Dominion

I saw a headline the other day about "evangelical leaders" complaining to the NAE that one of its lobbyist was working too hard at promoting environmentalism. I think their complaint had something to do with a feeling that the organization didn't have the expertise to make claims regarding global warming and should stick with its anti-abortion, anti-homosexual platform. I cringed when I saw the headline because I was expecting another sermon on how we didn't need to be environmentally conscious.

To be sure their are some questions regarding global warning being caused by man but they are few and far between. And while I am sure that there are indeed a multitude of scientists who believe man is the cause of global warming I also know that it is big business and provides a good living for its most ardent proponents.

Equally irritating is the opinion that we can run roughshod over the earth with no worries. After all we have been given dominion over the earth so we can do what we want they say. Some have tried to counter this with the claim that we are to live in cooperation with the earth. I don't understand the need to do this.

I think being given dominion is enough of an argument in and of itself to cause Christians to take care of the environment. If someone gives you a gift don't you feel an obligation to take care of it? If you mistreat the gift doesn't it reflect your attitude toward the giver?

Whether you believe man is the cause of global warming or not a Christian should be very concerned about the environment simply because it is God's creation. I also think it is disingenuous to claim protecting the environment hurts poor people who are more valuable in God's eyes. I might buy into that argument if there weren't so many of us Christians who, judging by our lifestyles, apparently don't see those same poor people as more valuable than our comfort. Like so many other things in life our failure to care for the environment really comes down to our own selfishness.