NRCCC Statement of Purpose

§1.
The National Religious Coalition for Creation Care (NRCCC) serves God and the health of creation by bringing together the formal environmental policy positions of religious institutions and by communicating those positions to elected officials and government leaders.

§2.
The NRCCC emphasizes the key policy perspectives on which organized religion is unified. These policy emphases begin in a world view in which God is the Creator of the Earth and all that is in it. This world view implies moral and ethical principles that inform a respectful and restrained perspective on matters of creation care. It further implies human responsibility to care for the earth in a manner that protects its life and vitality, and that preserves the integrity of its natural systems for future generations.

§3.
As Catholics and Jews, Evangelicals and Orthodox Christians, Protestants and Pentecostals and many other religious institutions, we believe that this coalition fills a crucial role in reminding America’s elected officials of the spiritual foundations for a healthy environment and a prosperous nation.

§4.
History reminds us that abuse of the natural environment has caused societal collapse far more often than foreign invaders or external aggression. Of the fifteen great civilizations that have flourished upon the Earth, historians tell us that thirteen fell because they abused the land, exhausted natural resources or otherwise failed to honor the natural limits of creation. In our day, we believe that continued disrespect toward the natural world will lead not only to deepening degradation of our planet, but also to deterioration of the conditions that sustain healthy human families and a peaceful global society.

§5.
We seek, therefore, an attitude toward God’s creation that is as much concerned for the future of our world as it is for the present, that cultivates and teaches respect for public and private lands alike, that repairs the damages that have already been done, and that encourages a more vigorous and intentional effort on the part of our government and our people to integrate human society into the larger ecosystem of the planet.

§6.
Actions of this sort will allow us to work successfully toward the restoration and replenishment of the natural world. We also seek to regenerate our own moral integrity as people of faith, dedicated to living in alignment with the spiritual and ecological wisdom of our traditions. As we come together to affirm the goodness of the earth and our collective responsibility to preserve its forests, protect its species, and stabilize its climate, we invite religious organizations and their members to join with us in this interfaith coalition, to share with us their official positions on issues of creation care, and to participate in public advocacy for policies that honor our Creator and the good earth.