Lausanne World Pulse – Evangelicals and Climate Change
By Brian Edgar
March 2007
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Evangelicals believe Psalm 24:1, which says, “The earth |
Should evangelicals have anything to say about climate change? Some might suggest that it is not a topic of concern for evangelicals. Others might see it as a matter of science beyond the expertise of non-experts. Still others might be concerned that it is an intrusion into politics.
But here are five reasons why evangelicals should be involved in what is said and done with regard to climate change.
1. Climate change has a significant theological dimension of interest to evangelicals. Evangelicals, along with other Christians, worship the creator God who made all things “good.” They believe that “the earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it” (Psalm 24:1). They know that God not only entered into a special relationship with humanity, but also with the creatures of the world (Genesis 9:8-13).
Consequently, evangelicals have a fundamental theological reason for caring about the effects of climate change. This is reinforced by the fact that God gave humanity a particular responsibility to tend and care for animals and the rest of the world. Evangelicals are also keenly aware that God’s love for the whole world is seen in the fact that he will redeem it through Jesus Christ. The expectation of a renewed creation is an encouragement to Christians to actively care for the present world, its people and the natural environment. Not to care about the world which God loves is an offense to God and his far-reaching purposes. Evangelicals who are especially concerned about redemption should be clearly aware of the value which God attributes to his world.
2. Climate change has a moral dimension which calls for repentance and change. Evangelicals are very aware of the need for faith and are opposed to any sort of nominalism. They preach the biblical notion that “faith without works is dead” and are strong on calling for repentance. Consequently, evangelicals should be aware that as inhabitants of God’s world we all need to seek forgiveness for the occasions when we have treated it as our own and for the times we have inappropriately exploited and polluted the world without thought for others both present and future. Repentance involves turning away from those things that have unnecessarily contributed to global warming.
Loving our neighbour means taking a global focus and recognising that those who are wealthier bear more responsibility for producing greenhouse gases while those who are poorer suffer more from the effects due to their lesser ability to deal with them. Evangelicals in wealthier countries should note that they are creating a pollution which is hurting their brothers and sisters in poorer counties. Can evangelicals in countries such as the United States (the greatest emitter of greenhouse gases) or Australia (the highest per capita emitter of greenhouse gases) or Europe not give a thought to their brethren in Tuvalu (the first climate change refugees) or East Africa (where malaria will increase)?