Climate Change is Real – Why
Christians ought to care.
A 2013 Poll
conducted by Stanford University indicated that 81% of Americans believe that
climate change presented a serious problem. For decades though, extreme
right-wingers and “Christian Fundamentalist” have denied that the World is
getting warmer and that our Ice caps in the Northern and Southern Poles are
melting. Others grant the fact that the
Earth is getting warmer yet deny that humans have any part in it.
Now I am a
conservative Bible believing and preaching Christian; I believe that Climate
Change is real and that Christians have a divine command to do something about
it.
For some reason many in the Evangelical circle have shrugged off climate change because of their bedfellow alliance with the Republican Party who are bought and paid for by the energy industries which pay for their elections. They have bought into the lie that nothing is wrong with polluting our air and destroying our forests. Now believe me, I am no tree hugger, but for a long time I was one of those deniers. I bought into the conspiracy theory that “global warming” was the imaginary invention of the evil Liberal Al Gore who simply wanted to destroy energy and coal jobs that are the prevalent industries in the Southern States. I thought it was a Liberal agenda to kill jobs and tax corporations. I, like many, believed that science on the matter was inconclusive and that we could not afford to sacrifice our gas and oil based economy on the premise of a tree hugging agenda.
But then I
grew up and did the research.
The Science
First of all
the science is not inconclusive, 97% of Scientist agrees that Climate change is
real and that mankind has a role in it.
What about the 3% who don’t? Many
of them work for major corporations like BP and Shell who have an invested interest
in maintaining the status quo for their industry and regulations. In 2010, the National Research Council
concluded that "Climate change is occurring, is very likely caused by
human activities, and poses significant risks for a broad range of human and natural
systems". Conservative politicians
keep shrugging off the reality of climate change and when asked about it the
usual response is “Well Scientist are not too sure yet” or “the Science is just
too inconclusive”. They are lying or
they have been misled. Like I have
mentioned many politicians from both sides of the aisle are bought and paid for
by energy companies who spend millions of dollars in lobbying at the local,
State and Federal level. Championing for
the pillaging and the rap of Earth’s natural resources and spewing them into
the atmosphere is neither right nor conservative. So why then do so many who identify as
“conservative” and even Christian advocate for such things? Have Christians aligned themselves with
billion dollar corporations who could care less about people or the environment
as long as there stock is record high?
Christians should be better.
Now I am not
a Scientist, but I do listen to them when they present facts. Christians in America in recent decades have
come off as anti-science and the credibility and respectability of the Church
has fallen because of the ignorant positions many Evangelicals take on
science. The Biblical worldview doesn’t
have to be Science vs. Faith, but rather as History has shown, faith can be the
very instrument that drives science to discover God’s created order and
majesty. Climate Change is scientific
fact and the more we deny it the more we risk coming off as ignorant and
deceitful. Many climate change deniers
will point to record cold temperatures in historically warmer climates like in
the Southern States (just so happens to be the place with the highest
concentration of climate change deniers) and say “So much for global
warming”. With smug ignorance many wrongfully
interpret the times and seasons to fit their narrow and small worldview. While pointing at a snow flake they ignore
the avalanche of evidence for climate change.
The World as a whole is warmer than it has been in thousands of years. The fact that some parts of the World that
have had historically mild or warmer climates are now getting colder while places
that are normally milder are seeing huge increases of heat waves and violent
storms vindicate the reality of climate change.
But if you
believe in the Bible, I’ll give you an even better reason to care about Earth
and climate change then the science.
The Bible and Climate Change
When God
made man and women he gave them the charge and responsibility to care and
subdue the Earth. (Genesis 2:15) Yahweh
God gave man the privilege to be stewards of the Earth and to watch over
it. When God put us in the Garden he did
so with the intention for us to care for it and expand that paradise to the
ends of the Earth, but then sin happened.
Man is inherently sinful and because of our nature we have exploited the
created order and paradise has been lost. (Genesis 2:17-19) Despite of our fallen nature our
responsibility to be caretakers of the Earth has not been dissolved.
Christians
ought to ask themselves, “Is promoting and partaking in the destruction of our
natural resources something God would approve of?” Also, “Is allowing a corporation unlimited
power to dump waste and pollutants into our waters and oceans moral?” How about the destruction of animal
populations and forests? Did you know
that because of mans disregard for the Earth around half of the Earths original
forests are gone? We have done a
horrible job at being caretakers of God’s creation. That alone ought to incite social
conservatives to start caring about our Earth and its precious resources.
The Lord
Jesus Christ himself pointed toward global climate change in the end times when
he said “Then there will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars; and there
will be anguish on the earth among nations bewildered by the roaring sea and
waves. People will faint from fear and expectation
of the things that are coming on the world”. (Luke 21:25-26) The Bible also warns us of a coming time when
God will declare “the time has come to destroy those who destroy the earth”.
(Revelation 11:18) God cares deeply
about the Earth and its environment.
Christians ought to be on the forefront of standing up for true
conservative values which include conserving our dear Planet. We will all stand before the throne of
Jehovah Almighty and will have to give an account for how we steward the things
given to us.
Please do
not take this issue lightly, do not be deceived by politicians and corporations
that profit on the back on this lie and the future of our Planet. Stand up for life not just inside the womb
but outside the womb, because after our birth, Earth becomes our home. Let us be good stewards of God’s creation and
forsake the ignorance and evil that is polluting and destroying our World.
Brian
Brian
