A Christian Environmentalist’s View of the World

“Don’t wanna be, stitched up; out of my mind. Feeling strung out; laggin’ behind. All trapped in; can’t do a thing because…I’m Locked down” — John Mayer

That song may be about a beautiful woman, but I often feel similar about Christianity and Environmentalism. As my blog readers know I don’t mind calling myself an environmentalist… but a Baptist one?

What is Christian Environmentalism? Well, first I would say it is a belief that Christianity demands stewardship. We have an obligation to care for God’s creation as best we can. Genesis makes it clear that God put us in charge of this earth. It is our duty to gently nurture it into a state of health.

Second, I would say it is a belief that the Earth shows us something of God’s character. It is an intricate piece of artistry that is almost unparalleled in beauty. It is to be admired. He made it simply because He took great joy in it. The creation all around us tells us a great deal about what type of God we serve, creative by default!

Third, I would say it is a belief that the Earth is broken. It does not agree with the Gaia Hypothesis in the sense that all organisms promote life in general. Indeed, many parts to the earth are harmful to itself. This is a result of our decision to sin. We created the brokenness around us.

Lastly, it is a viewpoint that demands we be unselfish in our roles. Christians should be the loudest proponents in taking care of the entire world. This sometimes comes at a cost. If we Christians are part of a group that creates harmful elements to other groups (such as our massive amount of greenhouse gas emissions compared to our population size) we need to work hard to heal the situation.

Sometimes, I admit I am torn between two groups. I think it is silly how many followers of Christ view the environmental movement as a big lying monster, and have allowed it to become synonymous with certain figures they disagree with. However, in my experience more and more Christians are beginning to allow themselves a fresh look at environmentalism.

Similarities between Atheists and Global Warming naysayers

Yes, I know that is a weird combination. This is just one of the oddities of who I am. Rarefied. Anyway, here is a list I have been thinking about lately. After reading lots of articles on atheism and global warming (generally not the same places) I have noticed several parallels. Of course, there are many exceptions, but this leads into my list….

10. Both positions provide a nutshell answer of the rest of their politics.

9. Neither admit they may be wrong.

8. Both caricaturize their opponents arguments.

7. Both ignore the repercussions of their choice.

6. Both form clubs and make t-shirts.

5. Both almost always come from specific segments of society.

4. Both allow themselves to stay uninformed.

3. Both pretend they have reached their conclusions based on logic when they base their stance on personal desires.

2. Both almost always use straw man arguments.

1. Both fear deeply they are wrong.

By global warming naysayer I don’t mean just someone who doubts global warming. Rather, I am referring to those who vigorously argue from a standpoint of fact.

One of the strangest things (by strange I mean what I would not have previously expected) is that blogs devoted to atheism usually don’t allow Christians to post comments on them. I have written comments on blogs to await moderation that eventually get rejected. If it were me I would delete a comment that was using a lot of expletives or threatening others, but I wouldn’t delete one just because it disagreed with me.