Evangelical Christian Leaders Urge Proactive Climate Solution
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 02. 9.06
It has been widely reported that US Evangelical Christian leaders yesterday issued a statement pressing the US federal government to tackle climate change as a matter of urgency. In doing so, the Evangelical Climate Change Initiative, a group of more than 85 Christian leaders, invoked Jesus Christ in urging government and business leaders to "solve the global warming crisis". Surprisingly, the context of this public postion seems larger than just climate change. The attention-getter, though, was the reading at a press conference at the National Press Club in Washington of the statement, "Climate Change: An Evangelical Call to Action", saying "human-induced climate change is real," and calling on the U.S. government to pass legislation establishing limits on carbon dioxide emissions..."This is God's world, and any damage that we do to God's world is an offense against God himself."
Saying they were not represented by the statement were such long standing 'skeptics' as James Dobson of Focus on the Family.
This is an amazing development , coming as it does, just as many of us have become convinced that rational arguements will not suffice to convince others of the need for climate action. Perhaps the spritual view is the one to make the difference. This was addressed most poignantly by Peter Asmus of the San Franciso Chronical when he recently asked: "Is the environmental movement dead? No, it is just in the process of transforming itself into something larger than the next frightening direct-mail fundraiser...". Even so, a call to elected officials is not exactly overlooked by the Evangelical movement.
If this is a sincere mission, with leaders who really understand the issues, with realistic goals, then it could have a dramatic effect on the future of America's environmental agendas. I really hope this is for real, but as always, I'm skeptical of everything.
Where were these evangelicals like 5 years ago when Bush backed out of Kyoto?
I'm a Christian, and this is what I've been saying for years. The enviroment is a moral issue. It's not a new movement but one that's starting to be heard.
There is a detailed story about this on NPR, infact there is also an audio link which covers this in much more detail.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5194527
To answer a question posted a few replies above, five years ago, the pastor who started this activism hadn't been to Antarctica and was not convinced about the seriousness of the issue.
didn't the pastor have faith?
I wonder if this is a test for Bush. I say he'll ignore the Evangelical Christian leaders as he likes the big business leaders more. I don't think a true christian would do the things he has done.
The notion that they've suddenly had a chance of heart is hard to believe. They are still Republicans and anti-environment. I don't think it's in their DNA to care about the environment. It's probably like the effort to take over the Sierra Club and turn it anti-immigration platform for the Republicans. I've never met an evangelical that believed stewardship meant anything other than using up every last bit of the environment on the day before Rapture. It's a trick, leopards don't change their spots.
Everyone knows that Christians are nothing more then a bunch of Republican tele-evangilists who use faith as a guise for thier true ambitions for mind control and ultimately World Domination.
The Conspiracy Continues. . .
=== author's response follows =====
Yea, analyzing motive and sincerity is fun. And, it's tempting to comment on political strategies and guess the next tactics of the skeptics. Better late than never. Better a minority than none. Better a broad consensus than a disdained and alienated minority.
Whoa there! I'm a Christ follower, and I voted Libertarian. Try to ease off the stereotyping a bit.
I would also like to ask people to refrain from stereotypes. I am a Christian, but happen to be an Episcopalian. I am a registered Republican, but happen to be a huge fan of historical Presidents like Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, and John Kennedy.
I love working for clean air and water, open spaces, and wildlife protection, but I also happen to be an atomic geek.
I hate Big Business, but I also distrust their partners in capturing markets through government support like Big Labor, Big Congress and Big Environment.
Protection of the environment is definitely a moral and ethical issue and I fully support efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
==== author's note ====
Thank you for the comment. THe last 1 & 1/2 paragraphs were edited out to keep the discussion on this post on track...away from partisan political venues.
Woo-hoo! We got Jesus on our side!!!
I am a very, very liberal and pro-environment Christian. We are here, supporting environmental causes, and some of us are even loud about it. Many Christian environmental groups are just beginning to network and garner attention, true, but that doesn't mean they and other groups haven't existed, usually in small, "congregational" forms, for decades.
Don't be a tool. Pat Robertson doesn't represent all of us.