ECO-THEOLOGY:
A
Reflection on Environmental Issues in Indonesia
Bukan
lautan hanya kolam susu kail dan jalan cukup menghidupimu
Tiada
badai tiada topan kau temui Ikan dan udang menghampiri dirimu
Bukan
lautan hanya kolam susu kail dan jala cukup menghidupmu
Tiada
badai tiada topan kau temui ikan dan udang menghampiri dirimu
Orang
bilang tanah kita tanah surga; tongkat kayu dan batu jadi tanaman
Orang
bilang tanah kita tanah surga; tongkat kayu dan batu jadi tanaman
(Koes
Plus, “Kolam Susu”)[1]
I.
Introduction
Koes Plus’ description about
Indonesia nature and ecosystem is so beautiful. But in the same time people in
Indonesia start to face totally different situations. Now, people have to face
mass destruction of nature in the name of economy growth and development.
For
last 40 years, for instance, Papua’s ecosystem has been being destroyed by huge
scale copper and gold mining by Freeport, a big mining corporation from USA.[2]
Or mass scale of conversion of rain forest in Kalimantan to palm oil plantations.[3]
Destruction of a lot of rain forests in Indonesia cause many disasters. Many
people suffer because disasters like flood and landslides when there is a rainy
season and, and droughts when there is dry season.
Actually
there are others environmental issues that faced by people in Indonesia. There
are a possibility of forest fire when dry season, sea water intrusion which
cause lack of fresh water, industrial air pollutions, industrial waste
pollutions, etc. Those situations should be alert people including churches to
put more their attention to protect the ecology and preserve life by having
good reactions to those situations, ethically and practically.
II.
Eco-theology
. It is so important to deal with
ecology issues now because we face a mass scale of ecology destruction. As a
Christian we try to see it through eco-theology. This is different approach to read
the Bible with “eco-friendly” understanding. It is important because somehow
ecology problems occurred because of how people understand their tasks in this
world.
There are opinions about ecology
problems: (1) Human understanding to nature was wrong. Religions support this
kind of idea. Lynn White said that the root of ecological crisis came from
monotheistic religions which are Judaism, Christian and Judaism, which is
anthropocentrism.[4]
There is an assumption that this world was created for human being. God created
everything and human beings are a center of creation or even the crown of
creation. Human beings are not only a center of creation but also put in the
highest position among other creations. It is because human beings are made in
God’s image that makes human beings have “rights” to dominate other creations.
God planned all creations only for human beings’ benefits.
This
anthropocentrism comes out from how people interpret Genesis 1.28 that used to
legitimate human beings’ domination over other creations. (2). Human’s negative
behavior that has tendency to exploit natural resources for their own interest
without paying attention to preserve natural resources for the future. Human’s
behavior that get influenced by idea of materialism.
So Lynn White’s idea of the root of
our ecological problems provoked eco-theology discourses among religions. It
emphasizes relation between human beings and nature should be always in
harmony.
Creation story.
Eco-theology can be started from how we can understand creation story with
different point of view. Now in creation story we have to understand that God
created all things orderly and God continuously creates. The most important
“event” in story of creation actually is not day 6, but day 7 when God
“... rested from all his work. And God
blessed the seventh day and made it holy …”
When
God makes human being in his own image,
it does not mean that human being become God. Human beings are “only” image of
God that makes human beings are unique. It means that human beings were
commanded not to subdue other creations but to preserve and to keep life. Human
beings should exercise mandate to preserve and to keep life under God’s
covenant. Human beings are only part of world itself (including animals and
plants). God blessed not only human beings, but also animals and plants. Human
beings practice their mandate by naming all animals. Naming the animal should
be seen as a mandate to keep and as prove of relationship. This action is not
kingship action but more kinship
between humans and other creations.
Soil or lands. Humans should understand that God as Creator own
all. Land is the place where people are called to praise God and to obey God.
God gives the land to humans. And because it is a gift, humans have to be aware
when using it. When humans use lands, it should not be seen as object but as
gifts (see Gen. 17.8) from God. Soils and humans have a close relationship. God
created Adam from Adamah, or dust / soil, so humans come
from soil. Animals also come from dust / soil, that means has “relation” with
humans. But also in the same time prove to humans that human beings are nothing
then dust.
Noah’s story. We can find that some interesting information. First
from story of Noah, we can read about God’s covenant to Noah after the flood.[5]
If we read again Genesis 9 carefully we can find that God make first covenant
not only with humans but also animals (and off course plants).[6]
Second is about the sign that God use for God’s covenant with humans and other
creations. It said in the bible that I
have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant
between me and the earth. Again we can see that the covenant is between God
and the earth not only with human
beings. NIV uses the word rainbow as
God’s sign. Actually it is better to use the word bow (as a translation of Hebrew word “Qesheth”).[7]
With this translation (bow) we can have understanding that God is God fully of
grace. God saved Noah and his family and told Noah to save animals and put them
into the ark. But God gives warning to humans not to evil in this world that
God created. So bow as a sign of God’s covenant with the earth also give us
strong impression not to do evil in this earth, and also to the earth. This
translation and understanding is stronger and clearer than using “rainbow” as a
translation from word “qesheth”.
