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Faith vs. the Earth: How Religion is Used to Justify Environmental Destruction
“The Earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.” — Psalm 24:1
Religion, at its core, often calls for harmony with nature. From Genesis to Indigenous teachings, many spiritual traditions highlight the sacredness of the Earth and the importance of caring for it. Yet throughout history, faith has also been weaponized to justify environmental destruction. Misinterpretations of religious texts and beliefs have been used to defend practices that exploit and degrade the environment, often with devastating consequences.
In this article, we explore famous examples of how faith has been used to rationalize environmental harm and the lasting impact of these justifications.
1. The Dominion Mandate and Resource Exploitation
The Bible’s Genesis 1:26–28 states, “Be fruitful and multiply… have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and every living thing that moves on the Earth.”
Some have interpreted this passage as a divine endorsement to exploit nature without limits. During the Industrial Revolution, Christian-majority nations used this “dominion” narrative to justify widespread deforestation, mining, and industrial expansion. Natural resources were seen as God-given tools…
