| Buddhism |
Compassion, wise conduct and reducing suffering. | Avoid killing. Consider intention and the effects of harmful acts. | Care for living beings. Modern teachers also apply these ideas to ecosystems. | Some communities link careful consumption and climate work to Buddhist practice. There is no single policy for all Buddhists. | Non-harm is central. Buddhist communities have not all taken the same position on war. |
| Christianity |
Love of God and neighbour, mercy and care for people in need. | Jesus teaches love of enemies and mercy. Churches differ on the use of force. | Many Christians understand creation as a gift to care for. | Laudato si calls for care of our common home. It is a Catholic text, not a statement from every church. | Peace churches reject war. Other churches allow force under strict conditions. |
| Islam |
Justice, mercy, honest conduct and giving, including zakat. | Human life has value. Rules on conflict limit force, though interpretations differ. | Responsibility, trust and balance inform Muslim care for the Earth. | Al-Mizan presents an Islamic case for environmental action. It does not represent every Muslim view. | Peace is valued. Islamic legal traditions also discuss lawful defence and limits on war. |
| Judaism |
Justice, charity, responsibility and keeping commitments. | Preserving life matters deeply. Its relation to defence depends on the case. | Bal tashchit limits needless destruction. Deuteronomy protects food trees during a siege. | Some Jewish groups apply these duties to waste and climate action. There is no single binding climate platform. | Peace and defence both have places in Jewish law and debate. |
| Hinduism |
Dharma, truth, generosity and non-harm, understood in different ways. | Ahimsa discourages harm. Texts also debate duties when faced with conflict. | Many traditions honour rivers, land and living beings. Not all share one account of nature. | Some communities draw on these ideas for conservation. Ancient texts do not supply one modern climate policy. | Non-violence and arguments for righteous defence both appear. |
| Sikhism |
Honest work, sharing, equality and seva, or service. | Reject oppression and selfish violence. Defence can be understood as a duty. | Care for creation connects with service and respect for life. | EcoSikh plants native micro-forests through its Guru Nanak Sacred Forest programme. | The saint-soldier ideal combines spiritual discipline with defending others. It is not absolute pacifism. |
| Jainism |
Ahimsa, truth and limiting possessions. | Avoid harm through action, speech and thought. Monastic and lay vows differ in scope. | Concern for living beings supports careful use of food and resources. | Non-harm and restraint can guide environmental choices. Jain practice is not a rule of consuming nothing. | Non-violence is a demanding ideal. Lay duties and practical limits still need context. |
| Taoism |
Simplicity, humility and living in tune with the Dao. | Texts warn against force and domination. Wu wei is not simply doing nothing. | Attention to natural patterns can guide how people act. | Modern ecological readings exist. They do not establish a single Taoist position on technology or geoengineering. | The Dao De Jing warns against war and celebrating victory. This is not a full modern defence policy. |
| Confucianism |
Humaneness, trust, learning and duties within relationships. | Good rule and care for people matter. Classical arguments about force vary. | Ideas about Heaven, people and good government can support environmental duties. | Modern thinkers apply these ideas to public responsibility. No single body sets policy for all Confucians. | Moral government is preferred to coercion. Not every classical text rejects all war. |
| Zoroastrianism |
Good thoughts, good words and good deeds. Asha connects truth and right order. | Good action opposes destructive conduct. This is not a blanket rule against every use of force. | Respect for creation and purity informs care for water, earth and fire. | These duties can support care for resources. Ancient purity rules are not a modern climate programme. | Protecting the good is important. It should not be reduced to an absolute pacifist label. |
| Bahá'í |
The unity of humanity, justice and world peace. | Resolve conflict through cooperation and lawful institutions. | Human unity and duties to future generations inform environmental thought. | Environmental concerns are discussed through global cooperation and justice. | Not absolute pacifism. Bahai teachings allow collective security and force in support of law and justice. |
| Shinto |
Reverence for kami, ritual purity and community life. | Purity and respect matter. Ritual impurity is not the same as a universal ban on violence. | Sacred places, trees and other features of nature may be associated with kami. | Care for shrine landscapes is one environmental practice. It does not define every shrine's climate policy. | Shinto does not have one doctrine of pacifism shared by all practitioners. |
| Indigenous traditions |
Many distinct peoples and traditions. Teachings must be tied to a named community. | Duties to people, ancestors and other life differ between communities. | Many peoples describe deep relationships with land and water. No single teaching represents them all. | The International Indian Treaty Council advocates for Indigenous knowledge and rights in climate work. | Views on peace, resistance and defence differ. A seven-generation principle is not universal. |
| Secular humanism |
Human dignity, reason, freedom and responsibility to others. | Use reason and empathy to reduce harm and protect rights. | People are part of nature and have duties to other life and future generations. | Humanists International calls for science-led policy and coordinated action on climate change. | Many support diplomacy and human rights. Humanism does not require one position on all uses of force. |
| Stoicism |
Wisdom, justice, courage and self-control. Virtue matters more than wealth. | Restrain anger and act justly towards other people. | Living according to nature means living by reason and the order of the whole. It is not simply conservation. | Modern Stoics may apply these ideas to resources. Ancient Stoicism has no doctrine about modern carbon policy. | Justice and public duty guide action. Stoicism is not a blanket refusal of military service. |
