Justice for the Poor

This past week a large crowd held a candlelight vigil in Bhopal, India to mark the twenty fifth anniversary of the gas leak at the Union Carbide plant. The leak resulted in the deaths of 10,000 impoverished people within seventy two hours and another 25,000 in the months and years afterward. Think about this; the initial 10,000 represents roughly three times the number killed in the U.S. as a result of the 911 attacks.During the years before Union Carbide was warned that a disaster might occur but the reports were ignored.

It was the worst industrial accident in history and all these years later there are still huge concerns about the toxic waste in the area around the closed plant as well as the state of the groundwater which people drink.

You might remember a blog about a novel called Animal's People which was short-listed for the Booker Prize. It is told from the perspective of a young man who was born seriously deformed as a result of the enviromental problems resulting from an industrial accident in an Indian city. It is a remarkable story, funny and sad. There is an interesting mixture of religious outlooks including Christianity, represented by a loopy old nun ("mad as a leper's thumbnail") who refuses to leave the people she loves and is cherished by the residents.

God knows how many situations of injustice exist around our planet as a result of profits put ahead of people. We hear about this here in Canada, where native communities in Alberta insist their water is being poisoned by the oil sands projects.

Our United Church tends to shine a light on these situations, as best it can. Some other denominations criticize us for being overly concerned over social justice issues, without enough emphasis on personal salvation.

What do you think?