WASHINGTON – While it may seem like everyone believes in global warming and the impending catastrophe it will bring, a group of conservative Christians countered that message Thursday by launching a national campaign to gather one million signatures for a statement that says Christians must not believe in all the hype about global warming.
The “We Get It!” declaration, which currently has nearly 100 signers, is backed by prominent Christians including Tony Perkins of Family Research Council, Dr. James Dobson of Focus on the Family, award-winning radio host Janet Parshall, and U.S. Senator James Inhofe of Oklahoma.
What supporters of the statement seek is to inform Christians about the biblical perspective on the environment and the poor, and to encourage them to look at the hard evidence, which they say does not support the devastating degree of climate change claimed by mainstream society.
“How can you create policies on uncertain science?” asked Dr. Barrett Duke, vice president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission.
“How can you say what it is that needs to be done when you don’t really know and you don’t really have real consensus on the state of the problem or what is causing the problem?”
Duke called it an “unbiblical” response to make policies based on unsettled data that would push the poor further into starvation and poverty.
But the SBC leader made sure to clarify that he and other signers are not “anti-earth.”
“It isn’t as though we think that the earth is here to be abused. It is not,” he said. “It is God’s creation and we have a responsibility to care for it and to do all that we can to help it be the place that God wants it to be.”
Yet at the same time, policies should not be made to sacrifice the needs of the most needy in order to “reach some kind of standard” that may not even be reachable, Duke argued.
“If humans are not causing the problem then it doesn’t matter how much we reduce CO2 emissions. It won’t make any difference,” he said.
Fellow signer Dr. E. Calvin Beisner, founder and national spokesman for the Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation, also talked about the harmful effects of popular climate change policies that call for a cap on carbon emission.
“The number of premature deaths, number of diseases, and the harm to the human economy that can be predicted from the policies used to fight the warming” is more destructive than even if all the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change)-predicted global warming-caused disasters came true, Beisner said emotionally to The Christian Post.
“You try to cap emissions and you kill more people than die if you don’t cap emissions,” Beisner said, referring to those who would die from lack of access to energy, higher food prices, and the halt in their country’s economic development.
“We will have killed people,” he added solemnly. “We care about this issue the same way why we care about abortion. It kills people.”
Several of the speakers at Thursday’s press event accused the green movement – that blames humans for the impending global warming disasters – of being driven by emotions and “fear-mongering.”
“We believe this is being driven by emotions, emotions that will lead to decisions that will lead to negative consequences that will create tremendous harm not only to American families but impoverished families all around the globe,” said Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council and former vice chairman of the Environmental committee in Louisiana.
Signers of the declaration said while they do acknowledge, in varying degrees, that global warming is real and humans are partly to blame for the earth’s warming, they believe that for the most part the heating of the earth is due to the natural warming and cooling cycle of the planet.
The “We Get It!” view starkly contrasts that of the IPCC and some prominent green evangelicals who believe that scientific evidence strongly supports that global warming is a serious crisis and man-induced.
The IPCC report last year – which is said to be the clearest and most comprehensive statement to date on the impact of global warming mainly caused by man-induced carbon dioxide pollution – warns that 30 percent of the Earth’s species are at risk of extinction, up to 250 million people are likely to experience water shortage, and stronger and more frequent natural disasters are expected in the near future.
Comments
Here is how I feel on the subject. I do not personally believe that pollutants are causing global warming, but that doesn't mean those pollutants don't cause any problems.
I don't feel God wants us to have dirty air, water, and soil if there are options to have cleaner air, water, and soil. I think Christians should join forces with people who want cleaner technology instead of being divisive about if you believe in global warming or not.
Yes, I think you can oppose legislation that might give away US sovereignty or tax you unfairly, but having renewable energy or cleaner energy makes so much sense.
Why give our oil money to foreign countries that abuse their people? Why pollute the world unnecessarily when we can start adding in cleaner energy?
There is no good reason to keep things as is, global warming or not.
Yet another tool that Satan will use to. 1. Divide Christians, 2. Take our focus off the main issues - Glorify God and tell others of the need of a savior. 3. Turn unbelievers off to the Christian message because we are militantly opposed to a view they are passionate about.
I am saddened that our Christian leadership is making such a big issue about this. This world is not our home. Let's focus on eternal issues. Be wise stewards when appropriate but let the world bicker about these temporal issues.
I will be calling Focus on the Family letting them know my disappointment of James Dobson wasting time on this. If you agree call them as well at: (800) A-FAMILY.
What do we do?
Are we to call God a liar? Do you believe in the Bible? Trust in God. Do not worry about global warming so much, but by all means, we should all be good stewards of everything that is provided to us through God's grace.
Jeremiah 17:5 thus says the Lord: "Cursed is the man who trusts in man And makes flesh his strength, Whose heart departs from the Lord. 6 For he shall be like a shrub in the desert, And shall not see when good comes, But shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, In a salt land which is not inhabited. 7 "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, And whose hope is the Lord. 8 For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit.
Luke 12:22 Then He said to His disciples, "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. 23 Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. 24 Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds? 25 And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? 26 If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest? 27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28 If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith? 29 And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. 30 For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things.
Philippians 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.
Scripturally speaking:
Right off the bat, we can certainly say that mankind is extremely arrogant to even think that he can cause the end of the world as we know it. To listen to any arguments relying on historical theory and extrapolated data from millions of years ago is opposed to the Bible’s facts about creation. It shows a complete lack of faith in God to agree to any such concession. God made the heaven and the earth and all other things. God has left us the Word through scriptures to show us the way, the truth and the light. God has plans for earth’s end at His own time and by His own making. The Bible tells us that will happen at the end of the one-thousand year reign after Christ returns to earth in the day of our Lord. And remember, Jesus said that no one will know the time of His return but the Father.
