Christians should be more active in caring for the environment because it is God's creation. If we believe, as Christians that we are God's people, we should have no part in the destruction of the earth. Any use of earth's resources should maintain the sustainability of such resources. To do so would be to act in rebellion against the purpose of God in creation and in a very real sense walk in hypocrisy.
Former Vice President of the United States of America, Al Gore has literally crossed the globe in his quest to sensitize and mobilize citizens of the industrialized world. What are these citizens so insensitive toward? Obviously something is worth all the time, money, and jet fuel he has invested. Mr. Gore is convinced that our world is in serious ecological danger. Furthermore, he contends that such danger comes at the hands of industrial and technological progress. Indeed, the 2006 edition of his book, An Inconvenient Truth, is subtitled in part, "A planetary emergency..." Is that really the case? Is 20th and 21st century western culture responsible for this planetary emergency? If so then there are some important implications that must be considered, particularly for people of faith.
Why is that so important? This is because even with the challenges of modernism and post-modernism, the demographic statistics has shown that, at least in a broad sense, most western societies have been predominantly Christian over the past 200 years. If we are to make a connection here, such a claim made by Al Gore and his counterparts comes as a scathing accusation against our Christian witness. Our appetites for ease, progress, and materialism at the expense of a healthy, sustainable environment does not speak well of us. We could easily be shown to be less 'Christian' than we think we are.
At the forefront of this is the issue of climate change. Scientists overwhelmingly agree that the earth is heating up more rapidly now than at any period in history. While that may incite a mere shrug from the average person, further research shows that such warming is caused by human activity and that America is responsible for a large part of it.
So what should be the Christian's attitude toward environmental issues? And how deeply should we allow our lives to be affected by them? Needless to say many Christians do not support environmentalism - and for good reason. Dr. Dave Miller, Executive Director of Apologetics Press proposes that environmentalism shares "many of the same philosophical presuppositions held by atheists, evolutionists, Buddhists, Hindus, New Age mystics, and other forms of humanism, animism, and paganism from antiquity to the present. Their perspective is embodied in pantheism."
And this is not an isolated sentiment. Evangelicals have become more vocal in their support of environmental issues. Pastors, Seminary Professors, churches and whole denominations have come on board in their effort to become friendlier to God's creation. But according to a 2006 Christianity Today article, many prominent Evangelical leaders such as James Dobson, Chuck Colson, Richard land and others wrote to the National Evangelical Association asking them not to adopt "any official position on the issue of climate change," due to disagreement among evangelicals over "the cause, severity, and solutions to the global warming issue." In two of his final sermons, one of my contemporary heroes of the faith, the late Dr. Jerry Falwell Sr. dismissed environmentalism, calling global warming a myth, not supported by science. Among his reasons for not supporting the Evangelical Climate Initiative, he mentioned its funding by the Hewlett Foundation which also funds Planned Parenthood. So there are some apprehensions among Christians regarding how we should view environmental issues. On the theological front, many Christians believe that to adopt environmental activism will undermine the effectiveness of the gospel. Eschatology comes into play as well. Many Christians think it unnecessary to rally for environmental restoration. "Logically," they say, "If Jesus is to return soon, and his return will level major destruction on the earth, why try to save it?"
Does that, however, mean that we should encourage, support, engage in, or even be silent about the abuse of the earth? Indeed, to espouse such a view would be borderline reckless and immoral. Christians who believe the bible as the word of God should be involved in initiatives that help develop a better environment because as God's people we should care about God's planet. The earth, among all other heavenly bodies is God's distinct, chosen ecological system designed specifically so that he can carry on his relationship with living, breathing creatures. Furthermore, God has communicated his purpose for the earth and has instructed us in how we should interact with the environment.
God did not just create the earth and then disappear into a cosmic nothing, leaving it to just waste away. He is actively involved in holding it together. Colossians 1:17 tells us that God, through Jesus Christ, is holding the earth together. The implication is clear. We should not allow the destruction of that which God seeks to sustain.
Genesis 1:28 says, "God blessed them; and God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.'"
