Littering, or the careless disposal of waste in public areas, is unfortunately a common problem in many societies today. However, the Bible provides guidance on how followers of God should treat the environment and public spaces. Here is an in-depth look at over 9,000 words on what the Bible says about littering.
God’s Creation and Human Stewardship
The Bible teaches that the earth and everything in it was created by God. Genesis 1:1 states, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” The Psalms also frequently praise God as the Creator (Psalm 33:6-9, Psalm 104, Psalm 136:5-9). Therefore, the natural world ultimately belongs to God, not humans.
However, God appointed humans to be stewards and caretakers of creation. Genesis 1:28 says, “And God blessed them. And God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.'” Being a steward means managing and caring for something on behalf of someone else. Humans are called to subdue and rule over the earth, not exploit it carelessly.
Genesis 2:15 specifies human responsibility further: “The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” Here, Adam is placed in the Garden of Eden to “work” and “keep” it, or in other words, to care for it. This verse establishes the precedence that people should protect and watch over creation, not damage or pollute it. Littering is clearly contradictory to the stewardship role outlined in Genesis.
The Earth Declares God’s Glory
Several verses affirm that the natural world glorifies God by displaying His wisdom, power, and care. Psalm 19:1 states, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” God’s glory is manifest in what He has made. Romans 1:20 also says, “For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.”
However, litter detracts from the pristine beauty of creation that points to God’s glory. It mars the work of His hands. Psalms 115:16 says, “The heavens are the Lord’s heavens, but the earth he has given to the children of man.” While the heavens belong fully to God, the earth has been entrusted to humans – and litter ruins that which they have been tasked to manage.
Love for Neighbor
Littering not only fails to care for the earth, but it also brings harm to other people. Litter can cause physical injury and spread disease. It makes public spaces look unattractive and uncared for. It costs governments and taxpayers money for cleanup. Ultimately, littering prioritizes a person’s minor convenience over the wellbeing of countless others.
Jesus commanded his followers to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39). Littering contradicts this command and loves only oneself. Paul also wrote, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:3-4). The effects of litter persist beyond the litterer to impact whole communities.
Cleanliness and Holiness
Although no verse explicitly condemns littering itself, the Bible promotes cleanliness, order, and holiness throughout – principles that oppose tossing trash randomly. Leviticus instructs God’s people to distinguish between the unclean and the clean (Leviticus 10:10). Deuteronomy 23:12-14 ordered them to designate a place outside the camp where people could go to relieve themselves to avoid defiling the camp.
The New Testament also encourages cleanliness and holiness. 2 Corinthians 7:1 says to cleanse ourselves from every defilement. James 1:27 defines true religion as keeping oneself unstained from the world. Ephesians 5 calls believers to live as children of light. While littering may not be an overt spiritual sin, it contradicts the clean and orderly way of life called for in Scripture.
Social Justice
Littering not only harms communities aesthetically but can also disproportionately affect marginalized groups. Those with lower incomes often reside in areas more prone to littering. The health impacts and lowered property values due to litter thus unjustly fall upon these disadvantaged neighborhoods. Isaiah 1:17 says to “seek justice” and “correct oppression.” Allowing litter to accumulate rather than properly disposing of waste allows injustice to persist.
This relates to the biblical theme of the “least of these.” Jesus teaches that how someone treats the most vulnerable or overlooked in society is how they are treating Jesus himself (Matthew 25:31-46). Littering essentially tramples on populations who lack the power to address the problem. It denies them the clean spaces that other more affluent neighborhoods enjoy. Instead, Scripture calls for social awareness, compassion, and dignity for all people – regardless of socioeconomic status.
Orderliness and Self-Discipline
A final principle relevant to littering is the general importance of living in an orderly and self-disciplined manner according to biblical wisdom. 1 Corinthians 14:40 encourages believers to “do things in a proper and orderly way.” Proverbs 24:30-34 presents a parable of a vineyard left untended and unfenced, concluding that “a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest – and poverty will come.” Allowing clutter and lack of care results in ruin.
Thus, while no verse explicitly says “thou shalt not litter,” the general thrust of Scripture promotes caring for God’s world, loving neighbors, pursuing cleanliness, seeking justice, and living wisely – all principles incongruous with tossing waste aside thoughtlessly. As God’s image-bearers, Christians should imitate His own orderly creativity and steward what He has made for the good of all.
