Pope Makes Biblical Case For Addressing Climate Change: "Destruction of the planet is a sinful act"

[Raksha]

89. Very beautiful exegesis - thank you.

Re What God promises at the end of the story is not that the world won't be destroyed by a particular method (leaving the door open for alternative divine WMD's like "the fire next time&quot , but that the rhythms of nature will continue, that the chaos won't be allowed to reign.

This is the way I interpret the Flood story and other biblical stories, although I don't think I've ever put it that succinctly, even to myself. But symbolic non-literalist interpretations like this are the only way these stories can continue to have relevance. I'm glad the Pope gets it too.

Re The story is highly mythical of course (and also largely derivative of other ancient myths, such as the Eridu Genesis, Atrahasis, the Gilgamesh flood story, and others), but it has significance for the current climate crisis. At the root of the dominant Western religions is this story of divine care for creation. The irony is that we ourselves might be destroying the very rhythms of creation to which the story alludes.

And on which our lives and all life depends.

Oh yes, and welcome to DU!