Climate Change: A Symptom of Distorted , Imperialist Worldview
As emphatically and categorically stated by social scientists, “Climate change is a symptom of a distorted, imperialist worldview – the continued exploitation of the Earth is justifiable because humanity exist separate from nature and can claim dominion of the environment. This worldview championed by Christians and captains of industries alike, promotes and preserves business as usual and has led us to the brink of environmental collapse.”
As narrated by environmentalists, such distorted imperialist worldview in reference to
the biblical order to “dominate the earth” has subordinated environmental preservation to
profit-driven motive. This is well exemplified in the sale of Xavier University to the Cebu Land-masters Inc. (CLI) as Xavier’s land area of some 20 hectares, 14 hectares of which is a mini-forest in Manresa and home to some 40 species of birds, will be converted into massive malls and condominiums, thus, putting to extinction the amazing beauty of nature to dominate the earth. The sale of Xavier University to CLI at the tune of some five billion pesos will erase from the face of the earth 40 species of birds which runs counter to what His Holiness Pope Francis appealed in His Encyclical Lau Datu Si, to hear the cry of the birds, of the trees and of the Earth. Indeed, ecological preservation has been subordinated to maximize profit.
Such distorted worldview reinforces an Oxfam Study concluding that “high veneration to
the profit-motive has already captured the mindset of all governments, all institutions, all
universities and even of religious groups,” in pursuance of “growth-at-all-cost” development
strategy to maximize profit and consumer goods, AND NOT TO MAXIMIZE VALUES.
Such is contrary to the cultural heritage initiated by Jesuit pioneers who all these years
have pursued the development of human potentials of hundreds of thousands, if not millions of graduates, who have become “men and women for others” to serve “the least of their brethren.” Let us be reminded of what King Solomon declared in Ecclesiastes, “Fame, wealth and power are meaningless, utterly meaningless.” Indeed, “what would profit a man if he gains the whole world but suffers the loss of his soul.” What is so painful that in the process of destroying the mini-forest which is the last defense/shield of the city against massive floodings, the burial ground of these pioneer priests who were our beloved teachers who taught us to maximize values, not consumer goods was desecrated. Some portion of Xavier’s land area came about through donations that included the inheritance of these pioneer priests like that of Fr. William Masterson, SJ that included the establishment of SEARSOLIN, the South-East Asia Rural Leadership Institute that have capacitated thousands of cooperative leaders through-out South East Asia and are now so disgusted to know of the vanishment of SEARSOLIN.
Killing Mother Earth is indeed a denigration of spirituality in pursuance of a distorted
imperialist worldview to dominate the earth, following the doctrine of “survival of the fittest.” Such doctrine works in a beast-like and jungle-like existence where fittest means the strongest, likened to a lion eating a cornered prey. That has been the dogma historically of religious wars, “Your religion is different from mine; you are wrong, you are weak, I am strong, thus, I have to subdue you, to kill you” History tells us that such is the raison d’ etre (reason for being) of imperial powers dominating Third World countries like what the US imperial power did in 1898 when no less than then Pres, McKinley ordered to conquer the Philippines claiming that he was ordered by God in a dream to liberate the Philippines. Thus, the Americans killed some 600,000 Filipinos with justification of liberating the souls of those killed as ordered by God Himself, he said.
Now, the modern day American Imperialism continues to “liberate” the Filipinos
through the new CONQUESTADORES known as corporate globalization, exploiting the poor and the oppressed in cohort with the elites and oligarchs, sacrificing nature and the people to the altar of greed and profit. As a Neo-Colony of an imperial power, the Philippines has become either MARKET OR TARGET. As Market, our country is source of cheap raw materials thru EXTRACTIVISM and as dumping ground of finished products; as Target means, our country is the imperial power front- line of defense where nuclear missiles are installed, thus, the first target when war erupts. By this truism, we now understand why our country which is very rich ecologically, oozing with natural wealth but is paradoxically so poor. Who controls? Who decides? Who profits? Not the people but a few oligarchs in cohort with imperial power!
Thus, amidst morale collapse and religious apathy, climate change is killing Mother
Earth (GAIA). No less than His Holiness the Dalai Lama said that, “Saving the climate is our
common duty. With each passing day climate change is causing Pacific Islands to disappear into the sea accelerating the extinction of species at alarming proportions and aggravating a water shortage that has affected the entire world. In short climate change can no longer be denied – it threatens our existence on earth.” As predicted by Glaciologists, “expect a rise of the sea level by up to seventy meters should the entire Greenland ice melt.” When that happens, only some 2,000 of the 7,100 islands in the Philippine Archipelago will be above water. While millions are now protesting against climate change all over the world, it seems that the Filipinos are so buried in apathy whose apathetic attitude looms from the fallacies of life and religions. In my sorties around the coastal communities, the fisherfolks are telling me that the sea level is already rising that is damaging their coastal homes and have to be repaired. The spawning ground of fish, the mangroves and coral reefs, have already been gone and the coastal communities are now becoming the poorest of the poor, living in hunger and dire poverty!
