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The State of Society Regarding the Concept of Ecological Sustainability Friends believe that we are all manifestations of the Creator, the Divine Sprit, of God. As our knowledge has grown we have come to realize that indeed all life forms are exquisitely inter-related and inter-dependent, thus all life is sacred. We envision a religious Society of Friends in the 21st Century, that includes in its testimonies a clear call of responsibility to live in harmony with all life on Earth. We see that our traditional peace testimony of nurturing peace with each other must be clearly expanded to include nurturing peace with all of the Created world. We are inspired to do this with a renewed respect for Creation which goes beyond self-interest. We envision a relationship with Earth that allows us to see ourselves as an integral part of God' s creation and not as the sole inheritors of it, to use as we will. We seek non-violent ways of meeting the needs of our species without compromising the viability of other life forms with whom we share this Earth. While Friends use and respect science as a helpful tool for understanding aspects of reality we also recognize there are Divine mysteries that remain beyond our grasp. Holistic accounting of consequences, including scientific, moral, and ethical consequences may confirm or deny new technology's benefits, but a full appreciation of these consequences may only be known in the fullness of time. We advocate applying the "precautionary principle" of erring on the side of caution whenever policy decisions are made, particularly those involving new technologies. Human exploration of the moon has revealed the Earth to be a beautiful blue-green sphere in the vastness of space--dash our home in the Universe. We work to better understand and respect Earth process--among these, the growth and respiration of living things, the flow of the Earth's waters, and the natural swirl of air, heat, and moisture in the atmosphere. We will do our utmost not to upset the balance, and will strive to restore balance where it has been upset. While evidence of ecological disaster is all around us, we can and must make changes now which will heal our spiritual and physical connections with the Earth. In the tradition of First Nations Peoples we work to ensure a better future for, at the very least, the next seven generations. We see that significant changes in the way we live our day-to-day lives are necessary for life on Earth to survive and flourish. We further pledge to share these concerns with the wider human society outside the Society of Friends, and to support and love one another as we carry these concerns forward. Go back to the QEAN Homepage |