HUKAMANEWS GreenFaith - Floods, forest fires, and droughts have now become the daily face of Indonesia. Recent data records thousands of climate disasters throughout this year. Yet behind those numbers lies a far more urgent moral crisis: human greed and our negligence in caring for the Earth. The question is, will religion stop at prayer, or will it dare to give birth to concrete action?
In her opinion piece, Hening Parlan, Director of GreenFaith Indonesia, emphasizes that faith must not remain silent. From green sermons and energy endowments to interfaith solidarity, religion can be a moral voice that pressures the state and saves the Earth’s future. Here is her full reflection.
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The climate crisis is a moral crisis. Interfaith religion in Indonesia is moving from prayer to concrete action: green sermons, energy endowments, and advocacy.
IN Indonesia, hydrometeorological disasters occur almost every day. As of August 13, 2025, there have been 2,170 disasters, 99 percent of which were floods, extreme weather, forest fires, landslides, and droughts. The climate crisis is no longer an issue of the future, but a reality that has already knocked on our doors.
Yet behind the cold statistics, the climate crisis is essentially a moral crisis. Nature is damaged not only because of voracious technology, but also because of the neglect of the human heart. And this is precisely where the role of religion finds its relevance.
The Climate Crisis is a Moral Crisis
Indonesia still relies on coal and continues to issue mining permits, even to religious groups. This contradiction exposes the clash between the ethics of faith and the lure of profit.
In Bangka-Belitung, tin mining has destroyed mangroves and coral reefs. In Papua, nickel mining erodes seas and indigenous lands. In Kalimantan, farmers lose access to clean water because of mining waste.
Ironically, in these resource-rich regions, poverty remains high: 13.39 percent in South Sumatra, 6 percent in East Kalimantan. This means that the abundance of resources does not automatically bring prosperity. A moral question emerges: for whom is the Earth exploited, and who bears the consequences?
For religious leaders, weak environmental governance is not merely an administrative failure, but a moral crisis. Ignoring the preservation of the Earth is the same as betraying the mandate of stewardship, the duty to protect creation.
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