Even on issues on oppression through massive land-grabbing of the ancestral domains
of the Indigenous Peoples by imperial captains of industries in cohort with power-that-be that already have killed some 101 IP Chieftains in the last seven years in Mindanao alone, are not being given serious attention. It is in this context that we must now learn from the life of the late Archbishop of El Salvador who in 2018 was canonized by Pope Francis as a Saint. Indeed, the Philippines needs the likes of Arch. Oscar Romero who fought repression and social injustice. Here is amazing life story of service that must be known and be a model by bishops and priests in our country.
For fighting against social injustice, Arch. Romero was gunned down while celebrating
mass. The day before his assassination, Arch. Romero delivered his now famous Sunday homily ordering soldiers to stop killing their countrymen. “It is time to regain your conscience in the name of God and in the name of the suffering people. I implore you I beg you, I order you, stop the repression!” Indeed Arch. Romero was an outspoken critic of government, military and right-wing elements and spoke out against the continued oppression and exploitation of the poor, the oppressed and the Indigenous Peoples. Wow, so amazing! As a great Saint, he had showcased the three Ps: Prayer, Presence and Prophecy to liberate the poor and the oppressed. That I believe is the essence of Christianity, and not having dominion over the earth.
Why does the Philippines need to emulate St. Oscar Romero as untruth, injustice and
divisiveness gain ground. Let us pause for a while and reflect on what’s happening now in
Mindanao, the massive land grabbing of the ancestral domain of the Indigenous peoples and when they would stand to resist, their leaders are being killed. In Butong, Quezon, some 1,000 families of the Manobo-Pulingiyon Tribe have been living under shattered tents along the high-way for seven years now, eating only once a day and all the children are sickly and malnourished as their 1,111 hectares ancestral domain has been land-grabbed by a powerful corporation that has transformed their domain into massive plantations. They have already been issued Certification that the land is their ancestral domain where their ancestors are buried but when they tried to enter, a barrage of bullets rained upon them by the private army of the powerful corporation, wounding five women and children. What’s happening in their ancestral domain is happening everywhere else in Mindanao and the Indigenous Peoples are giving notice that the enrichment of the oligarchs and corporations means their poverty and displacement. All these years, such travesty of social justice and the rule of law continues without let-up.
Look what’s happening now in Amai Manabilang, Lanao del Sur as thousands of Ilocano
farmers who have already acquired prior right over their land yet are being forcibly evicted by the Southern Philippines Development Authority to be replaced by rich and powerful foreign investor-corporations. Since last year, some 400 hectares have already been damaged through non-stop tractoring of their farms that eliminated their livelihood and right to food. Even their water supply is being tampered upon. If indeed, SPDA has legal right over the farmlands of the Ilocano setters, as a government agency under the Office of the President, it can easily secure a court order. But why resort to forcible and coercive eviction in the presence of AFP & PNP officers. in favor of the entry of foreign corporations, the new conquestadores!? The Ilocano settlers, now living in extreme poverty and hunger went to Manila to appeal, seeking for social justice, respect for their human rights and the rule of law to prevail. They are human beings with dignity and not disposable wastes, so they are begging for assistance and intervention to rectify a glaring horrible social wrong committed by the rich and powerful. They appeal with a sense of utmost urgency that their human rights be respected as they are now living in hunger and their children cannot go to school anymore. That alone will put in clear categorical term why we need the like of the late St. Arch. Oscar Romero of El Salvador!
Please be informed of what His Holiness Dalai Lama has said: “Religion should not be
just limited to praying Ethical action is more important than prayers.” Such ethical action has been exemplified by St. Arch. Oscar Romero but he was killed. Well, I know now, the fear of death puts many in apathy, devoid of love to liberate the poor and the oppressed. No less than the Lord Jesus Christ was crucified to save humanity; thus, for those who fight for what is right, what Is true and what is just, to liberate the poor and the oppressed and to protect God’s vanishing creation like what St. Romero did, there is nothing to fear because when we die, we will end up in God’s loving embrace! That is what Christians are for, to be Christ-like – all for God’ greater glory!