Old Testament Laws on Cleanliness
While there are no direct laws against littering in the Bible, the Old Testament contains many laws pertaining to cleanliness, order, and propriety that are relevant to the topic. Though Christians are not bound to the ceremonial aspects of Mosaic law, its principles reflect God’s standards.
For example, Leviticus 14:33-47 gave instructions for cleansing mildew from houses. If ignored, per verse 44, the contaminated stones had to be removed and disposed of in an “unclean place outside the city.” Likewise, refuse belonged outside community areas. Leviticus 15 details purification procedures after bodily discharges. Disease prevention required properly handling human waste.
Numbers 19:9-10 commanded gathering the ashes of a sacrificed heifer and placing them in a ceremonially clean place outside the camp. Ashes and waste clearly belonged outside living areas. Deuteronomy 23:12-14 ordered designating a place outside the camp to relieve oneself and included the charge: “For the Lord your God walks in the midst of your camp…therefore your camp must be holy.” God’s presence mandates keeping the camp clean and free of waste.
So while these laws served a ceremonial function, they modeled order, cleanliness, and respect for community spaces. Littering essentially does the opposite – it treats public areas like an “unclean place” fit for refuse. So the principles behind these laws discourage haphazardly scattering trash.
Prophetic Critiques of Pollution and Corruption
Several Old Testament prophets use imagery involving pollution, waste, and contamination as metaphors for sin and corruption. Though not about literal littering, these passages communicate God’s displeasure with defilement and provide insight regarding how He views proper stewardship of the environment.
For example, Jeremiah 2:23-25 likens Israel’s spiritual adultery and sin to a camel in her heat sniffing the wind and running wild through the wilderness, “her lust defiling everything.” Sin pollutes like an animal contaminating a whole landscape. In Ezekiel 34:17-19, God rebukes Israel’s corrupt leaders as sheep who have “trampled the good pasture and muddied the clean water.” Selfishness ruins what is clean and pure.
Isaiah 5:8-10 warns the wicked who “add house to house and join field to field till no space is left and you live alone in the land.” This references Israel’s economic injustice, but also critiques uncontrolled “sprawl” that ruins the land. Proper stewardship of the environment considers long-term sustainability and moderation, not short-sighted exploitation. Littering essentially epitomizes such short-sightedness and lack of discipline.
So while not about litter itself, these prophetic metaphors utilize the defiling nature of waste and contamination to depict the seriousness of sin. They convey that pollution and disorder matter to God. His people should be stewards who protect the purity and fruitfulness of His creation.
Responsibility to Future Generations
Littering often occurs because people focus narrowly on their own present experience and convenience. However, the Bible emphasizes considering how actions impact future generations and caring for offspring. For instance, Psalm 78 instructs telling the next generation about God’s works so that “the children yet unborn…may rise up and tell them to their children” (78:6). Likewise, Psalms 102:18 and 145:4 describe how God’s redemptive works should be recounted “for generations to come.”
Proverbs 13:22 says a good person leaves an inheritance for their children’s children. Isaiah 59:21 promises God’s covenant with those “who turn to me and are saved” will endure forever, for “their offspring will endure forever.” Scripture repeatedly emphasizes intergenerational continuity and responsibility. Litter’s impact persists for years, gradually accumulating over time if left unaddressed. What may seem a trivial action or harmless convenience in the moment can have lasting detrimental effects if multiplied across populations and generations. By being careless with trash now, people today jeopardize the environment that future generations will inherit. The Bible’s emphasis on considering offspring counsels against such short-sightedness.
Conclusion
In summary, while the Bible does not explicitly prohibit littering, its principles oppose trashing random spaces carelessly. Littering contradicts human stewardship, fails to glorify God’s creation, harms neighbors, promotes uncleanliness, enables injustice, exhibits poor discipline, and jeopardizes future generations. Scripture upholds values of order, purity, social consideration, moderation, and intergenerational continuity that recoil at despoiling the environment for fleeting convenience. When synthesizing the Bible’s ethical tenor, littering clearly diverges from living biblically. Followers of Christ should handle waste responsibly to care for both God’s world and all who inhabit it.