emphasizes focusing on concrete action in the here and now. “Out of love for nature, we cannot remain passive and must act. Mother Earth is an organism, it lives. She is a source and not a resource that we can exploit.” When it comes to motivating people to live in harmony with nature, it is less about “accumulating points for the afterlife.” A sustainable way of life is rather an expression of insight and inner wisdom. “The issue is not about prohibitions, but about love for creation.” Therefore, he prefers to speak less about environmental protection and more about the protection of souls. “The inner self is reflected in the outer world. Environmental pollution is an expression of our inner pollution.”

Singh wants to engage with “Fridays for Future”

Against the backdrop of the human-made climate crisis, he advocates for a holistic perspective. “In addition to technical solutions, we also need spiritual answers.” He wishes to have exchanges with the Fridays for Future movement to jointly find ways of inner purification. He proposes a “Holistic Well-being Index” that does not merely measures a linear growth of income but the well-being of nature, animals, and humans. ... Khushwant Singh criticizes the approach that humans subdue creation and be its crown. … “In spirituality, other values matter, namely humility, devotion, and modesty. We are only guests on this earth and should behave as such.” … Khushwant Singh sees the responsibility of religious communities to bring forth people who can abstain. It is also important that young people understand the larger contexts of climate change.

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