What's God got to do with it? - 294

 With five major religions followed by millions around the world and multiple lesser religions, there will be some differences in how we view the climate crisis.

Those who profess to follow the teaching of Jesus make up the most significant religious bloc, “Christians.” Within this Christian bloc, there are 40,000 denominations. And within each denomination, there are substantial differences.

With innumerable opinions, I will point out a few I have examined.

My commitment to solving the climate crisis began with my inner commitment to Christ. My extensive studies of climate science have been to make sure I was not running down a false trail and preaching nonsense.

When I first recognized the climate threat, my motivation came primarily from the New Testament Mark 12:31 and Mathew 22:39, the Old Testament Leviticus 19:18, and Paul’s message in 1 Corinthians 13: 4-13. These passages persuade us to love our neighbor.

Ten years ago, scientists warned us greenhouse gasses would warm the Earth and the weather would become unstable. The timeline they laid out was well in the FUTURE. I had to make a correlation. Are our children our future neighbors? Do we owe them, as our neighbors, our love and protection even though these humans do not exist now?

Unfortunately, the scientific consensus about forecasting was wrong. We can see the impact of excessive greenhouse gases on people via drought, massive rains, and shortened winter recreation seasons now. 

Christian-based movements that urge us to care for our planetary home are growing.

 In past columns, I wrote about Pope Francis’s commitment to ending global warming. He wrote the climate encyclical, “Laudato si,” a beautiful appeal in 2015 to protect our common home.

Recently he wrote, “Laudate Deum” an apostolic exhortation. Released at the 2023 Feast of St Francis Assisi, Pope Francis calls for much speedier action against the climate crisis and condemns climate change denial.

Both pieces are beautiful examples of holy literature from a person with an enormous heart, a keen mind, and a life dedicated to the teachings of Jesus Christ.

He condemns climate denial as irresponsible. “It is no longer possible to doubt the human – “anthropic” – origin of climate change.” Denial has no basis in scientific truth. The independent scientists of the Pontifical Academy of Science have repeatedly informed Pope Francis that we are destroying our atmosphere. For the Pope, denying manmade climate change is lying, lying with terrible consequences. 

The Catholic Religion makes up just over half of all Christians. As the leader of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis unequivocally urges humanity to take responsibility for our actions so we can head off disaster.

What about other Christian denominations?

Do you get visits at home from Christian Missionaries? I do, and their visits are a blessing. It is a chance to listen to people who have committed themselves to a belief system under the umbrella of Christian Studies. I listen and may agree or disagree based on my studies. It is a learning experience. It is a sharing of concern for future generations and our souls.

One congregate of missionaries has been generous with their time with me. Their studies conclude that humankind has forsaken its gift from God, Creation. They point out that God, as they note in the first pages of Genesis, gives humankind its Primary Directive. We are given “Dominion” over Creation. But they stress Dominion is not ownership. It is short term lease. It comes, they say, with the directive to tend and care. My Bible says, “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. “According to my new friends, in these verses, “dominion” implies a responsibility to care for and manage the Earth and its creatures. It does not give humans the license to abuse or exploit nature, but rather entrusts them with the duty to steward responsibly.” I contend that many of our early conservation leaders read their Bibles and, from it, accepted their duty as stewards of the land.

To keep this short, while my new friend’s arguments embrace all scripture, I will move to Revelations. Here, and in other Biblical references, they reveal we are ending a planetary Epoch and will soon enter another. In short, because too many humans, they say, are irresponsibly destroying the Earth humankind is in for troubling times.

They believe that the Lord will return, save Creation, and meet out just rewards to those who have defended the Earth in the Lord’s name. Others, those who have irresponsibly exploited the Earth, will be dealt a different fate.

There are other opinions, such as Ann Coulter of Fox News. I do not recognize her as a spiritually gifted human, but she has expressed her opinion on “Dominion” in Genesis as if she considers herself an authority. In an interview on Fox News in 2020, she said, “God gave us the Earth. We have Dominion over the plants, the animals, the trees. God said, ‘Earth is yours. Take it. Rape it. It is yours.”

MS Coulter’s opinion may seem crude. You may think few people agree with her. But, according to an article in “Earth Island Journal,” white Evangelicals makeup 20% of the electorate, and only one in three of these Believers “believe” climate change is manmade. I turn, they vote for climate-denying political candidates.

Young Evangelicals are trying to change this erroneous belief system. The movement is called Young Evangelicals for Climate Action (YECA) and is supported by the Evangelical Environment Network (EEN). Here is their mission statement: “Young Evangelicals for Climate Action exists to equip, empower, and catalyze young Christians to love God and love our neighbors through bold, wholehearted, and faithful climate action in our church and community to create a more just, equitable, and loving world.”

There is no conflict between science and Christian values for these educated and committed young Christians. They are complimentary and make their faith stronger.

Young people worry because we old people have forgotten they will inherit what we leave them. I am proud of my 80-year-old friend who recently attended a funeral for a friend. After the funeral, he and his buds visited with the pastor to thank him for a fine sendoff.

In the ensuing conservation, the pastor lamented that young people are not attending church. My friend said, “Do you address climate change?”

“Oh no, we do not talk about that!” replied the pastor.

 “In that case, you cannot expect the young to enter the doors of your church.”

I am going to sign out on this last note. Plenty of spiritually orientated people are interested in saving souls and caring for Creation. Maybe your church has people or focus groups recognizing stewardship as spiritually inspired. Your church leadership may have help.

If your church is one of them, let me know.

Inspiring Reads:

“Tests of Faith, Where Religion and Climate Action Meet” Earth Island Journal Winter 2024

The Pope’s Encyclical: Laudato Si “On Care of Our Common Home”

The Pope’s Apostolic Exhortation: Laudate Deum.