Leaders in the new Southern Baptist environmental movement were careful Monday to avoid criticizing fellow Southern Baptists still skeptical of climate change, while at the same time pushing them to have greater concern for the environment.
“This is a journey for each of us and Southern Baptists are at different points in this journey,” said Jonathan Merritt, national spokesperson for the Southern Baptist Environment and Climate Initiative, during a media teleconference.
“I want to say that we have the greatest respect for Southern Baptist brothers and sisters who are not at this time signatory of this initiative,” assured the 25-year-old son of former Southern Baptist Convention president James Merritt and student at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. “There is plenty of room for justified disagreement.”
Merritt and other speakers were cautious to not spark unnecessary arguments over specific policies by refusing to answer any questions related to legislations or recommendations on how to cut greenhouse gas emissions. They explained that they are not experts on policies and that the declaration was simply meant to mobilize Southern Baptists to be more engaged on environmental issues.
The declaration, "A Southern Baptist Declaration on the Environment and Climate Change," was released Monday signed by the current president of the Southern Baptist Convention, the Rev. Frank Page, as well as seminary presidents, megachurch pastors and former SBC presidents. The grassroots campaign is the first of its kind in the SBC and encourages congregations to be greater advocates for environmental protection.
However, influential SBC leader Dr. Richard Land did not sign the declaration because he believes as president of the SBC Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission he is obliged to follow the denomination’s official position on public policy as determined by the SBC meeting each year.
“The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission has a Convention-assigned role to express the consensus of Southern Baptists on public policy matters when they have reached such consensus,” Land said in a statement. “If the ERLC asserted Southern Baptists were in a different place on an issue than they actually were, we would lose the trust of Southern Baptists, and we would rapidly lose our credibility in Washington as well.
“Consequently, in our Convention-assigned role to share faithfully with Washington and other public policy venues where the Convention is on an issue, it would be misleading and unethical of the ERLC to promote a position at variance with the Convention’s expressly stated positions,” the SBC’s public policy head explained.
At the denomination’s 2007 annual meeting, Southern Baptist leaders arrived at their latest statement on global warming, which questioned the belief that humans are largely to be blamed for climate change and warned that increased regulations on greenhouse gases will hurt the poor.
But signers of the declaration contend that current evidence for global warming is “substantial,” and that potential results are too grave to wait for perfect understanding on whether and how much humans are contributing to the warming of the earth.
"We believe our current denominational resolutions and engagement with these issues have often been too timid," the statement said. "Our cautious response to these issues in the face of mounting evidence may be seen by the world as uncaring, reckless and ill-informed. We can do better."
Signatories of the declaration include Dr. Danny Akin, president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary; the Rev. Jack Graham, pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church and former SBC President (2002-2004); and the Rev. James Merritt, pastor of Cross Pointe Church and former SBC president (2000-2002).
The Rev. Richard Cizik, vice president for governmental affairs of the National Association of Evangelicals, reflected on the declaration: “This is more than a small increment. It is a large step for some people who have stepped into a void that needed to be filled,” he said to The Christian Post Tuesday.
“I think it’s very significant, courageous, groundbreaking and it’s this crack in this dam that has been pulling back millions of people who dare to think differently,” said Cizik, who is often seen as the evangelical spokesperson for creation care. “So it’s cracking that wall of silence on this issue and for that I applaud Jonathan Merritt and all the others.”
Comments
I find it difficult anymore to have faith in church because there is a pastor on this forum that has lied, stolen, and cheated many people, and has a criminal history. He is an insult, an embarassment, and a disgrace to the ministry to God, and should not be allowed to state or claim that he is such. How can one develop a Christian relationship and them someone such as this comes in, takes a church away from many believers and worshippers, and claim it all in the name of God. This is not an attack on one, but the many that do the same, all in the name of God. I am a beleiver in God, serve where I can, and worship as often as possible. This person, and the rest like him, will get their just reward on judgement day. Isn't that right, Zadokrev?
I agree with so many of you that say - as Christians, we are to be good stewards - to include nature and natural resources. However, I caution everyone from jumping on the "global warming" boat. Is it only theory - like "evolution" or perhaps the verdict of the validity on "global warming" is still to be decided. On FOXNews.com there is an article today entitled: Weather Channel Founder: Sue Al Gore for Fraud. The article is referring to global warming.
To chk555, AMEN!!
There are many important causes, but none more important that winning the lost to Christ. I am a conservationist becasue I am saved, becasue as a Chrisitan I realize I am a steward of everything, including creation, that God has given to me. It only takes a step off the path to find our very soon you have lost your way.
