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Evangelical environmentalism

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Evangelical environmentalism is an environmental movement in the United States in which some Evangelicals have emphasized biblical mandates concerning humanity's role as steward and subsequent responsibility for the caretaking of Creation. While the movement has focused on different environmental issues, it is best known for its focus of addressing climate action from a biblically grounded theological perspective. The Evangelical Climate Initiative argues that human-induced climate change will have severe consequences and impact the poor the hardest, and that God's mandate to Adam to care for the Garden of Eden also applies to evangelicals today, and that it is therefore a moral obligation to work to mitigate climate impacts and support communities in adapting to change.[1]

Rationale

The Evangelical environmental movement is rooted in the idea that humanity is engaging in sinfulness and disobedience to God by ignoring the mandate to "tend and keep" the land in which they were originally placed (Garden of Eden)[2]. Evangelical Environmentalists are committed to the authority of the bible. Drawing from the Genesis 2:15, humans are seen as caretakers (Stewards) of God's Creation. Genesis 2:15 states: "And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it." Richard T. Ritenbaugh writes, "Tend (Hebrew 'abad) means "to work or serve," and thus referring to the ground or a garden, it can be defined as "to till or cultivate." It possesses the nuance seen in the King James Version's choice in its translation: "dress," implying adornment, embellishment, and improvement.[clarification needed] Keep (Hebrew shamar) means "to exercise great care over." In the context of Genesis 2:15, it expresses God's wish that mankind, in the person of Adam, "take care of," "guard," or "watch over" the garden. A caretaker maintains and protects his charge so that he can return it to its owner in as good or better condition than when he received it." [3]

From an Evangelical Environmentalist perspective, the response to the ecological crisis involves the restoration of correct doctrine, the restoration of Christianity as guide, and a balancing of the bible and biology. It is important to Evangelical Environmentalists that they are not seen as worshiping nature; they feel obligated to the stewardship of creation because of their focus on the creator of nature [4]. Many Evangelical environmentalists prefer terms such as 'creation care" or "stewardship of Creation" instead of environmentalism. The main reason for this preference is to emphasize the biblical basis for their engagement.

1. The love of God and Jesus require Christians to love Creation. The world is the property of God and as his stewards we are called to a high standard to tend and care for it (Gen. 1; Ps. 24; Col. 1:16).

2. Christians should engage in climate change out of a love of God and neighbor. A changing climate will bring suffering to many who are already struggling (Mt. 22:34-40; Mt. 7:12; Mt. 25:31-46).

3. God commanded humanity to be stewards of His Creation (Gen. 1:26-28).[1]

Specific actions

In February 2006, a group of 86 notable U.S. evangelical Christian leaders launched the Evangelical Climate Initiative, a campaign for environmental reform, calling on all Christians to push for federal legislation that would reduce carbon dioxide emissions in an effort to stem global warming.

The initiative's organizers intended to lobby federal legislators, hold creation care talks at churches and colleges, and air television and radio advertisements that link drought, starvation, and hurricanes to global warming [5]. The president of the National Association of Evangelicals, Rev. Ted Haggard, did not join the leaders in the statement on global warming. He declined because it would have been interpreted as an endorsement by the entire National Association of Evangelicals. Speaking just for himself, he said, "There is no doubt about it in my mind that climate change is happening, and there is no doubt about it that it would be wise for us to stop doing the foolish things we're doing that could potentially be causing this. In my mind there is no downside to being cautious.[6]"

televangelist Pat Robertson changed his stance on global warming. In October 2005, Robertson accused the Evangelical Climate Initiative of teaming up with "far-left environmentalists," but in the summer of 2006 on his 700 Club television show, Robertson stated that "they're making a convert out of me." He also said "We really need to address the burning of fossil fuels. If we are contributing to the destruction of this planet, we need to do something about it [7].

In March 2008, a group of Southern Baptist leaders issued a statement that their denomination had been timid when it came to environmental issues and that they have a duty to stop global warming. This declaration was signed by the President of the congregation. The Southern Baptist Convention is the largest Protestant denomination in the United States with 16.3 million members [8].

The Evangelical Environmental Network[9] (EEN) has received much attention for actions such as lobbying the United States Congress and producing biblical educational materials which were sent out to Evangelical congregations across the country. Also, in 1996 the EEN produced television advertisements warning Christians, "don't let the special interests sink the Endangered Species Act." The EEN also mailed out 38,000 "Let the Earth Be Glad" packets and enlisted 1000 churches as "Noah Congregations (Kearns, 1997)."

