LONDON (RNS/ENI) United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon told religious leaders on Tuesday (Nov.3) that they are uniquely equipped to pressure secular leaders to combat climate change.
Ban made the speech at a three-day conference on faith and the environment in England, organized by the Alliance of Religions and Conservation and the United Nations Development Program.
Ban told around 200 leaders representing nine of the world’s major religious communities, “The world’s great faith communities occupy a unique position in discussion on the fate of our planet and the accelerating impacts of climate change. You are the leaders who have the largest, widest and deepest reach.”
With ARC co-founder Prince Philip of England looking on, Ban said, “We have the know-how, we have resources, but the only vacuum is political will. You can inspire, you can provoke, you can challenge your leaders, through your wisdom, through your followers.”
Ban said that the major faiths have established, run, or contribute to more than half of all schools worldwide, compose the third largest category of investors in the world, and produce more weekly magazines and newspapers than all the secular press in the European Union.
“Your potential impact is enormous,” he said. “You can — and do — inspire people to change.”
The U.N. head noted that the world’s poorest are also the least responsible for the emissions in the atmosphere yet “the most likely to suffer first and foremost” from the impact of climate change.
Ban’s remarks come as world leaders prepare for a conference next month in Copenhagen, Denmark, on the environment.
Faith groups, Ban said, speak to the heart of humanity’s deepest needs. “This is why the voices, the deeds and the teachings of the world’s faith groups are so vitally important. In the coming weeks I urge you to make your voices heard loud and clear,” Ban stated.
By Trevor Grundy
Copyright 2009 Religion News Service. All rights reserved. No part of this transmission may be distributed or reproduced without written permission.
Beliefnet
Advertisement
posted November 4, 2009 at 8:21 pm
It’s admirable that Religion has taken up fighting for preserving our planet, but I would be more inclined to listen to Scientists and their explanations about our climate, etc. They should have folders, magazines, etc. out there in schools, as well as Faith groups. Religion sometimes goes overboard with their take on why weather happens and relates it to the Bible. Exp. people waiting on Islands, on mountains, in hotels for the Endtime, being picked up by a spaceship. I really don’t like saying this as I’m Christian, but there are some strange interpretations spinning all the time.
posted November 4, 2009 at 10:18 pm
Responsible religious leaders will have studied the issue, consulted real experts, and come to the conclusion the vast preponderance of the evidence and the knowledgeable scientists are pointing to the fact we are on the verge of destroying the chance for a pleasant existence and perhaps for human existence on earth. They do have an immense amount of influence (not that I’m happy with that, but it’s true) and we need all the influence we can get to overcome the propaganda being bought by greedy energy companies and foolish rightists who would rather risk their grandchildren’s lives than admit some liberals have been right.
Let’s hope there are a lot of responsible religious leaders.
posted November 5, 2009 at 1:13 pm
Yes, lets hope there are.
posted November 6, 2009 at 5:15 pm
You see H22 you along with your atheist friend derogatorily agree, on the other hand as an active Christian I know there is a lot of responsible Christian leaders. Just wanted to point out why I make some of my comments.
posted November 6, 2009 at 6:12 pm
Waiting for them to show up, cknuck.
posted November 6, 2009 at 8:25 pm
show up where nnmns in your living room? they are already on the front lines where are you?
posted November 6, 2009 at 10:43 pm
“”…where are you?…”"
Good and very apt question. Lost ones will never admit to being lost. But, I’m sure the very question makes them think…and that’s good.
posted November 6, 2009 at 10:49 pm
Any religious group, heck, any group, that chooses to follow directives from the United Nations get’s what it deserves, in a reaping-the-whirlwind sort of way.
Look what it’s done for “main-stream churches” after all!
posted November 6, 2009 at 11:22 pm
Yes, the main-stream churches have been taking directives from the UN for all these years. Where do you guys get your dope, anyway?
posted November 7, 2009 at 10:11 pm
Just recently a popular TV Evangelist, sorry but I didn’t try to remember his name, in an interview with Joy Behar she asked him what he thought of Homosexuals? He said, they are not a gift from God. Now that kind of intellect is an example of my answer of doubt about some religious leaders not being responsible. Of course cknuck that would sound like responsibility to you. Right?
posted November 8, 2009 at 4:32 pm
When you come to know God’s purpose then you certainly know what is of God and what is not. Homosexuality is not.
posted November 16, 2009 at 3:59 am
We at the Social Justice Roundtable in Perth, WA, are concerned about how things will play out at the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen from December 7-18, 2009.
We thought you might be interested in an ecumenical project we have running at the moment, Planet Prayer.
We would like to invite you to join us as we pray that our world’s leaders will make good choices which are sufficiently bold enough to address issues of climate change.
By signing up on the Planet Prayer website, between December 4-18 you will receive a daily email which will include a bible reading, a prayer and prayer points for that day. You can unsubscribe at any time. Full copies of the resources are also available in advance, by request.
To sign up or for more information head to the Planet Prayer website at http://www.planetprayer.wordpress.com