III. Indonesia
Church and Its Challenge on Ecology
With more than 17.000 islands,
Indonesia is always a beautiful archipelago. With its riches of natural
resources, Indonesia could provide more than enough people’s needs. But today,
maybe like other Asian countries, Indonesia has to face ecology problems such
as mining, deforestation, water pollutions, air pollutions, land, especially
paddy fields, conversion to industrial areas or elite resident areas, lands
conversion to become palm oil and sugar cane plantation[8].
Many of ecology problems in Indonesia are caused by multinational corporations,
particularly mining and logging companies. These are challenges for churches in
Indonesia and chances in the same time.
Ecology issues should be a part of
churches ministries and struggles because until now there are not many churches
have enough attention to ecology issue. Usually churches in Indonesia are so
busy thinking about themselves and the salvation of souls, just like Ludwig
Feurbach said, “Nature, the world, has no value, no interest for Christians.
The Christian thinks of himself and the salvation of his soul.”
Churches
have to do something in term of ecological concern. Perhaps churches cannot do
big ecological movement in their programs. For example as one little parish
with less than 200 people, definitely might not do one program against big
multinationals corporation like Freeport.
But it does not mean that church stop to do something solving ecology
problems in Indonesia society. Churches’ concern to ecology problems can be
realized through simple local church program like how to save energy in our own
house by turning lamps of during day light, or ask church members to use public
transportations than their own vehicles, or begin to stop using paper cup and
change to ordinary tea cup made of porcelain, or start to plant trees in our
yard and church yard, or start using organic vegetables and many things. Off
course churches in Indonesia as a whole can do bigger and stronger ecology
movements, even can make a strong pressure to government to have more concern
to ecology.
Churches
in Indonesia also can see ecology problems in Indonesia as a chance to have
open inter-religious dialogue with other religion especially with Muslim. As a
biggest Muslim country in the world, Indonesia encounters many problems
regarding inter-religious relationship. Churches in Indonesia can work together
with Muslim groups that have same interest trying to solve ecology problems in
Indonesia. Even Churches in Indonesia have to face hardliner Muslim groups and
suffer from their acts closing down many church buildings, still churches in
Indonesia cannot stop to try build inter-religious dialogue with other Muslim
groups and other inter-religious groups from Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Ahmadiyya
etc.
Last,
churches in Indonesia also need to learn from local wisdom from many indigenous
groups in many places in Indonesia. Like local wisdom called Hamemayu Hayuning Bawana (from Java), Tri Hati Karana (from Bali), Alam Terkembang (from West Sumatra), Sasi (from Maluku), Awig-awig (from Nusa Tenggara),
and Nyabuk Gunung (from West
Java).[9]
In general, the indigenous people have almost a same understanding about the
nature. They have a high respect to nature, high moral responsibility for
nature, cosmic solidarity, caring for nature, no harm principles, justice,
moral integrity, and have a harmonious and balance life with nature.
[1]“Kolam susu” is a famous song sung by Koes Plus, a famous music
group in Indonesia during 70’s. This song described the rich of Indonesia
ecology. It said that Indonesia’s ecosystem is so rich full with a lot of kind
of fishes and animals. The land is so fertile and beautiful just like a
paradise. Many plants can grow and produce good crops that can fulfill every
people needs that live in that land.
[2] It said that Freeport in their operation already mined about 724.7
million tons. They opened Papua’s rain forest and made 2.4 kilometer diameter
hole, or about 499 acres land with 800 meters deep. Except doing a mass scale
of destruction to Papua’s rain forest and polluted many rivers they also did
human rights violation to Papua’s indigenous people.
[3] Data from Indonesia Government office said that more than 2.83
million acres a year of rain forest in Indonesia lost because of deforestation
and convert to palm oil plantations.
[4] Lynn White, The Historical Roots of Our Ecologic Crisis, pdf
document from http://www.uvm.edu/~gflomenh/ENV-NGO-PA395/articles/Lynn-White.pdf
access on October 27, 2013.
[5] NIV use “God’s covenant with Noah” for the flood story.
[6] John Olley, Mixed Blessing
for Animals: The Contras of Genesis 9, in Norman C. Habel and Shirley Wurst
(eds.), The Earth Story in Genesis, (Sheffield:
Sheffield Academic Press, 2000), 130
[7] Indonesia Bible translate the word “Qesheth” with “bow”
[8] Newest ecological issue in Indonesia: government gives permit to
open 500.000 acres land in Aru Island in Maluku. If this government’s plan
works, it will destroy a habitat for birds like Black Cockatoo, Tree Kangaroo, and
Cassowary, also will a good habitat for deer and an amazing mangrove that grows
abundantly there, and a place for life for indigenous people.
[9] Rusli, Fikih Ekologi dan Kearifan Tradisional: Tinjauan terhadap
Konsep Ilya al-Mawat dan Hilma, in Jurnal Hunafa vol. 5, no. 3 Desember 2008.
287-298
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