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THE SYNCRETISM OF UTILIZING THE WORLD, ITS
RESOURCES AND ORGANISMS:
CONSERVATION BIOLOGY VS.
INTERPRETATION OF RELIGIOUS SCRIPTURE
Emily RinaldiWildlife & Fisheries Biology
Spring 2013
“The cowman who cleans his range of wolves does not realize that he is taking over the wolf’s job of trimming the herd to fit the range. He has not learned to think like a mountain. Hence we have
dustbowls, and rivers washing the future into the sea.”~Aldo Leopold
“Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and all the living
things that move on earth… I am giving all this land, as far as you can
see, to you and your descendants as a permanent possession. And I will give you so many descendents that, like
the dust of the earth, they cannot be counted.”
~ Genesis 13: 15-16
Breakdown of Brief Genesis Quote
God’s plan Humans have the power to rule over
everything. Result of this interpretation
Humans assume they can utilize Earth’s resources in completefavor of themselves.
Moral Syncretism
Consists of the attempt to reconcile contrasting
or contradictory moral beliefs. Often while blending
the ethical practices of various schools of thought.
Fundmentalists
Fundamentalists (cont…)
Fundamentalism Demand for a strict adherence to specific
theological doctrines Usually understood as a reaction against
Modernist theology Primarily to promote continuity and accuracy
of a specific belief system Includes a lot of political and economical
values See the scripture as giving the “okay” to
use the planet to their advantage
Fundamentalists (cont…)
They illustrate the fear/ ignorance to accept nor initiate change
Throwing out evidence that goes against their plan/ what the book “states”
This cultural relativism is used to mask the effects of Western colonialism and imperialism
Not the end product of reasoning A way for humans to feel they have
status, possession, and importance
Conservationists
Conservationists (cont…)
Conservation biology is the interest in protecting the world’s resources, plants, and animals Diversity Habitat Sustainability
Have seen the results of humans utilizing land and animals for their own benefit
An Exception
“If god is to blame, it’s for giving humans the freedom to make their own decisions. [however] the bible… teaches that humans are the ones responsible because they misused that freedom.”
Not all decisions humans make are harmful to the world’s community.
Extinction
In the last century, humans have been the main cause of vertebrate and invertebrate extinction.
Tend to run down habitat and species until there is almost no turning back.
Then humans have to work extremely hard to try to fix what they destroyed.
Conclusions
Humans are responsible for nature Lack of environmental education being
passed to the next generation If readers read further in Genesis, they
would find: “The Lord God had sent no rain upon the earth
and there was no man to till the soil… [after the creation of man]… The Lord God then took the man and settled him in the Garden of Eden, to cultivate and care for it.” ~ Genesis
“Your eyes will be opened… knowing both good and evil.” ~Genesis
Questions?