I am tired of hearing people say that creation is a gift from God. How anthropocentric can we get? Why can we not believe that the universe has its own integrity in and of itself.
Seriously, there are stars out there that are so far away their light does not even reach us. Is that a gift for us?
Why can't we treat the universe, the earth, other creatures, not as gift, but as subject, as other, as something with integrity? The universe is not ours to do with as we please, it was not a gift for humanity. We are a part of this earth, not the beneficiaries of its gift, nor are we the benefactors or stewards of the planet. We have forced our power over this planet rather than treating it as friend, treating it as an object or gift to be played with and disposed as opposed to a subject and friend.
This is a great point to make - I hadn't thought about it in these terms before.
ReplyDeleteAt the same time, I think it's still valuable to remember that everything we have comes from God. Can't the idea of God's blessings coexist with the idea that creation is subject, not object?
@Jennie: I think we can say that life is a gift from the Divine, and therefore, all beings are part of this gift towards one another, not just a gift to humans. Even rocks can clap their according to the Bible, so I also think we need to widen our understanding of what is "alive"--at least in a spiritual sense (though that can bring about dualistic thinking, I don't think it needs to).
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