Today’s Enlightening
Entertainment will be
presented in Portuguese,
with subtitles in Arabic,
Aulacese (Vietnamese),
Chinese, English,
French, German,
Indonesian, Japanese,
Korean, Malay,
Persian, Portuguese,
Russian, Thai
and Spanish.
Everywhere in the world,
we can observe
and be touched
by acts of kindness.
People from all walks of
life, faiths, and cultures
extend themselves
beyond the call of duty
to help others
unconditionally.
Through their noble deeds,
humanity as a whole
is elevated.
To commend
virtuous actions and
encourage more people
to be inspired
by their examples,
Supreme Master
Ching Hai
has lovingly created
a series of awards,
including the Shining
World Leadership
Award, Shining World
Compassion Award,
Shining World Hero and
Heroine Awards, Shining
World Honesty Award,
Shining World Protection
Award, Shining World
Intelligence Award,
and Shining World
Inventor Award,
to recognize some
of the most exemplary,
generous, caring,
and courageous people
who walk amongst us.
Father José Roque Junges
is a Brazilian Jesuit priest
who is an internationally
recognized leader
in the field of bioethics.
He champions the need
for behavioral change
based on ethics and
conscientious consumption.
At its core,
a crisis is environmental,
and in the end,
an ethical crisis.
And then I think that,
for example,
it is global warming, and
this environmental crisis,
it’s clear that it needs
technical solutions,
obviously, but I always
defend that global warming
won’t be solved only by
technological means.
You need
a change in ethics,
a change in behavior.
:
Father José Roque Junges
is a professor
at the University
of Sinos River Valley.
He teaches
younger generations
the invaluable practices
of making ethical choices
in daily life that
consider the impact on
the greater environment.
The field of bioethics
was developed
in the 1970s with
the American biologist
Van Rensselaer Potter,
who was highly concerned
that humankind was
developing too quickly
technologically.
Soon, the planet would
be depleted, exhausted,
and even destroyed.
Dr. Potter believed
that a new knowledge
based on moral values
needed to be developed
alongside the technological
advancements.
Thus, he coined
this new science
“bioethics,” combining
biological science
with ethics.
Father Roque observes,
from an ethical point
of view,
how human beings
have interacted with nature
throughout history.
Unfortunately,
it is a relationship that
has not served us well.
We could say first that,
of course, I think
that there is a way
of how human beings
in the last decades,
in the last centuries,
treated nature and animals,
is a totally inhumane
and cruel way.
I mean, human beings
no longer have that
harmonious relationship
with nature like before,
and that is the result
of the modern way of life
and of instrumental
rationality which
we apply to nature,
where we transform
everything into resources.
Everything is a resource
for us humans to use.
I would say
this is a chauvinistic
anthropocentrism.
An anthropocentrism
in the sense that everything
must serve humans.
There are
several branches within
environmental bioethics.
Father Roque presents
the thought
of the preservationists
who recognize
the collaborative role
of nature.
Now, the preservationists,
I think they are
much more coherent.
They look more
towards the symbolic and
spiritual value of nature.
That is, to preserve nature
because nature makes
the human being better.
Because if humans know
how to live with nature,
they become better.
So, preserving her
is a moral necessity
of humankind.
It’s not
a material necessity.
In addition,
there are also biocentrists
who recognize
that humans as all other
manifestations of life
follow the same principle
of reciprocity.
It means that no, you never
have any valid excuse
to cause any harm
to an animal.
It goes in line
with the principle
of you don’t do to others
what you don’t want them
to do to you.
So, under these
perspectives, the animal
is a moral subject,
not simply a moral object.
A moral object depends
on the human being.
Now,
if he is a moral subject,
then it’s different.
Then he has rights.
Ethics is also based
in biology,
as evolutionarily,
all beings have been made
from the same materials.
This,
Father Roque explains,
is the basis for the need
to have empathy
toward fellow humans,
and also
for fellow life forms.
It’s called the Earth ethic.
We are in fraternity
with everything.
What genetics tells us,
what the genetic code
tells us today, it proves
that all living being have
the same origin.
So, we are all related
as brothers.
Now, if you start to realize
that we are not only
brothers to other humans,
but if we have
the same genetic heritage
of any living being,
then we should nurture
the same feelings we have
towards human beings.
We should nurture them
also for any living being,
because
they are also our brothers.
We came from them,
we are just the last link
of the chain.
So, this is “land ethic.”
Earth ethic.
When we return,
Father Roque is honored
with the Shining World
Hero Award
for his advocacy
of a caring lifestyle,
including
reduced meat consumption.
Please stay tuned
to Supreme Master
Television.
Welcome back to today’s
program featuring Father
Jose José Roque Junges,
a bioethical leader
and educator from Brazil
who was honored
with the Shining World
Hero Award from
Supreme Master Ching Hai.
Father Roque upholds
the importance of
conscious consumption
and moral values
to guide our interactions
with the environment.
I think that today,
going to the supermarket
and buying your stuff
is actually
an ethical issue today.
I mean, you are assuming
ethical options
for what you buy,
simply to eat.
So, this issue
of ethical consumption,
it is something new,
which I think that
the new environmentalism
proposes and goes to
the core of the problem.
