Christian Vegetarian Association Blog - Monday, December 11, 2006


	CVA BLOG

CVA Blog

Monday, December 11, 2006

Humanity’s poor stewardship of God’s creation

Welcome to the weekly CVA blog! In it you will find famous quotes, news and commentaries.

1. Ocean life could collapse by 2048
2. Famous quote – Martin Luther King, Jr. from his sermon, A Knock at Midnight.
3. Environmental problems caused by factory farms
4. Bible verse – Colossians 3:17
5. Meat-based diet and global warming
6. Atlantic bluefin tuna catch reduction quota not enough

1. Ocean life could collapse by 2048: New scientific data going back to the 1960s predicts that the aquatic fauna populations could collapse by 2048 if current trends in habitat destruction and overfishing continue. This study was published in the November issue of the journal Science. Boris Worm, lead author of the study stated, "In losing species we lose the productivity and stability of entire ecosystems. I was shocked and disturbed by how consistent these trends are -- beyond anything we suspected."

To read the full article please visit http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid
/38799/story.htm

Abundant scientific data is available of the tremendous damage human activity is causing on already fragile ecosystems. We are called to be good stewards of all of God’s creation, but reality shows that we are not. The transition to a plant-based diet could have a dramatic positive effect in restoring the environment, reducing animal suffering and benefiting our health.

2. Famous quote: "If the church does not recapture its prophetic zeal, it will become an irrelevant social club without moral or spiritual authority. If the church does not participate actively in the struggle for peace and for economic and racial justice, it will forfeit the loyalty of millions and cause men everywhere to say that it has atrophied its will. But if the church will free itself from the shackles of a deadening status quo, and, recovering its great historic mission, will speak and act fearlessly and insistently in terms of justice and peace, it will enkindle the imagination of mankind and fire the souls of men, imbuing them with a glowing and ardent love for truth, justice, and peace. Men far and near will know the church as a great fellowship of love that provides light and bread for lonely travelers at midnight."
~ Martin Luther King, Jr. from his sermon, A Knock at Midnight.

3. Environmental problems caused by factory farms: An international team of environmental scientists warned last week that modern livestock operations, most commonly known as factory farms, are contributing to the rise of antibiotic-resistant germs, likely hastening the spread of avian flu to humans, contaminating water supplies with pathogens and chemicals, and polluting the air with foul-smelling compounds that cause respiratory problems. According to scientists, "Generally accepted livestock waste management practices do not adequately or effectively protect water resources from contamination with excessive nutrients, microbial pathogens and pharmaceuticals present in the waste."

To read the full article please visit http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-na-livestock17nov17,1,3670425.story?coll=la-news-a_section&ctrack=1&cset=true

Depletion of natural resources; contamination of water, soil and air; increased rate of some chronic diseases; and animal exploitation are consequences of our poor stewardship of God’s creation. Our free will can lead to a life of harmony and abundance with all creatures or can bring misery to us, the environment and God’s animals.

4. (RSV) Colossians 3:17 “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

Everything we do, including our diet, should be honoring and glorifying to God. We worship a loving God who wants us to live out our life in thankfulness and reverence for all Creation.

5. Meat-based diet and global warming: According to a United Nations recent report, animal agriculture is responsible for almost 1/5 of the pollution causing global warming. "Livestock are one of the most significant contributors to today's most serious environmental problems. Urgent action is required to remedy the situation," said the FAO's Henning Steinfeld, the report's senior author.

To read the full article please visit http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/
newsid/39230/story.htm

We might not suffer from our poor stewardship of God’s creation immediately; however, our children and their children will inherit the consequences of our irresponsibility and disobedience to God, and might suffer from great hardships. We have a sacred responsibility and tremendous privilege to take care of God’s creation, and a plant-based diet is an essential part of it.

6. Atlantic bluefin tuna catch reduction quota not enough: Environmentalist do not agree with the reduction of Atlantic bluefin tuna catch by International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, ICCAT. Although this reduction is a small step towards conservation, the reduced quota is nowhere near the levels recommended by ICCAT’s own scientists. Referring to this new quota, Sergi Tudela of group WWF said, "This is a collapse plan, not a recovery plan."

To read the full article please visit http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm
/newsid/39168/story.htm

Good stewardship of all Creation involves sustainable living. Overfishing is one of the most damaging human activities related to the dangerous reduction, and even disappearance, of some of God’s animals on Earth. Our diet is intrinsically linked to the delicate balance of nature, and a plant-based diet seems to be a sustainable way to live in harmony with the rest of God’s creatures.

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