Evangelicals and environmentalists are surprising allies (Boise, ID)

Idaho Statesman ^ | 9/17/07 | Rocky Barker

[Kevmo]

This passage is often misquoted by environmentalists. The destruction of earth in view here has nothing to do with the environment. It has to do with the idolatrous and rebellious inhabitants of the world whose actions bring about destruction as a result of God’s judgment.
***Ok, that’s an interesting point I have not heard before. Please show us why you think this is so. How does their idolotry “destroy the earth”?

Modern environmental extremists are actually idolators, who reverence the creation more than the Creator.
***I agree. As far as I can tell, mankind has not ever had the capability to “destroy the earth” until this current generation. Some of it is with widespread pollution like acid rain, toxic waste & that kind of thing, but most of it would appear to be the ability for wide devastation via nuclear holocaust.

[ElkGroveDan]

I would suppose God decides that. Obviously, He doesn’t say that we can’t drive SUVs or that we MUST recycle. He just expects good stewardship over the planet. God isn’t an envirowhacko, He created this earth for OUR benefit. And He gave us dominion over animals. If we violate that trust, there will be a price to pay.

Well that's what the battle is over these days, whether or not to swallow the whacko agenda. Global warming, animal rights, recycling, anti-development and arbitrary preservationism are all part of that.

[Kevmo]

“Environmentalism” is an idealogical Trojan horse.
***Well said.

Taking care of creation? No problem. Buying into “environmentalism”? You’re a simpleton that’s being co opted by your enemies.
***So, the bottom line is: Be good stewards of the earth, take care of it. To some who have a kneejerk reaction to anything to do with envirowhackos, this sounds very similar; but it isn’t.

[Kevmo]

What’s wrong with recycling? Seems like a worthwhile thing to me. And what’s wrong with Teddy Roosevelt-type of conservationism? I like the fact that I can to go Yosemite, Big Basin, Yellowstone, Crater Lake, etc. and enjoy the physical beauty of God’s creation.

I have yet to make up my mind on Global warming. I doubt it’s worth fretting over. Animal rights? Well, that’s already covered when God gave us dominion over them, but that doesn’t mean we should abuse that position. Jesus ate fish and probably ate the Passover lamb, so the animals’ “rights” seem very limited.

[VOA]

Boise Vineyard Christian Fellowship Pastor Tri Robinson
broke down the barriers
for his evangelical Christian congregation two years ago by
making it OK to express environmental values as a part of their faith.

What COMPLETE and UTTER Bravo Sierra.

I grew up in a VERY conservative, mainstream Church of Christ
congregation in north-central Oklahoma.
(the cognesceti will realize this means one of two towns!)

Even in the early 1970s when I was a teenager, STEWARDSHIP of
the planet we live on was mentioned from the pulpit.
And this didn't result in any censure or punishment for the
the pulpit minister even though our congregation and the ranks
of the Elders and Deacons were full of oil-company executives/workers.
(I would not be suprised if some of the leading elders/deacons
in our congregation had some influence in the oil company running
a fleet of oil tankers, all of which were DOUBLE-HULLED, years
before that became common practice.)

The idea that some church has FORBIDDEN it's members/preachers
from recommending sensible STEWARDSHIP of the environment is just
swamp gas from "the fevered liberal swamp"!!!

[VOA]

I'm not sure what to make of this article yet, thought I would post
it to see what the take on FR is.

It's a political/evangelical document intended to get church-going
Republicans/conservatives/independants to feel really guilty...
and Vote Democrat.

Sadly, too many church-goers swallowed this sort of BILGE...
and you get the results of the Nov. 2006 election.

[Disambiguator]

"If people know Jesus they'll vote right," Robinson said. "They'll have compassion and mercy and care about the world around them."

Some of these people think that "compassion and mercy" = entitlement programs, so they vote for Democrats (tax, spend, abortion, homosex, gun control, etc.).

I don't think that's what the Bible teaches. Compssion and mercy is YOU spending YOUR time and YOUR money to help the less fortunate, not taxing everyone for pet social engineering projects just so you can feel good about yourself.

[ElkGroveDan]

What’s wrong with recycling?

For starters, it's not necessary. We aren't running out of resources, we aren't running out of landfill space, and if it made sense economically (other than aluminum) governement wouldn't need to issue mandates.

And what’s wrong with Teddy Roosevelt-type of conservationism?

Nothing, but rampant land grabs and private property restrictions go way beyond that.

[VOA]

And what’s wrong with Teddy Roosevelt-type of conservationism?

Nothing. But advocating that sort of conservatism/stewardship
is just not radical enough for today's "environmentalists".

