In yesterday’s DM, we lamented the latest mortal sin committed by the current MAGA administration against the sacredness of Mother Earth and her valued creatures.
Creation Spirituality is, after all, about a change in consciousness including religion and spirituality so that we cease beginning with the human (which is only about 300,000 years old, as such) but with the holy creation, that original blessing that dared to bring our species forward over 13.8 billion years time.
Today, most of humanity is waking up to the reality of the price we, Mother Earth, and her many amazing creatures are paying for what Pope Francis called our “species narcissism.” We and our religions have put us at the center of the universe for far too long. “I think therefore I am” (Descartes) sort of summarizes our neurosis (or original sin?).
The latest of many such deadly ways of seeing the world comes with denying climate change and calling it a “hoax” as the current American president does, cheered on by his fossil fuel billionaire supporters whose god is money/power/greed, not Creator.
The landmark environmental law in place for the last 50 years—and just gutted by Trump—has resulted in safeguarding more than 1700 species and their habitats and prevented 99% of those listed from going extinct. This included the bald eagle (the symbol of America actually).
Center for Biological Diversity
Says The Guardian: “Experts fear the move could cause catastrophic damage to species already close to the brink.” Earth justice attorney Kristen Boyles said: For the first time ever, a presidential administration now claims that species protected by the Endangered Species Act shouldn’t be safe from habitat modification that destroys where they live, raise their young, or search for food.*
Every MAGA member and every American voter should answer this question: Do you give a damn about creatures other than human and whether they live or die? And whether they can raise their young and search for food? And if not, why not?
Has capitalism come to this? That only humans have the right to raise their young and search for food in habitats that fit us? Or maybe the proper answer is: Only humans rich enough to buy up politicians have such rights.
The Center for Biological diversity deputy director called the new plan “a death sentence for wolverines, monarch butterflies, Florida manatees and so many other animals and plants that desperately need our help.”
“Need our help.” Isn’t that what compassion is about? Didn’t Jesus say something about “loving your neighbor”? Is our neighbor only fellow two-legged ones?
The native traditions are wise to talk of Mother Earth, Father Sky and “all our relations” for we are sister and brother to them all. They are our kin. St. Francis echoes such consciousness, speaking of “sisters moon, stars and waters” and “brothers wind, air, and wolf.”
Currently one million species are threatened with extinction. Among them are 40% of amphibians, a third of reef-forming corals, marine mammals and sharks. A “devastating domino effect” takes place insofar as the loss of one species easily leads to the extinction of many others that depend on it.
Shouldn’t our “defense departments” the world over put their immense resources to defending these species instead of trying to eradicate our own? Isn’t it time to shift “defense” spending to defending Mother Earth, her beautiful species, our common home? When will we humans ever learn? Ever grow up?
A 2023 poll found that 80% of registered voters favored full funding of the ESA and 73% view biodiversity as important to their everyday lives. Said Boyles, “we will see the Trump administration in court.”
* “Gabrielle Canon, “‘Death sentence’: Trump administration to open habitats of endangered species to logging and mining.” The Guardian, July 10, 2026
Good news. Legal pushback is happening already: https://www.michiganpublic.org/2026-07-14/environmental-groups-sue-government-to-stop-a-big-change-to-the-endangered-species-act
What you can do: https://theanimalrescuesite.com/blogs/petitions/esa-habitat-protection-petition
Banner image: The gentle West Indian Manatee is currently classified as threatened, but without protections in place, it could slip once again into the “endangered” category. Photo by Robin Teng on Unsplash
Queries for Contemplation
Do you sense that a spirituality that begins with the sacredness of creation is coming to the fore in our time? Is it time that all peoples take it to heart and practice? Do you recognize the earth crisis as an occasion for humanity to finally come of age?
Related Readings by Matthew Fox
Original Blessing: A Primer in Creation Spirituality.
The Coming of the Cosmic Christ: The Healing of Mother Earth and the Birth of a Global Renaissance.
Creation Spirituality: Liberating Gifts for the Peoples of the Earth.
Christian Mystics: 365 Readings and Meditations.
