Interfaith Perspectives on Children’s Environmental

Health and TobaccoJayne Mardock, MTS, American Lung

AssociationRabbi Daniel Swartz, MHL, Greater

Washington Interfaith Power and Light

American Public Health Association Meeting

Washington, DC * November 8, 2004

Why Work with the Faith Community?• They have legitimate moral authority and

can change the framework of the debate on the issues

• They have access to hundreds (or maybe millions) or people

• They have regular gathering places and meetings you can tap into

• You want a broader, more diverse coalition

Impediments to Working with the Faith Community

• You don’t speak their language or are afraid to offend them

• Lack of success engaging faith community in the past

• They shy away from advocacy sometimes• You don’t know where to begin

Changing the Debate: Values on Health Issues

• Created in God’s image • Care for the vulnerable • Love of neighbor and self• Legacy to future generations • Choosing a better way

Created in God’s image

• We were knit together in our mother’s womb, but some of the chemicals in our environment and tobacco smoke are destroying the weave of God’s creation

• B’tzelem Elohim (humanity in the divine image)

• Honor God’s creation by not exposing the body to the toxins in tobacco smoke and chemicals used in our society

• Children connect us with/to God’s creation

Care for the vulnerable

• When you care for the orphan, widow and others on the margins, you care for God

• Toxic pollution and tobacco smoke have greater impacts on poor health and death because of lack of access to good healthcare

• We have a responsibility to use our resources and abilities to care for the vulnerable (young, old, sick and poor) and advocate for justice

Love of neighbor and self• You can protect yourself and others by not

smoking or using harmful substances• Subjecting someone to tobacco smoke is

selfish and inconsiderate• Our bodies are temples to be protected• We are called to a higher standard of self-

control in regard to things that are not beneficial to us and our neighbors

Past & future generations• We are connected to our past and our

future through the generations• L’dor va-dor; L’olam va-ed (covenants from

generation to generation; eternity and beyond

• We have inherited a great legacy and are stewards of creation for our children and future generations

• We have a responsibility to heal the brokenness in the world through our actions

• Have faith in the future through our works

Choosing a better way• Our choices have direct implications as

something that affirms life or death so we must choose carefully. Choose life that you and your descendants might live

• Don’t be conformed to the world, but be transformed as a living witness

• Stewardship of the earth: we have a responsibility to care for creation and take action to protect it

Partners on Tobacco

• United Methodist Church– www.umc.org/interior.asp?mid=1756

• Seventh Day Adventists– www.adventist.org/beliefs/statement/main_stat23.html?

&template=printer.html

• Presbyterian Church USA– www.pcusa.org/pcusa/ga210/comres98/tobacco.htm

• Union of Reform Judaism– uahc.org/cgi-bin/resodisp.pl?file=smoking&year=1987

• Faith Not Tobacco (Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids) www.faithnottobacco.org

Partners on CEH

• Catholic Coalition for Children and a Safe Environment (CASE)– www.usccb.org/sdwp/national/04children.htm

• Evangelical Environmental Network– Healthy Families, Healthy Environment educational website– www.healthyfamiliesnow.org

• Natl Council of Churches EcoJustice Work Group– www.webofcreation.org

• National Religious Partnership for the Environment– www.nrpe.org

How to get started• Start with faith traditions that have policy

and statements on environmental health and tobacco (see partners list for groups/denominations to approach first)

• Approach congregations that house smoking cessation, new moms or preschools that may be natural allies

• Develop programs or materials that educate the congregation, integrating religious themes into presentations

Rules of engagement• Honor the limited time faith leaders have

to devote to this work – environmental health is important, but not at top of their agenda

• Be prepared to help educate the faith community and create resources for them

• Encourage true engagement in the issues• Don’t just call for the photo-op or sound

bite in the press release unless they have asked to be included this way

About the presenters• Jayne Mardock is the Manager of National

Advocacy for the American Lung Association. She received a Masters of Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School and has worked on health and environmental issues for over 12 years – jmardock@lungusadc.org

• Daniel Swartz is a rabbi in the Reform Jewish tradition. He is initiating Greater Washington Interfaith Power and Light, which promotes the use of clean energy and was the Executive Director of the Children’s Environmental Health Network– dswartz@wesleysem.edu

• Both have worked for the National Religious Partnership for the Environment in the past.