How a Distorted Worldview Betrays the Earth, the Poor, and the
Sacred
Climate Change as a Symptom, Not the Root. Climate change is often
portrayed as a technical problem to be solved through innovation, policy shifts, or
international agreements. But leading social scientists, environmentalists, and
faith leaders have long argued that climate change is not merely a scientific issue,
it is a symptom of a much deeper sickness: a distorted, imperialist worldview. This
worldview treats the Earth as a lifeless object, something to be dominated,
extracted, and exploited for profit. It is a worldview that severs the spiritual
connection between humanity and nature and has long been championed by
those in power, governments, corporations, and even religious institutions.
This exploitative mentality finds justification in the misinterpretation of
religious doctrines, particularly the biblical command to “subdue the earth and
have dominion over it.” Over time, such an interpretation has been weaponized
to legitimize ecological destruction, particularly when fused with capitalist greed
and imperial ambitions. The result? A planet on the brink of collapse and people
especially the poorest left hungry, homeless, and hopeless.
A case in point: the sale of the Xavier University property in Cagayan de Oro
to Cebu Landmasters, Inc. for a reported five billion pesos. This transaction
includes some 20 hectares of prime land, 14 hectares of which is a thriving mini-
forest in Manresa. Home to at least 40 bird species, this area has served not only
as a natural sanctuary but also as a spiritual and ecological buffer against the
growing threats of urbanization and flooding. Now, in the name of
“development,” this green oasis is set to become a complex of malls and
condominiums, another monument to the profit motive. This decision flies in the
face of Pope Francis’ urgent appeal in Laudato Si’ to “hear the cry of the Earth and
the cry of the poor.” Ecological preservation has once again been subordinated to
economic gain.
Worse still, the desecration includes the burial ground of Jesuit pioneers,
educators and spiritual leaders who dedicated their lives to forming “men and
women for others.” These sacred grounds, donated by individuals like Fr. William
Masterson, SJ, who also founded SEARSOLIN to train rural cooperative leaders,
are being bulldozed. Such an act is not merely a real estate transaction; it is a
spiritual betrayal. This event is not isolated. According to a recent Oxfam study,
the veneration of the profit motive has captured the mindset of nearly all
institutions governments, universities, even churches. The ideology of “growth at
all costs” now overrides any concern for justice, sustainability, or ethics.
Education that once formed conscience now trains compliance. Faith that once
served the poor now serves the elite.
It is a tragic inversion. Where we were once called to protect creation and
uphold human dignity, we now compete to destroy forests, pollute rivers, and
evict communities all in the name of “progress.” This worldview of domination is
not new. It is rooted in centuries of imperial conquest. In 1898, U.S. President
William McKinley declared that God had told him in a dream to “liberate” the
Philippines. That so-called liberation led to the deaths of over 600,000 Filipinos.
The imperial dream was baptized in blood.
Today, the conquest continues not through armies, but through
corporations, neoliberal policies, and global trade agreements. This modern
imperialism is called corporate globalization. It reduces nations to either markets
sources of cheap labor and raw materials or targets military bases in geopolitical
chess games. The Philippines, though rich in ecological wealth, remains
paradoxically poor. Why? Because control remains in the hands of elites and
foreign interests.
As glaciers melt and sea levels rise, the poor suffer first. Pacific Island
nations are literally disappearing beneath the waves. Scientists warn that if the
Greenland ice sheet fully melts, sea levels could rise by 16 meters, submerging
most of the Philippines leaving only 2,000 of our 7,100 islands above water. Yet,
amid this existential threat, many Filipinos remain apathetic. Faith is often
reduced to ritual. Religion is confined to temples and churches, failing to act as a
force for justice. But ethical action, as the Dalai Lama reminds us, is more
important than prayer alone.
I have spoken with fisherfolk in coastal communities who confirm the slow
but steady rise of the sea. Their homes are repeatedly damaged. Mangroves and
coral reefs essential spawning grounds are vanishing. Once self-sufficient
communities now face hunger and homelessness. Worse still is the situation of
Indigenous Peoples. Over the past seven years, at least 101 IP chieftains have
been killed in Mindanao, defending ancestral lands from imperial “development”
projects. These are not isolated incidents; they are part of a systemic assault on
indigenous sovereignty.
In Butong, Quezon, over 1,000 families of the Manobo-Pulangiyon Tribe
have lived in tents beside a highway for nine years. They were forcibly evicted
from 1,111 hectares of ancestral land, now converted into plantations by a
powerful corporation. Despite legal recognition through Certificates of Ancestral
Domain, when they attempted to return home, they were met with gunfire. Five
women and children were wounded. Their story is repeated across Mindanao.
In Amai Manabilang, Lanao del Sur, Ilocano farmers with prior land rights
are being evicted by the Southern Philippines Development Authority (SPDA) in
favor of foreign investors. Since last year, over 400 hectares have been destroyed
by tractoring, wiping out livelihoods and even water supplies. The farmers’ pleas
have been ignored. The question is simple: if SPDA claims legal right, why not go
through the courts? Why resort to coercion with military and police presence?
This is conquest under another name corporate imperialism protected by state
violence. The poor are treated not as citizens but as obstacles to be removed.
In the face of such injustice, the world desperately needs prophetic voices.
One such voice was Saint Oscar Romero of El Salvador. Canonized in 2018, he was
assassinated while celebrating Mass after denouncing the government’s
repression of the poor. In his final homily, he said: “In the name of God and in the
name of the suffering people, I implore you, I beg you, I order you: stop the
repression!”
Romero exemplified the three P’s: Prayer, Presence, and Prophecy. He did not
just preach; he stood with the poor. He listened to their pain. He challenged the
powers that be. And he paid with his life. The Philippines needs leaders like
Romero, courageous, committed, and Christ-like. As injustice spreads land-
grabbing, environmental destruction, and militarization. We must not remain
silent. True Christianity is not about “dominion” over Earth; it is about love,
justice, and compassion. Jesus Christ Himself was crucified for challenging the
powers of empire and hypocrisy. He did not command followers to dominate but
to serve. To follow Christ today means to speak out, to act, and to stand in
solidarity with the Earth and the oppressed. It means recognizing that the
destruction of nature is not just an ecological issue, it is a moral crisis. The death
of forests, oceans, and species is also the death of values, conscience, and
compassion.
As climate change accelerates and inequality deepens, we stand at a
crossroads. Will we continue to live under the empire of greed, or will we rise in
defense of life? The poor are not disposable. The Earth is not a commodity. Faith
must be more than ritual. It must be a living force for justice and restoration. Let
us remember the words of Jesus: “What does it profit a person to gain the whole
world, but suffer the loss of his soul?”
To protect the Earth is to protect the soul of humanity. Let us act while there is
still time.
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