Chapter 9 Discussion Questions

Reflection Questions:

• • Describe the basic values, beliefs, and principles that faith communities are expressing in response to climate change.  What commonalities do you see among these statements and traditions?  What differences do you note? Do you think there are particular strengths or limitations to such faith-based statements?  What importance do you think such religious climate statements have for public policy?

Discussion Questions:

• 1. Share the basic ideas of each of the climate statements you read. How do they compare and contrast? (A whiteboard or large piece of paper may be beneficial for compiling everyone’s ideas).
  2. Do you agree with the climate statement of your own religious group? If everyone subscribed to their faith community’s climate statement, how would the discussion around climate change differ? Would it be enough to stop climate change?
  3. Why do so many people disagree with the climate statements put forth by their own religious group? How might their minds change if they knew of their faith community’s stance on the matter?
  4. In which ways should climate change be an interfaith conversation? In which ways might that distance skeptics further?
  5. Why is climate change such a divisive topic in America? How might taking measures to reduce that polarity be beneficial or harmful to the environmental movement?
  6. How can we create a conversation around climate change that respects the intelligence and morality of skeptics and proponents alike?