I like the fact that I can to go Yosemite, Big Basin,
Yellowstone, Crater Lake, etc. and enjoy the physical beauty of
God’s creation.

I do too.
But if we'd had the TRAGIC MISFORTUNE to have President Gore in 2001
or President Kerry in 2005, rest assured they'd be embarked on
a program of finding ways to make visiting those "American heritage"
sites difficult to visit unless you won a lottery (or were liberal
friends of Gore/Kerry).

In other words, they'd have continued the Clinton vision of the
nation's parklands being increasing inaccessible to the Average
Joe/Josephine, either by limiting access or exorbitant increases
in the cost of admission.
AND, at the same time, they'd be going along with The Sierra Club's
early 1990's decision to NOT speak out about ILLEGAL Immigration...
thus becoming WILLING CO-CONSPIRATORS in letting illegals turn
our border desert lands into A TRASH DUMP.

All my observations above were gained from having a professor
(also the advisor to The Sierra Club campus chapter) speak freely
to me while I was getting my graduate degree, another "tour of
duty at UCLA" and observations at the local Big 12 campus.

[Kevmo]

We aren’t running out of resources, we aren’t running out of landfill space,
***That’s different than what I’ve heard. In the San Francisco Bay area, we really are running out of landfill space. Of course, that’s not representative of the U.S. as a whole, but it is instructive towards what our best allocation of environmental resources would be. As far as having it make sense economically, that’s a red herring because we’re talking about what would be good stewardship over our environment.

Here’s one approach I haven’t seen proposed yet: In Mexico, there are entire towns built around grotesque garbage dumps. They recycle everything that can be recycled. All those mexican trucks coming across our borders have to return with something, so how about if we ship them our “recyclable materials”?

[VOA]

“I have yet to make up my mind on Global warming.”

Same here. I suspect that most of what is seen is just part of the
natural fluctation of temperature as influcenced by sun cycles,
cloud formation alteration, or the time-random nature of cooling caused
by volcanic eruptions (IIRC, the 20th century is notable for the low
level of volanic eruptions...maybe a real contribution to things
heating up?)

“I doubt it’s worth fretting over.”

I’m open minded about that. I don’t know if it’s such a great idea
to have CO2 go through the roof when letting every person in
mainland China and Russia get the keys to a large SUV, and multiple
TVs, computers and airconditioners (living like an average American!).

BUT, what I’ve learned is to take ANYTHING spouted by the “environmentalists”
with at least a metric ton of NaCl2.

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2007/09/09/reports-record-arctic-ice-melt-disgracefully-ignore-history

[Kevmo]

Well that’s what the battle is over these days, whether or not to swallow the whacko agenda.
***Throw out the bathwater but not the baby.

[attiladhun2]

An important biblical theme is the struggle against idolatry. The theme is more clearly evident in the Old Testament (Gen. 35:2; Ex. 20:2; 22:20; 23:13; Lev. 26:1; Deut. 4: 15; 5:7; 11:16; 17:2; 18:9; 27:15; Ps. 97:7; Isa. 40:19; 44:9; Jer. 2:11). It is also the concern of the writers of the New Testament (Acts 15:20, 29: I Cor. 10:7, 14; Gal. 5:20; Col. 3:5; I Jn. 5:21).

God even judged His own covenant people for idolatry. The Book of Revelation is written in light of the Old Testament and must be so read, not in light of modern environmentalism.

[Kevmo]

I agree that judgement against idolatry is an important theme. How does their idolotry “destroy the earth”?

[marsh2]

The elderly pastor of one of our local Berean (Evangelical) churches has become quite green. He and his wife are also supporting Obama. There is a bit of a clash with his congregation, which has many farmers and ranchers. However, the Methodist and Catholic Churches have already gone green as well. Not much to chose from. The LDS is not green...yet.

[attiladhun2]

If you would read the Old Testament, you would not have to ask that quetion. Let me answer it like this. God judges idolatry, judgment very often involves destruction. Universal idolatry will bring about universal (i.e., worldwide) judgment. Worldwide judgment will bring about worldwide destruction. Hence, idolatry will “destroy the earth.”

[what's up]

Worshipping idols contributes to terrible character qualities.

Such people destroy everything around them, including the earth.

[the808bass]

Compssion and mercy is YOU spending YOUR time and YOUR money to help the less fortunate, not taxing everyone for pet social engineering projects just so you can feel good about yourself.

Yes.

[aruanan]

Evangelicals and environmentalists are surprising allies (Boise, ID)

Must be a common lack of deep intellectual roots combined with propensity to enthusiasm and hysteria.

[Disambiguator]

I just noticed that I misspelled “compassion”. Whoops!