Living Our Principles: The Natural World

Summary

This video script from the 'Living Our Principles' series explores the United Methodist Church's social principles concerning the natural world. It discusses the church's call for prayerful dialogue on faith and practice, addressing contemporary issues like climate justice, environmental stewardship, and food justice. The script highlights the need to balance economic growth with ecological responsibility and urges the church and its members to actively engage in creating a sustainable world.

Takeaways

• 🌿 The script discusses the United Methodist Church's social principles and their application to contemporary issues, emphasizing the need for a dialogue of faith and practice grounded in biblical and theological foundations.
• 🌱 The natural world is presented as a critical aspect of the church's social principles, highlighting the responsibility of humans to protect and conserve it, not just for its utility but as a part of God's creation.
• 🌾 The case of Kenya is used to illustrate the conflict between economic activities, such as tobacco farming, and the need for environmental stewardship, showing the negative impacts on health, deforestation, and soil erosion.
• 🚜 The story of a pastor in Kenya who transitioned from working for a tobacco company to promoting sustainable agriculture, such as chili farming, demonstrates a practical approach to addressing environmental and socio-economic issues.
• 🌎 The script calls for global climate stewardship, acknowledging the disproportionate effects of climate change on those least responsible for emissions and the need for mandatory reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.
• 🌍 It emphasizes the importance of food justice, drawing on biblical references to highlight the moral obligation to share resources with the poor and needy, and the need for policies that increase access to quality food.
• 🌳 The United Methodist Church's social principles are described as covering a broad range of topics, including water, air, soil, minerals, energy resources, animal life, and space, with a focus on ecological equity and sustainability.
• 🌡 The script touches on the political nature of environmental discussions but stresses that the social principles are rooted in theological considerations and the church's responsibility to engage with contemporary issues.
• 👥 It encourages the church and its members to prioritize changes in lifestyles and practices to support a more ecologically sustainable world, leading to a higher quality of life for all of God's creation.
• 📚 The video series is presented as a call to action for Methodists to study and engage in dialogue about the natural world and social principles, promoting a prayerful and thoughtful approach to faith and practice.
• 🌱 The script concludes by quoting John Wesley, emphasizing that Christianity is a social religion and that faith should be lived out in the public sphere, with a focus on societal engagement and moral responsibility.

Q & A

What is the purpose of the five-part series 'Living Our Principles'?

The series aims to explore how the teachings of the United Methodist Church's faith can be utilized to engage with the contemporary world, focusing on a range of social topics with a strong biblical and theological foundation.

What are the social principles of the United Methodist Church?

The social principles of the United Methodist Church are a set of guidelines that address human issues in the contemporary world, calling members to engage in prayerful, studied dialogue of faith and practice.

Why are stewards of the earth important according to the script?

Stewards of the earth are important because they actively seek solutions for a more ecologically equitable and sustainable world, challenging authority and advocating for the environment and its resources.

What is the conflict between tobacco farming and environmental conservation in Kenya as described in the script?

The conflict arises because while the Kenyan government has made smoking illegal, it still supports tobacco companies, leading to deforestation, soil erosion, and health problems due to the process of curing tobacco, which exposes farmers to harmful smoke.

Why did Kennedy Muita, a pastor in the United Methodist Church, decide to work against tobacco farming?

Kennedy Muita realized the negative impacts of tobacco farming on health, environment, and the livelihood of farmers, and decided to promote alternative crops like chili to improve the situation.

What alternative crop did Kennedy Muita introduce to the farmers in his community?

Kennedy Muita introduced chili as an alternative crop to tobacco farming, which proved to be more profitable and less harmful to the environment and health of the farmers.

What are some of the challenges faced by farmers who switch from tobacco to alternative crops?

Challenges include lack of knowledge about new crops, initial resistance to change, lack of incentives like fertilizers and tools, and the need for support from organizations to invest in these areas.

What does the script suggest about the role of the church and its members in environmental issues?

The script suggests that the church and its members have a responsibility to prioritize changes in economic, political, social, and technological lifestyles to support a more ecologically sustainable world.

How does the script relate biblical teachings to the concept of food justice?

The script cites biblical passages from Ezekiel and Leviticus that emphasize the importance of sharing resources with the poor and needy, reflecting the concept of food justice.

What is the stance of the United Methodist Church on global climate stewardship according to the script?

The United Methodist Church supports mandatory reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and calls on individuals, congregations, businesses, industries, and communities to reduce their emissions to address global climate change.

What does the script suggest about the importance of local and sustainable agriculture?

The script suggests that local and sustainable agriculture is important for food security and community well-being, and that churches should support policies and initiatives that promote such practices.