Religious organizations recognize Earth Day

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The way people interpret passages in the Bible can affect the way they treat the environment, said Joel Geffen, an assistant professor specializing in religion and the environment.

“While some people choose to believe that God gave us the Earth and humans have a responsibility to take care of it, others believe that the humans are only obligated to treat other humans with respect — not things in nature,” Geffen said.

Hillel Jewish Student Center and St. John Student Parish found their own ways to recognize the environment this week in honor of Earth Day, which took place Tuesday.

“Values and attitudes are a large part of environmental problems. Values are what our decisions are based off of,” Geffen said.

Students at Hillel shared facts about Israel’s environmental advances Tuesday, and the parish’s sustainability group organized a showing of the film “The Next Industrial Revolution” today to bring environmental issues to the forefront.

“Our parish has always had sort of a recognition and concern for the importance of caring for the environment and all creations,” said Liz Schweitzer, pastoral associate at the parish.

St. John Student Parish has become more environmentally conscious in the past four years, Schweitzer said.

In addition to using recycled paper and trying to make its 50-year-old building more eco-friendly, parish staff and congregants have been selling reusable shopping bags.

Although the parish has been working with the environment in mind for some time, Judaism has always placed emphasis on the environment, law student Jordan Weiss said.

“It is tradition in the Jewish culture that when you move into a new place, the first thing you’re supposed to do is go out and plant a tree,” Weiss said.

“Planting a tree is supposed to connect you with the new place you’re living in. It’s just a religious custom.”

Geffen said people are starting to pay more attention to the environment because of the new trend to “go green.”

“Whether people like the idea of global warming or not, there is a lot of evidence that suggests if we don’t start paying attention, humans are going to be in trouble,” he said.

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