A Common Thread: Religion, Elephants & Killing the Ivory Trade [View all]

[cbayer]

http://blog.chron.com/sacredduty/2013/03/a-common-thread-religion-elephants-killing-the-ivory-trade/

Wednesday, March 6, 2013


Religious use of ivory is a prime driver of deadly ivory trade worldwide, this goes against most religions' injunctions to care for creation. (Photo: AP)


There are 7 billion people in the world and counting and every one of them has a worldview, a lens through which the purpose and meaning of life is derived. These individuals gather together with others who have similar beliefs, establishing the more than 730 religions in the world and 3,200 different sects. But with such diversity, is there anything that we have in common other than being human?

I would like to purpose, yes: The entreaty to care for creation. Humanity is inexorably linked to the world. Albert Einstein once said that if bees were to go extinct, humans would have four years to survive before extinction ourselves. So we care about ensuring the survival of the world, because we care about ensuring the survival of our species.

I do not claim to know everything there is about social studies, anthropology or religion. But a few weeks ago I started to see this common thread linking together people who may otherwise have nothing in common.

The first thread came in the form of a tweet from scientist and outspoken atheist Richard Dawkins, “Ivory from Thailand is legal, so African ivory is easily traded. Sign petition to have ALL ivory banned in Thailand.”

more at link