Have They Finally Seen the Light?
For some reason, environmental issues have long been presented as a partisan debate in our country, with liberals generally arguing for treading lightly on the earth and conservatives generally arguing for trampling all over it. Common sense suggests that since we all live on the same planet, it would be in all of our best interests to keep it as conducive to supporting life as possible. But for decades now, industry apologists have called those who want to keep the air and water clean "enviro-wackos," turned people who think deforestation is dangerous into "tree-hugging hippies," and dubbed individuals who warn of the consequences of global warming "chicken little environmentalists."
It doesn't take much analysis to figure out why certain corporate executives might want those who try to regulate industry practices to be seen in a particularly unflattering light. The surprising part is how so many evangelical leaders have promulgated their scorched-earth policy rhetoric. Some common arguments the religious right has made against environmentalists run along the lines of:
1. Since God has ultimate control over our destiny, only He has the power to save or destroy the earth. (This is closely related to the "end times" theory, which says that since we're in the first stages of Armageddon, there's no point in trying to save the earth for future generations.)
2. New Age religion emphasizes ecology and oneness with the earth. This "nature worship" is sinful, because it equals idolatry.
3. Our responsibility to the earth is less important than our caring for each other. The environment might be important to God, but He is more concerned for the souls of people.
And if that isn't enough to convince God-fearing Christians they'd be better off worrying about things other than the earth, anti-environmentalists argue that the science supporting ozone depletion and global warming theories are "highly suspect" at best, or as Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chair James Inhofe (R-Okla.) put it, the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people.
Of course, many other Christians (as well as non-Christians) who aren't of the far-right persuasion find this kind of frightening "logic" little more than an excuse for ignoring our responsibilities to be trustworthy stewards of the environment. For years we have wondered why being ecologically prudent has been continually viewed through a liberal/conservative political prism when it should be one of the few things the vast majority of our diverse population should be able to agree on.
Well, it looks like some evangelical leaders have finally begun to see the light. The New York Times recently reported that the National Association of Evangelicals scheduled two meetings with more than 100 leaders to discuss global warming last Thursday and Friday on Capitol Hill. Several political officials also attended, including Joseph Lieberman and officials from the Bush administration.
These evangelicals believe global warming is a Christian issue because it disproportionately affects the poor, and since God appointed us as stewards of the earth, it is our duty to take care of His creation. The president of the National Association of Evangelicals, Rev. Ted Haggard, said his interest in the issue was sparked when he saw first-hand the effects of pollution and rising ocean temperatures on coral reefs while scuba diving in the ocean.
The good news for us is that it looks like the national discussion on environmentalism and global warming might turn into something a little more honest than a simple left-wing/right-wing debate. Besides that, evangelicals have a good deal of political sway, especially with politicians who aren't all that concerned with the desires of traditional environmentalists. The not-so-good news is that we have yet to see how serious the evangelical community will be in taking effective measures to deal with all of the inter-related issues. After all, the Interfaith Council for Environmental Stewardship describes itself as a religious environmental organization that is, "dedicated to demonstrating widespread support for traditional principles of stewardship." At the same time its website states that the issues of global warming, overpopulation, and rampant species loss constitute "unfounded or undue concerns."
At least one way or another, it's heartening to know there is a growing community of evangelicals who are beginning to discover you don't have to listen to jam bands or play hacky sack to care about keeping the earth green and healthy.
It doesn't take much analysis to figure out why certain corporate executives might want those who try to regulate industry practices to be seen in a particularly unflattering light. The surprising part is how so many evangelical leaders have promulgated their scorched-earth policy rhetoric. Some common arguments the religious right has made against environmentalists run along the lines of:
1. Since God has ultimate control over our destiny, only He has the power to save or destroy the earth. (This is closely related to the "end times" theory, which says that since we're in the first stages of Armageddon, there's no point in trying to save the earth for future generations.)
2. New Age religion emphasizes ecology and oneness with the earth. This "nature worship" is sinful, because it equals idolatry.
3. Our responsibility to the earth is less important than our caring for each other. The environment might be important to God, but He is more concerned for the souls of people.
And if that isn't enough to convince God-fearing Christians they'd be better off worrying about things other than the earth, anti-environmentalists argue that the science supporting ozone depletion and global warming theories are "highly suspect" at best, or as Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chair James Inhofe (R-Okla.) put it, the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people.
Of course, many other Christians (as well as non-Christians) who aren't of the far-right persuasion find this kind of frightening "logic" little more than an excuse for ignoring our responsibilities to be trustworthy stewards of the environment. For years we have wondered why being ecologically prudent has been continually viewed through a liberal/conservative political prism when it should be one of the few things the vast majority of our diverse population should be able to agree on.
Well, it looks like some evangelical leaders have finally begun to see the light. The New York Times recently reported that the National Association of Evangelicals scheduled two meetings with more than 100 leaders to discuss global warming last Thursday and Friday on Capitol Hill. Several political officials also attended, including Joseph Lieberman and officials from the Bush administration.
These evangelicals believe global warming is a Christian issue because it disproportionately affects the poor, and since God appointed us as stewards of the earth, it is our duty to take care of His creation. The president of the National Association of Evangelicals, Rev. Ted Haggard, said his interest in the issue was sparked when he saw first-hand the effects of pollution and rising ocean temperatures on coral reefs while scuba diving in the ocean.
The good news for us is that it looks like the national discussion on environmentalism and global warming might turn into something a little more honest than a simple left-wing/right-wing debate. Besides that, evangelicals have a good deal of political sway, especially with politicians who aren't all that concerned with the desires of traditional environmentalists. The not-so-good news is that we have yet to see how serious the evangelical community will be in taking effective measures to deal with all of the inter-related issues. After all, the Interfaith Council for Environmental Stewardship describes itself as a religious environmental organization that is, "dedicated to demonstrating widespread support for traditional principles of stewardship." At the same time its website states that the issues of global warming, overpopulation, and rampant species loss constitute "unfounded or undue concerns."
At least one way or another, it's heartening to know there is a growing community of evangelicals who are beginning to discover you don't have to listen to jam bands or play hacky sack to care about keeping the earth green and healthy.
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