Criticism

A criticism of Creation Care, stemming from Jan Markell (who believes that evangelicals are "called by God to win souls for Jesus, not to exercise stewardship over creation"[10]), is that Creation Care is primarily a push for a massive "Cap and Trade" tax increase under the veil of helping the environment.[11]

In January 2006, a group of evangelicals opposed the Evangelical Climate Initiative's stance and issued a letter to the National Association of Evangelicals which stated that "global warming is not a consensus issue, and our love for the Creator and respect for His Creation does not require us to take a position [supporting a cap and trade tax increase]". In 2007, leaders of the conservative Christian wing of the Republican Party, including James Dobson, Gary Bauer and Paul Weyrich, told the policy director of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE), the Rev. Richard Cizik, to "shut up already about global warming".[12] In 2008, the NAE clarified that it does not "have a specific position on global warming or emissions. [Cizik] has spoken as an individual on that." [13]

Ann Coulter focuses on Genesis 1:27-28 which gives dominion to Humanity over nature. Ann Coulter claims: "God gave us the earth. We have dominion over the plants, the animals, the trees. God said, 'Earth is yours. Take it. Rape it. It's yours.'" [14] Lynn White (1967) implies that this is a common view among Christians, but the accuracy of this statement is debatable.

In 2008, a survey conducted by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, found that 31% of white Evangelical Protestants did not believe that there is solid evidence showing that the earth is warming. 34% of white Evangelical Protestants did believe that there was evidence, but 17% didn't believe that warming was due to human impacts. 47% of the total U.S. population does believe that the earth is warming because of human influences and 58% of unaffiliated Americans believe that global warming due to human impacts is real.[15]


Quotes

"...nature: it is not our own. It belongs to God, and we are to exercise our dominion over these things not as though entitled to exploit them, but as things borrowed or held in trust. We are to use them realizing they are not ours intrinsically. Man's dominion is under God's dominion."[16]

" Expect confrontations that will be not only unpleasant but at times physically bloody ... This decade will not be for the faint of heart, but the resolute. Institutions will be plunged into wrenching change. We will be living through one of the most tumultuous periods of human history. When it is over, I am convinced God's people will emerge victorious. But no victory ever comes without a battle."'[17]

"The earth was given to man, with this condition, that he should occupy himself in its cultivation... The custody of the garden was given in charge to Adam, to show that we possess the things which God has committed to our hands, on the condition that, being content with the frugal and moderate use of them, we should take care of what shall remain. Let him who possesses a field, so partake of its yearly fruits, that he may not suffer the ground to be injured by his negligence, but let him endeavor to hand it down to posterity as he received it, or even better cultivated. Let him so feed on its fruits, that he neither dissipates it by luxury, nor permits it to be marred or ruined by neglect. Moreover, that this economy, and this diligence, with respect to those good things which God has given us to enjoy, may flourish among us; let everyone regard himself as the steward of God in all things which he possesses. Then he will neither conduct himself dissolutely, nor corrupt by abuse those things which God requires to be preserved." [18]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Climate Change: An Evangelical Call to Action". christiansandclimate.org. Evangelical Climate Initiative. Retrieved 18 December 2010.
  2. ^ http://www.bibletools.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Bible.show/sVerseID/46/eVerseID/46
  3. ^ http://www.bibletools.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Bible.show/sVerseID/46/eVerseID/46
  4. ^ Kearns, L. 1997. Noah's Ark Goes to Washington: A Profile of Evangelical Environmentalism. Social Compass, 44:349-366.
  5. ^ http://christiansandclimate.org/)
  6. ^ L Goodstein - New York Times, 2006 - rainforestcoalition.org
  7. ^ http://www.alternet.org/blogs/video/39872
  8. ^ http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23549773
  9. ^ www.creationcare.org
  10. ^ http://www.pbs.org/moyers/moyersonamerica/print/religionandenvironmentclass_print.html
  11. ^ http://www.olivetreeviews.org/wordpress/jan%E2%80%99s-articles/global-warming-or-global-governance
  12. ^ "Evangelical Environmentalism". The New York Times. 10 March 2007.
  13. ^ http://www.cornwallalliance.org/press/read/evangelical-environmental-group-applauds-national-association-of-evangelicals
  14. ^ http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Ann_Coulter#Enviromentalism
  15. ^ http://homebrewedchristianity.com/2009/04/16/evangelicals-and-global-warming/
  16. ^ Francis Schaeffer, Pollution and the Death of Man, 1970, p. 69
  17. ^ "Pat Robertson's Perspectives," Oct/Nov 1992
  18. ^ John Calvin on Genesis 2:15; Commentary on Genesis, 1554. EARTH-WISE: A Biblical Response to Environmental Issues. Calvin B. DeWitt. 1994, 2007 (Second Edition) by Faith Alive Christian Resources

Further reading

  • Jonathan Merritt (2010) Green Like God: Unlocking the Divine Plan for Our Planet ISBN 978-0446557252
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