environment

'It is everyone's duty to care for the environment' (15)

catholics would agree with this statement. they base this belief on the environment, on the fact that God have humans the responsibility to look after creation. in genesis 1, it states humans are given 'dominion' which catholics interpret to mean not only rule but care for creation. also in genesis 2, god places man in the garden of eden to 'protect and cultivate it' due to this, they believe they have a special relationship with creation. Furthermore, every time god created something in genesis, it states 'and it was good' this shows god created the world for benefit, therefore creation is a gift which catholics think we must look after.

in addition, catholics believe we should work toward the common good. they believe it's everyone's responsibility to work for this and share the earth's resources, particularly for future generations. Pope Francis supports this view and described human life as a 'gift' which 'must be defended'. Moreover, they also follow preferential option for the poor (working to put the poor first) Pope Francis says how we need to hear both 'the cry of the poor' & 'the cry of earth'. Reducing the impact of ultimate change will help this, we cannot separate societal issues and environmental issues.

humanists would also agree w/ the statement. they base this belief on their support for stewardship. they also believe that overpopulation is a huge threat to the environmental and we should be taking steps to limit this. some humanists believe that we are being speciesist ( a term derived by Peter T singer) and that more action needs to be taken to protect the animals we are putting at risk by not caring for the environment. this is a strong argument because it shares many similar views to other belief systems, strengthening its value.

fundamentalists christians would disagree and they base these beliefs on genesis. genesis 1 tells humans to 'subdue' the earth and have dominion, which they interpret to mean have power over. in genesis 2, adam and eve can can eat from any tree, showing they have unlimited access to resources. they would also not be concerned with overpopulation as god told humans in genesis 'to be fruitful and multiply'. this is a weak argument because it ignores other teachings from genesis such as 'protect and cultivate' creation.

the most compelling argument is the catholic argument because it considers the needs to the poorest in the world today, as well as protecting future generations at the same time