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Christian Evangelicals
and Environmentalism
What do Evangelicals What do Evangelicals Believe?Believe?
• Biblical authority and inerrancy
• Belief in the apocalypse
• High religious engagement (such as regular worship attendance)
• Preservation of traditional beliefs and practices – moral absolutes
Numbers of EvangelicalsNumbers of Evangelicals50 million people.
24% of the U.S. population
Why the reluctance to join Why the reluctance to join environmental causes?environmental causes?
• We don’t know the creator through the creation – we know Him through Scripture
• Worries about nature worship and/or paganism
Earth exists for Humans. Humans do not exist for the
earth.
• Trees are good because we can build houses with them.
Connectedness v HierarchyConnectedness v Hierarchy
People
God
Everything else
Desire not to be associated with secular environmentalists
From a secular environmentalist point of view, which excludes God, the highest aim is to understand nature itself. How we treat nature, then, depends strictly on our own, relative ethics and preferences.
(Dobson – Focus on the Family)
Humans cause natural disasters Humans cause natural disasters through sinthrough sin
• Environmental disasters…[are] resultant from the fact that humans have … frustrated God’s best plan both for themselves and for the harmony of creation.
• We tremble to consider the consequences to a nation that spends billions for pure air and water, yet whose land .. is polluted by the blood of more than 40 million innocent preborn children
The end times are hereThe end times are here
• The Bible predicts massive environmental changes as the world nears an end. – destruction of forests, the poisoning of
waters and oceans, the destruction of wildlife, global warming and major changes in the seasons.
• Rapture index
SolutionsSolutions
Creation CareCreation Care
• Land degradation• Deforestation• Species extinction• Water degradation• Global toxification• The alteration of atmosphere• Human and cultural degradation
Rick Warren
500 Christian leaders signed the EvangelicalDeclaration of the Care of Creation
Moderates Appeal to Conservative Moderates Appeal to Conservative EvangelicalsEvangelicals
• Respect marriage to ensure thoughtful procreation of children. Similar duty to nurture the home of children - earth
• Poverty is a cause and consequence of environmental degradation
• Willingness to understand what creation teaches about the Creator
• All of creation belongs to Jesus
• The inevitable end times do not excuse us from our present biblical responsibilities
• We are stewards of the land
Asked for lawmakers to
pass a law requiring
that emissions of carbon dioxide be reduced.
Rev. Barbara Williams Skinner Rev. Barbara Williams Skinner National Association of National Association of
EvangelicalsEvangelicals:• M.S.W. and a J.D.• Executive director of
the Congressional Black Caucus
• Christian Community Development Association and Evangelicals for Social Action.
Created Coalition with Conservative Evangelicals
• Rev. Skinner received a standing ovation from National Association of Evangelicals.
• Emission Standards Proposal
Coalition between moderate Coalition between moderate and Conservative Evangelicals and Conservative Evangelicals broken by Robertson, Dobson, broken by Robertson, Dobson, and Republican Senatorsand Republican Senators
• Pat Robertson, Sen. James Inhofe
• Inhofe characterized Environmental Groups as
– Associated Environmental Liberation Front.• Referred to as “terrorist groups”
– “Jesse Jackson’s group and ACLU, and all these”
Ingram’s characterizationIngram’s characterization
• “But her whole message was, you have to give up your core values.”
• “You can’t have a litmus test on gay marriage,
• You can’t have a litmus test on abortion on demand, you can’t have a litmus test on the Pledge of Allegiance, “
“You know, I was so excited that we were winning all of these things, and now we have this far-Left group coming in trying to capture the evangelical Christians.
We can’t let it happen, Pat”
New coalition will have to be formed that includes Dobson and Robertson
or wait until after Dobson and Robertson lose some of their power.
Links
Creation Care:www.creationcare.orgFocus on the Family Statement on the Environment: www.family.org/cforum/pdfs/fosi/worldviewPat Robertson and Inhofe:http://www.700club.com/cbnnews/news/050429a.aspOther sources:http://www.theocracywatch.org/
relig_inst_evangel_times_mar11_05.htmhttp://www.raptureready.com/rap2.htmlhttp://www.cbn.com/spirituallife/ChurchAndMinistry/Clergy/
ChristianEnvironmentalistsAreOuttoSavetheEarth.asphttp://www.pagetwister.com/generic/templates/cej_news_wide.cfm?
id=594&secver=sec1name&pid=33&storyid=2206
