A Faith-Based Call to Protect Creation: Why People of Faith Must Respect the Land

Dear Friends and Neighbors
 
Across all major faith traditions—Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and more—there is a profound and consistent message: the Earth is sacred, and we are entrusted with its care. These spiritual teachings are not abstract ideals; they are active commands to live with humility, reverence, and responsibility toward the natural world.
 
Today, many rural communities face a new kind of threat—not from neglect, but from overdevelopment. Clear-cutting forests, draining aquifers, paving farmland, and transforming rural land into dense, city-like zones for profit may bring short-term gain to a few, but they violate long-standing faith principles that demand respect, balance, and stewardship.
 
In Judaism, the Torah forbids the destruction of fruit trees, even in war (Deuteronomy 20:19–20). This principle, Bal Tashchit, has evolved into a broader ethical command against waste and unnecessary harm. The land is to be given rest during the Shmita year (Leviticus 25), underscoring nature’s right to renew itself. These are not merely agricultural customs—they reflect a moral architecture that prioritizes sustainability over exploitation. When rural land is bulldozed and paved, when waters are diverted or polluted, we fail in our obligation to “work and guard” the garden of creation (Genesis 2:15).
 
In Christianity, both the Old and New Testaments celebrate creation’s intrinsic worth. The Psalms say, “The trees of the forest will sing for joy” (Psalm 96), while Paul writes that “all of creation is groaning” under the weight of human sin (Romans 8). In Revelation 11:18, there is a dire warning for “those who destroy the Earth.” Christians are not passive bystanders—they are called to be active stewards, recognizing the land not as property to be conquered, but as a divine trust to be nurtured.
 
In Islam, the Qur’an declares humanity as khalifah—stewards of the Earth (Qur’an 6:165). Prophet Muhammad emphasized the value of trees, water, and moderation, teaching that even at a flowing river, one should not waste water. The Qur’an condemns fasad—corruption on Earth—warning that human excess and greed lead to ruin (Qur’an 30:41). Overdevelopment for personal gain, when it harms nature and communities, is precisely the kind of imbalance Islam teaches us to avoid.
 
These values are not limited to the Abrahamic faiths. Hinduism speaks of the Pancha
 Mahabhuta, the five sacred elements—earth, water, fire, air, and space, which must never be desecrated. Buddhism teaches interdependence—that to harm nature is to harm ourselves. In both traditions, trees are sacred, rivers are holy, and spiritual progress requires harmony with the land.
 
When developers exploit rural lands for unchecked construction, they are not just violating local zoning laws or environmental policies—they are ignoring a divine covenant shared across traditions. They tear down not only trees, but moral boundaries. They dry up not only wells, but the spiritual duty of restraint.
 
People of faith must lead by example. To be silent in the face of ecological damage is to be complicit. Whether we pray in a synagogue, church, mosque, temple, or forest clearing, we are called to the same sacred truth:
 
This Earth is not ours to exploit—it is ours to protect.
 
Some point to the notion that God gave humanity "dominion" over the Earth (Genesis 1:26) as a license for control or consumption. But dominion, in its truest scriptural context, does not mean domination; it means responsibility. The original Hebrew word radah implies stewardship marked by care, wisdom, and justice, not conquest. It is a call to shepherd the land as one would tend a flock, with vigilance, compassion, and humility. To invoke dominion as a defense for overdevelopment is to misinterpret a sacred trust as a permit for destruction.
 
For those guided not by faith but by reason; the imperative remains the same.
Even without religious belief, we can recognize our deep dependence on healthy ecosystems and the ethical responsibility to preserve them. Science makes clear that overdevelopment, pollution, and habitat destruction jeopardize not only biodiversity but    
 human survival itself. A secular commitment to justice, compassion, and sustainability leads us to the same conclusion: this Earth, though not sacred in a divine sense, is irreplaceable—and deserving of our protection.
 
Let us act not out of fear or politics, but out of faith. Let us remember that our deepest traditions honor the land, and let us ensure our children inherit forests that sing, waters that nourish, and soil that is still alive with possibility.

There will be an election for Town Board this fall. Several current members will be running for re-election. Fallsburg Future has decided to publish a weekly newsletter highlighting the issues that face the residents and the town. Each newsletter will highlight a particular topic of concern as well as an overview of a particular issue. We have had technical issues with our email service. It has been corrected and you are able to respond to this email.

Fallsburg's Future is a community network of concerned Fallsburg residents established in January 2016. Its Mission is to help guide the urban development of the town of Fallsburg and its five hamlets, to promote its sustainable economic development, protect the fragile beauty of its natural habitats and enhance the opportunities and quality of life for all its residents and visitors. We hope to curb the suburban sprawl that is threatening to overwhelm the town’s physical infrastructure and destroy the natural beauty that the area depends on for its future development. See us on Facebook and our website Fallsburgsfuture.com.