One important area
of consumption
humans face daily
is our food choices.
For example, in most cases,
meat production
is known to be
the top cause of land use
and degradation,
water pollution,
water shortages,
biodiversity loss,
and global warming.
Fully aware of the impact
that meat particularly has
on the planet,
Father Roque makes sure
that his students
are also informed.
In my classes, on bioethics,
I always have a whole
part on the environment
in the first part
of the semester.
And then, closer to the end,
I always show this video
which is from
the Nina Rosa Institute,
which is
“Weaknesses of the Flesh,”
which is let’s say,
a pondering of
about half an hour,
but it’s very strong,
showing the problem
of eating meat
under three perspectives.
First of all, to eat meat
or to produce meat
is an ecological problem,
because meat production,
for instance,
it needs deforestation.
To begin with, it demands
huge consumption of water
and many other things.
Secondly, the animal
suffering issue is that
all production processes
we have for meat
are processes that cause
a huge pain to animals,
yet we are not aware of it,
because advertisement,
the marketing,
shows a cute piglet smiling,
a chicken, or a turkey,
everyone smiling.
Yet we know the suffering
that lies behind all that.
Thirdly, there is
the health issue also,
because I believe
that there is a myth
that makes us believe that
a human being needs meat.
For transmitting
to his students and others
high moral values
which are needed
for building a more just,
compassionate, and
harmonious society,
Father José Roque Junges
was honored
with the Shining World
Hero Award by
Supreme Master Ching Hai.
Father Roque
accepted the award
during a ceremony
at the university.
“…For encouraging
a more loving
and sensible use of our
precious limited resources
and for your tender
message to humankind,
encouraging a quick change
to an alternative diet
towards sustainability,
we hereby applaud and
celebrate the noble actions
of Reverend Father
José Roque Junges,
an inspiring Jesuit father,
environmental hero,
bioethical leader.
With Great Honor, Love
and Blessings,
The Supreme Master
Ching Hai”
In addition to the award,
Father Roque was also
presented with
Supreme Master Ching Hai’s
#1 international
bestselling books, including
“The Birds in My Life,”
“The Dogs in My Life,”
and “The Noble Wilds.”
He also received
a custom-fitted
Shining World Hero
T-shirt, and DVDs of
Supreme Master Ching Hai’s
lectures as well as
her music CDs.
Furthermore, to encourage
the ethical education
of the precious youth,
Supreme Master Ching Hai
sent a contribution
of US$5,000 toward
the Loyola Foundation,
which provides
scholarships for students
at the university where
Father Roque teaches.
Thank you, thank you.
First of all, of course,
I must thank
Supreme Master Ching Hai
for giving me this award.
Since the beginning,
I didn’t think
I was up to this award,
but I am here to explain
the reason of this awarding.
As for global warming,
I asserted that the ones
who will suffer
the consequences
of global warming
are those
who are not responsible
for global warming, that is,
the future generations,
living beings, animals,
any other living being
who suffers
the consequences,
and the poor.
This environmental crisis
is also an ethical crisis.
Therefore, we need to
change the way which
we interact with nature.
So, we need to change
the way we consume.
I mean, when I buy things,
this brings consequences.
Those two products, cars
and meat, as incredible
as it may seem,
are the main causes of
the environmental issue.
And for sure,
if we are not willing
to change our attitudes
towards that, I believe that
this environmental crisis
won’t have any solution.
I say it again,
because the solution
isn’t strictly technical.
It has to be ethical
and spiritual,
and that’s certainly what
Supreme Master Ching Hai
also promotes.
Shortly after
the award ceremony,
Father Roque kindly sent
a letter of gratitude to
Supreme Master Ching Hai.
The following
is an excerpt:
“Highly Esteemed
Supreme Master Ching Hai,
Still under the impact
of the beautiful
award ceremony
that you have bestowed
upon me…,
I would like to express
my deepest feelings
of acknowledgement
and gratefulness
for the “Shining World
Hero Award”.
For me,
this was a total surprise
at the choice of my name,
since I do not fulfill
anything extraordinary;
only try to awaken
between the students an
ecological consciousness
of a more ethical
consumption that should
reach one’s own diet.
I acknowledge
and thank the testimony
of your solidarity
and compassionate love
towards human beings
in need and
to all living beings
endangered and disrespected
in their will to live.
I witnessed this love
in your books
and in the videos which
were presented to me.
Our civilization in crisis
needs the message
and the testimony
of what you represent
and propagate
throughout the world.
Invoking the blessing,
the grace and
the divine love upon you
and your works, I express
my best sentiments
of acknowledgement
and gratitude.
Respectfully yours,
Pe. José Roque Junges S.J.”
Admirable Father Roque,
we offer our
sincere thanks and love
for your courageous
academic research and
charismatic leadership
with your students
in encouraging
the ethical approach toward
our global environment.
We join you in
looking forward to the day
that all humankind
will live ethically
and respectfully with our
co-inhabitants and nature
in this great planetary home.
Thank you,
conscientious viewers
for your company.
Now please stay tuned
to Supreme Master
Television
for Words of Wisdom,
after Noteworthy News.
May Heaven’s grace
be with you always.