What does rule over mean? It certainly does not mean to plunder and abuse. Adam was given the responsibility of stewardship. He was tasked with taking care of God's creation. Of course man should use the resources but it is important to note that his use should not deplete and destroy. And such use surely would not render the earth helpless to replenish such resources.
20th and 21st Century western Christians have been passive at best regarding our stewardship of creation. We have allowed greenhouse gas emissions to increase more the last 150 years than at any other period in history. This is largely due to the burning of oil and other fossil fuels for energy and production of goods without finding a way to safely dispose of the emissions. In addition, the continued clearing of forests, jungles and wetlands take away the earth's natural method of reducing the carbon dioxide.
United States greenhouse gas emissions reached 7209.8 million metric tons carbon dioxide equivalent (MMTCO2e) in 2007 (Carbon dioxide was 5735.5 MMTCO2e). This accounted for approximately 24% of the global emissions among the industrialized nations of the world.
As a result, not only do we have to breathe in polluted air but we have to face much more severe heat waves, which bring drought. We must also brace for harsher storms, hurricanes and more devastating flooding. The estimated increase in sea levels will eventually wipe out entire coastal cities for mile inland and the human loss of life are in the billions. And global warming is just one 'domino-effect' issue. Environmentalist concern revolves around other issues as well. Soil and fresh water contamination along with wildlife endangerment are just a few of the broad issues facing us.
In addition to God's example and instruction regarding caring for the earth, Christians have an obligation to be honest. We are called to do uphold integrity and do the right thing. No one would deny that pollution, deforestation, plundering of resources, and wildlife exploitation is a good thing, even if global warming is not caused by humans. We cannot honestly be passive about it because we agree that such issues are harmful to the people that face them. We should always be striving to alleviate the suffering of others and to cast environmental concerns would demonstrate a lack of commitment to the example of Christ.
Reformed pastor and author, Dr. John Piper said,
I think the best argument for environmental concern is love for people, not love for mother earth. Who cares about mother earth as a mother? The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof. It's his and he meant it to serve people. He put us here to enjoy it. So, if we mess it up we are hurting people.
If we do not become vocal about how we treat our environment, we are in some sense adding to the suffering both of ourselves and others. And we would be displeasing our Lord in the process. As noted before, environmentalism among Christians has been seen as a departure from the central issues of the gospel and morality. However, to care for God's creation can actually be interpreted as directly gospel related. If the Christian is to take the gospel seriously, part of his activities would be to secure the well-being of the ones being evangelized. Their safety and health should be part of the priority list. Dr. Russell Moore writes, "There's nothing conservative though, and nothing "evangelical," about dismissing the conservation of the natural environment."
Men (and women) and brethren, in light of this what must we do? How can we begin to stem the tide?
We must think positively. While there are definitely some things about environmentalism's philosophy we should avoid, we should not make the practice of throwing the baby out with the bathwater. We do not have to join every rally or sign every petition. However, we can apply the basic rules of environmental care. Buy a Pur tap filter or a Brita Pitcher filter. Instead of buying bottled water every day and throwing the bottle away, refill it with filtered tap water. Trade in your gas guzzler for a more fuel/oil efficient vehicle. Team up with an organization that plants trees in places where there is little vegetation. Donate books to the local school or library instead of throwing them away. Use organic fertilizer and pesticide techniques in gardening. Also, we could communicate our environmental concerns to local and state law makers. We may not be able to personally alter the larger scale damage done by industrial companies but our voice to the representatives can prompt the government to either make or enforce laws that govern them more strictly. We can talk. We can talk with our fellow brethren in Christ about the importance of caring for our environment. We can pool our waste together and take our recyclable items in bulk rather than doing it individually. There are so many simple lifestyle changes that each individual person, home, business, or church can make that when it all adds up can have a great impact. One does not have to watch television very long before seeing the ads changing color from brown to green. This means that our actions are actually sending a message.
There should not be much tension where care for the earth is concerned. "The earth belongs to the Lord and everything in it." Therefore, God's people should be the ones taking better care of it.