We all know from the Bible that the end of the earth will be by fire when God wills it and He has foretold the end as follows:
2 Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
God’s Promise:
Also, do not forget that The Book of Genesis also has God's word on the subject as to how things on earth will be until that time. It reads:
Genesis 8:22 As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.
dhster,
Your comment does not seem to exude the fragrance of Christ Jesus. Perhaps you should look at the Biblical mandate that we care for the earth as God's stewards. Sure, breathing animals give off CO2. All the trees we have cut down for development used to reverse the process for us. When they are not there, what will you breathe? Gore is not my god, but the God of the Bible entrusts us with the care of creation as His stand-ins. We will be held to account for what we have done with this responsibility. Bashing Gore will not seem a sufficient answer...
If God placed us in charge of creation, we have a responsibility to <a href="http://www.theotrek.org/sermons/2008/2008-05-18_Left_in_Charge.shtml">care for it as stewards just as much as to share the gospel</a>. Yes, caring for the environment does not come cheaply, nor does installing safety equipment in cars, accommodating the handicapped, or caring for folks with long term illnesses. That does not mean we cannot fulfill our responsibility to care for God's creation. It may mean that big business interests must invest some of their exorbitant profits away from the pockets of CEO's and into caring for the needs of future generations. Trillions of dollar for a war we do not want to end, but not even lipservice to accept our responsibility for curbing our waste and destruction. How is that responsible action?
Re: “That is exactly why we have the ‘We Get It!’ campaign,” Parshall said, “because they [young people] didn’t get it.”
Mrs. Parshall is incorrect. Young people do "get it" -- they get that her generation and my generation have known for 20 years what we were doing to the planet, and we didn't stop cuz we liked all the "stuff" too much to kick the fossil fuel habit.
Folks, the scientific consensus is in. Poor people in Africa, Asia, island nations and the Arctic are already suffering and dying because of global warming. "We Get It" is just short for "We Get It ALL" (and you get diddly squat, all you lowly poor people and future generations).
p.s. To the Christian world: Global climate change -- along with the destruction of most life on Earth due to deforestation, habitat loss, pollutions and continued economic growth based on fossil fuels -- is inescapably the Last Judgement. "I put before you life and death, therefore, choose life." And a future for your grandchildren, who have just as much right to a healthy, habitable planet as we had.
GreatNW,
Again, I don't believe I said that. You originally mentioned only scientists, as if you want to blame science for everything that's wrong in the world. I certainly believe that scientists bear responsibility for their actions, just like everybody else. I didn't see that "like everybody else" in your statement. I DON'T see how you can blame scientists, though, for perversions of science by evil or unethical people.
Science is not perfect, but it is the best problem-solving mechanism humans have invented. And it IS self-correcting, something you can't say about most other institutions. I know many scientists and I'd say they are among the most ethical people with whom I've ever dealt.
I too fear we're headed towards a dark age, but I see the threat coming from fundamentalist religions, not science.
Did I miss something? What climate-change-fighting policies exactly are the "We Get It" people against? I thought the article talked more about the argument than the issues. I'll check out the website.
Baron B.,
You wrote:
"Last time I looked it was not scientists belching industrial wastes into the air and water, not scientists responsible for our gluttonous lifestyles, not scientists cutting down the rain forests all over the world. True, science gave us to the tools to do these things but science didn't MAKE us do them. We did that on our own."
So what did you mean by this if not to give science a free pass? I simply stated the scientific community does have a ethical and moral responsibility as well as expressing a general skepticism over the ability of science to objectively offer solutions. You seem to see any thought of holding them accountable as a prelude to rounding up all manufacturers and putting them in jail. Obviously you disagree and took offense at the thought of science sharing responsibility for just about anything, but have not explained why and continue to shift the thought of any culpability away from them. I have noticed in the posts of secularists a tendency to see science as inerrant and infallible.
It is only the Christian voice that provides any resistance to abortion, stem cells, cloning or other similar issues where science just wants to plow ahead with out regard to moral or ethical implications. I am simply repeating what others have save said - we are on the edge of a new dark age given science's desire to tinker without regards to consquences.
GreatNW,
"Scientists have no moral or ethical responsibility for what they produce and invent? I will admit it is an interesting viewpoint. "
Oh, c'mon! That's not what I said and you know it. By that same rationale all industrialists would be in jail for the damage they are doing to the earth; the makers of hammers, knives, baseball bats, automobiles, etc., should be executed because the tools they make are sometimes used as weapons. Oh, and let's not forget firearms manufacturers. . . Are you willing to apply this requirement across the board? No, I didn't think so.
I have a great idea for those blinded by the whole GW problem.....just stop breathing. That will certainly stop your "footprint"! But think about this. Everything that has a breath releases CO2! Never mind that Gore makes more of it than most do in a year. Follow your god Gore, and send him your money. See if he saves you instead of Christ Jesus. You will see warming like nothing other.
I truly hope Christ and satan have collaborated in creating a particularly section iin hell for those Christians who create and are complicate in deception. There should be no need for the poor to suffer, if the wealthy don't take more than they need. This article is the same old song, sung to a different issue. The tune caused enough Christians to buy into the catchy dity "the solution to pollution is dilution". Guess what it wasn't the solution and now people in parts of the world can't eat from the oceans what sustained their ancestors for many generations.
Did anyone read the 3rd paragraph from the end of the story?
The issue isn't whether warming is happening or not. The issue is that we don't have enough evidence that man is causing the warming and since we don't have enough evidence of that key principle of the science, pretending we have the answer to the question is not science, it is pretend.
And we need to be concerned about both eternal warming and global warming.
Grace and Peace,
Jim
Scientists have no moral or ethical responsibility for what they produce and invent? I will admit it is an interesting viewpoint.