What do Christian's believe about natural resources?

Answer 1

Simple version:

1. God created the world.

2. God gave the world to people.

3. God said "use it wisely".

More complex version:

Human is the highest of all creations. Everything is to serve human, BUT God said people to take care of everything - plants, animals and so on. He could use everything for his own means, but not to destroy this briliant gift. I appologise vegetarians, but saying that you can't eat animals, because they are alive and they feel can lead to point that you can't eat plants or touch anything.

All things are to serve people.

Hunt for animals, BUT don't torture them. Don't stomp on ants or kich stray dogs. Only in self-defense (doesn't apply to ants). Medical experimentation is allowed only if comply with common sense and are really needed to save human lives.

Harvest plants, BUT don't break the branches or tear flowers just because you want to.

Everything begins to complicate when you come to fossil fuels and science.

Again - they are to be used, but wisely. If everything is being destroyed by oil tanker crash/chemical waste/nuclear meltdown, then do everything to avoid this. Being careless about either security or consequences, or - what is the worst - ignoring them for greater profit is very serious sin.

If you find statistics about quantities of food being wasted by wealthy countries and other things that could be improved but are not, you will see that this is also very common sin.

Everything what God created was for your ancestors, yourself and your children. Make sure, that your kids will be able to see clear water, or run on beaches without dead whales. This apply to fossil fuels and other resources.

Responibility for this is very individual. This means, that you by yourself need to do best efforts for your own environment - this can sound sily, but recycling, waste segregation and other eco-stuff is along with christian thinking.

-> 3. God said "use it wisely"!

This is not a formal quote.

This is formal quote:

"After that God said to them: «Be fertile and proliferate, to popolate the Earth and submit it; to rule over fish in seas and birds in sky and everything crawling on hte ground». And God said: «I give you all plants bearing seeds on whole earth and every tree, that has seeds in it's fruits: this shall be your food. And for every animal on ground and for all birds in sky and for everything what is moving on earth and has the element of life green grass will be it's food». And it happend. "

Genesis 1, 28-30

Read disclaimer in my profile page concerning biblical quotes.

Again, if somebody is pleased to read that God gave people only plants to eat, i explain, that 2 chapters later He gave them leather clothes.

Following The Catechism of the Catholic Church, that uses the fragment i've just quoted i want to add also two following points:

1. Dominance, that God gave people over his work is not absolute.

2. 7th Commandment (You shall not steal) demands religious regard towards the work of God. This include all creations - resources, plantlife, animals and other people. They are work of God, respect them as you could Him.