I’ve seen in my research and my work how government agencies and large corporations almost always deny their responsibilities. For an example, in causing contamination, poverty and disease. They may be aware of their wrongdoing, or they may simply refuse to see it. This is mirrored in society as a whole.
We deny or at least overlook our responsibilities and our culpability due to the choices we make – the food we eat, the single-use plastic we waste, the vacations we take (frequently burning copious amounts of fuel on such frivolous trips), what we do in our work or what our employers do that affects the well-being of the planet and its people near and far.
We are self-satisfied and guilty of the overarching sin of refusing to see and acknowledge our sins. We do not want to change our behavior, for the sake of others, even our own children and grandchildren. Nor do those of us who profess our faith want to change for the sake of our Lord. We are disobedient to God’s mandates (of which the first mandate is to be responsible stewards of God’s creation), but we refuse to recognize this.
There is also a tremendous amount of corruption, greed and indifference to suffering – especially among the rich and powerful but also within society in general. But at least these are more honest than denial.