I recommend we evangelize, and the Holy Spirit will lead the truely converted to good environmental stewardship.
Too bad that so many Christians fail to appreciate and respect the beauty of God's creation. It's a matter of stewardship. There is no reason to be wasteful and disrespectful to His creation. It's not about the validity of Global Warming. It is about misuse of God-given (aka natural) resources. No tree-hugging or "green" Christian is willing to sacrifice a baby (pre or post partum) or put a reptile or bird's life ahead of a human's. But we also need not to live luxuriously if it means destroying or unnecessarily compromising what God created in all His glory over 10,000 years ago. One shouldn't apply stewardship only to their bank account. God's resources include your money, your time, "the cattle on a thousand hills" and the hills themselves.
As building programs and the like were points of rally in the sixties, seventies, and eighties, the modern rally cry is the “environment” and “global warming”. The religious system actually prefers these issues over any of the previous because of there sheer size and gravity! In other words, pick a subject that requires a great deal of time, energy, and money along with the fact that a finite end to the “project” is fundamentally incalculable, not to mention the “warm and fuzzy” feelings people get from being a part of something so grand, and you have a great recipe for keeping hundreds of thousands of folks busy for years!
Finally, the planet earth will not expire one millisecond early or late. GOD is sovereign! Our concern is not to spend hours and hours on how to keep the globe from warming; that is the enemy’s hope and plan. Our concern is to lead a lost, dying, and hopeless world to JESUS MESSIAH one soul at a time. Our command is that by and through the power of GOD we storm the gates of Hell and keep the enemy continually on the run by the grace of GOD! For more go to www.zadokrev.blogspot.com
As a Southern Baptist,this issue reminds of people who are more concerned about the death of a snaildarter than they are the murder of unborn babies, talk about putting the cart before the horse. As I said in response to an article in yesterday's post as Christians we should be much more concerned about Eternal Warming than we are about global warming, let Al Bore and the New Baptist Covenant worry about it and let's Southern Baptists stay focused on what's really important to God and that is seeing His Great Commissiom fulfilled. Let the Carter Baptist's take care of global warming and the SBC will take care of stopping the spread of Eternal Warming!
One last thing.....this is the coldest winter in years. These gentlemen's timing could not be worse....suggesting that they have been misled by the god of this world. It is still major cold and snowing in Canada!!
So explain this, when the global warming hoaxters ban oil and gas, how do the freezing billions heat their homes each year! And if you think $4 a gallon for gas is bad now....just wait!
By the way, some of them are great preachers....and I am fan of both Drs. James Merritt and Ronnie Floyd. These two men, especially, who are known conservatives, need to explain their stance FULLY!
This is an outrageous declaration for so-called men of God to make....on behalf of an entire denomination!
This also is indicative of the false prophet professors in Southern Baptist and other seminaries that somebody like former SBC President's son - Jonathan Merritt, could be brainwashed like this, then get these megachurch liberal pastors and Frank Page to go along with it!
Global warming is a hoax and LIE AGAINST GOD! In case these politically correct people like the Merritts, Ronnie Floyd, Jack Graham and others FORGOT THE BIBLE - God controls the weather...and the climate. This is not only outrageous, but as Richard Land said - not the place for this kind of blanket statement. Land is very wise to follow SBC rules and wait on the Messengers at Convention!
Should be an raucous SBC Convention in June. These men should be called on the carpet for attempting to impugn a Holy God, siding with the muslim-letter signing NAE's Richard Cizik, and giving aid and comfort to the religious left like the World Council of Churches.
That is wonderful website. We are working with Orphans, Semi Orphans and Street Children and Spreading the word of God in Pakistan, Please pray for us. In His Love, Pastor Asim Saddiqeue, Christ Fellowship Ministries Pakistan http://cf.ministriespk.tripod.com
jessephillips: Increased droughts caused by global warming would have a disproportionate impact on the poorest regions of the world.
AWESOME!
I think it's SO GREAT that the environment guys are NICE TO THE DISSENTERS! They're being careful to respect those who disagree, soooooooooooooooo godly!
Personally, I don't think the environment is a big deal or a priority - even if the globe is warming, but I really appreciate that they're able to disagree respectfully.
Seriously though, even if the globe is warming, why is this a major concern? Aren't the poor more important? Isn't, like, slavery, and poverty, orphans, widows, loving people, much, much more important. The warming of the planet seems to have very little effect on us. And what can we do about it, really? We don't even know what's causing it for sure! It seems to me like somewhat of a wild goose chase.