ADS 336x280 Here...
Last night on PBS, Bill Moyers had a special about the recent break in the ranks of Evangelical Christians from their all-or-nothing approach to the ideals of the Republican Party line. Moyers states “they are one-fourth of the electorate and white evangelicals voted for the president in 2004 by a four to one margin.” They remain pro-life and anti gay-marriage. However, the shift was in the area of the environment and GLOBAL WARMING. Moyers states, “On February 8 of this year, eighty-six influential evangelical leaders broke ranks with their brethren and called for action on global warming.” While Reverend Pat Robinson and Oklahoma Senator James Inhofe, part of the committee in charge of the environment, believe that global warming is a hoax, many others are beginning to see global warming as scientific fact. “The Reverend Richard Cizik is … Vice President for Governmental Affairs of the National Association of Evangelicals. [which is]… America's most influential Christian lobbying group representing 59 denominations, 45,000 churches, and 30 million believers.” He recognizes that we pump “seven billion metric tons of greenhouse gases annually” and he agrees with the results published “In 2004 [when] the Journal of Science surveyed 928 papers on climate change that were published in peer-reviewed scientific publications and found that quote - "none of the papers disagreed with the consensus."
Kudos to fundamentalists that are willing to recognize the validity of science.
What I found more amazing was Dr. CALVIN BEISNER’s justification for mans’ freedom to pollute and use the world as he pleases. Dr. Beisner helped draft the - The Cornwall Declaration on environmental stewardship, which… called fears of manmade global warming "unfounded." The private market, they said, offers the best way to care for the earth.” He quotes ‘Genesis, chapter one, verse 28. "And God blessed them, and God said unto them, be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth." For Beisner, that verse implies that humans should govern the earth using what he calls "forceful rule..."’
I recall reading Wresting With Angels by Naomi Rosenblatt. She used this verse to prove the opposite. Something more in line with what preacher TRI ROBINSON said; that God created this world. He commissioned us to take care of it. N. Rosenblatt notes that ‘replenish the earth’ comes before ‘subdue’ or having ‘dominion over’. It is our responsibility to see to it that the wonders of God’s creation are properly cared for and preserved for us and our future generations (as well as for their intrinsic value of being God’s handiwork) BEFORE we use them.
My bud, Bob, once told me that he was not worried about the Earth, per se, because the planet has an amazing ability to heal itself. What he fears is that we will destroy the quality of life for our future progeny.
TRI ROBINSON Preached: “God has revealed himself through his creation. He has revealed himself in anyone who would just open their eyes and take a time and the moment to look and see the majesty of the creation…” When we abuse the world we make a mockery of God but WE are the real losers.
The transcript of the Moyers episode can be found here.