Naming the Unnameable: 89 Wonderful and Useful Names for God…Including the Unnameable God
A Spirituality Named Compassion: Uniting Mystical Awareness with Social Justice.
Trump & The MAGA Movement as Anti-Christ.
Sins of the Spirit, Blessings of the Flesh: Transforming Evil in Soul and Society.
Charles Burack, ed., Matthew Fox: Essential Writings in Creation Spirituality.
Matthew Fox, Skylar Wilson, Jennifer Listug, Order of the Sacred Earth: An Intergenerational Vision of Love and Action.
8 thoughts on “The Ugly & Mortal Sin of Killing Off Other Species by Legal Fiat, continued”
Morningside Cathedral
By Thomas Berry
We have heard in this Cathedral
Bach’s Passion
The Lamentations of Jeremiah
Ancient experiences of darkness over the earth
Light born anew
But now, darkness deeper than even God
Can reach with a quick healing power
What sound,
What song,
What cry appropriate
What cry can bring a healing
When a million year rainfall
Can hardly wash away the life destroying stain?
What sound?
Listen — earth sound
Listen — the wind through the hemlock
Listen — the owl’s soft hooting
in the winter night
Listen — the wolf — wolf song
[…]This cry our revelation
[…]A Gothic sound — come down from the beginning of time
If only humans could hear
Now see the wolf as guardian spirit
[…]telling us not about the Passion of Christ in ancient times,
But about the Passion of Earth in our times?
[…]The arch of the Cathedral itself takes on the shape
Of the uplifted throat of the wolf
Lamenting out present destiny
Beseeching humankind
To bring back the sun
To let the flowers bloom in the meadows,
The rivers run through the hills
And let the Earth
And all its living creatures
Live their
Wild,
Fierce,
Serene
And Abundant life.
https://thomasberry.org/morningside-cathedral/
This administration is ALL about greed, self aggrandizement. We are meant to be stewards of the earth, to care for creation and one another. How dare we call ourselves Christians?
Thank you for this powerful “How dare We…”, the list of which is long…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qe_-LR8PpLk
I’m reading and musing over Robin Kimmerer’s book, The Serviceberry. If only we would live by a gift economy rather than a market economy!
Yes! YES! YES! Patriarchy, capitalism, greed, dualism, and anthropocentrism have grown the last few hundred years to the destructive extreme of separating Us from the Sacredness and Oneness of All Diverse Life in Sacred Mother Earth/Her living creatures/Graceful abundance and Sacred Humanity to the brink of extinction of most Life, including our human species…
May God — Our Source~Co-Creator’s Spirit of Divine LOVE~LIGHT~LIFE… within and among Us in All physical/nonphysical spiritual dimensions have mercy and continue to heal, guide, strengthen, and transform Us in Our human evolution….
Thomas Berry’s poem makes me want to howl a lament for our endangered species–including people who disagree (and agree) with the rogue 47. Support the defense of life by Earthjustice.
Thank-you for talking about this. I am soul sick with all the endless ways humans torture and destroy animals-both domestic and wild, especially in horrific factory farming, greedy habitat destruction and trophy hunting, and the way humans are relentlessly destroying all ecosystems by claiming they have dominion. It is a dominion of death.
The right, especially the religious right, and ultra rich, seem to be on a mission to kill, oppress, control, and destroy everything good, all progress, all science, all of creation in its glorious biodiversity, and all our fellow creatures, all human rights (especially the rights of people of colour, women, LBGTQ+, and all of the poor), all knowledge and any books they don’t approve of, all creativity, all dissent and all real joy. As Rabbi Heschel said, they “commoditize” the universe, nothing has any value in itself, only if it can be used as stuff for humans, especially well off white “Christian” humans. They are truly anti-Christ- marching to spread their ugly dominion of death over all creation and destroy us all. They only worship themselves. How can we stop them?
There are words in Sacred Scripture to remember in these dark, dangerous and difficult times. John 1:5 The light shines in the darkness and the darkness does not overcome it. and Matthew 5:14-16 you are the light of the world.let your light shine so that all may see it. Our words but mostly our actions bring light to the world. Also words to follow. “Bloom where you are planted.”