Integrity of Creation An Ecumenical Discussion - Recommendations - I. - We invite all Churches and Christians to reflect on the integrity of creation and to express their faith in concrete commitments to work for the integrity of creation.
In so doing, we will discover ways of confessing our faith together
that are both timely and faithful to our best traditions. At the same time,
we also need to work with peoples of other faiths and ideologies so that we
may strive together for a world where the integrity of creation, justice and
peace will be visible.
For the churches, this would involve among others:
- an analysis of the structures of sin that are evident in their own society
and in the world so that we concentrate on structural changes and influence
decisions in the field of public policy making.
- an integration of environmental concerns into church educational programs
and curricula in the areas of formal and non-formal education.
- to establish commissions or committees in the churches and councils of churches
to deal with the concern for the integrity of creation and pay special attention
to the issues raised by science and technology.
In particular, we ask the women in each church to identify those structures
of sin that exploit nature and oppress women and other marginalized groups in
their societies and to work for justice and the liberation of creation.
We also request that women in the churches make these issues a priority during
the Ecumenical Decade of Churches in Solidarity with Women and that they share
information on actions taken with the JPIC process and the WCC office in Geneva.
We request the churches to inform themselves intentionally about the issues
of Indigenous Peoples. This process must include extensive dialogue with the
Indigenous Peoples themselves so that the churches participate fully in the
struggles of Indigenous Peoples.
The efforts of the churches to be actively engaged in exposing the ideologies
of profit and exploitation that undergird modern Western science and technology
would be an important part of the churches' solidarity with Indigenous Peoples.
In identifying issues in each local context and cultural situation and in working
out appropriate responses and forms of action to defend the integrity of creation,
the churches must be ready to take risks.
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