Jill Webb Jill Webbgmail com Christian Evangelicals and

Jill Webb Jill. Webb@gmail. com

Christian Evangelicals and Environmentalism

What do Evangelicals Believe? • Biblical authority and inerrancy • Belief in the apocalypse • High religious engagement (such as regular worship attendance) • Preservation of traditional beliefs and practices – moral absolutes

Numbers of Evangelicals 50 million people. 24% of the U. S. population

Why the reluctance to join environmental causes? • • We don’t know the creator through the creation – we know Him through Scripture Worries about nature worship and/or paganism

Earth exists for Humans do not exist for the earth. • Trees are good because we can build houses with them.

Connectedness v Hierarchy God People Everything else

Desire not to be associated with secular environmentalists From a secular environmentalist point of view, which excludes God, the highest aim is to understand nature itself. How we treat nature, then, depends strictly on our own, relative ethics and preferences. (Dobson – Focus on the Family)

Humans cause natural disasters through sin • • Environmental disasters…[are] resultant from the fact that humans have … frustrated God’s best plan both for themselves and for the harmony of creation. We tremble to consider the consequences to a nation that spends billions for pure air and water, yet whose land. . is polluted by the blood of more than 40 million innocent preborn children

The end times are here • The Bible predicts massive environmental changes as the world nears an end. – destruction of forests, the poisoning of waters and oceans, the destruction of wildlife, global warming and major changes in the seasons. • Rapture index

Solutions

Creation Care 500 Christian leaders signed the Evangelical Declaration of the Care of Creation • • Land degradation Deforestation Species extinction Water degradation Global toxification The alteration of atmosphere Human and cultural degradation Rick Warren

Moderates Appeal to Conservative Evangelicals • Respect marriage to ensure thoughtful procreation of children. Similar duty to nurture the home of children - earth • Poverty is a cause and consequence of environmental degradation • Willingness to understand what creation teaches about the Creator

• All of creation belongs to Jesus • The inevitable end times do not excuse us from our present biblical responsibilities • We are stewards of the land

Asked for lawmakers to pass a law requiring that emissions of carbon dioxide be reduced.

Rev. Barbara Williams Skinner National Association of Evangelicals: Evangelicals • M. S. W. and a J. D. • Executive director of the Congressional Black Caucus • Christian Community Development Association and Evangelicals for Social Action.

Created Coalition with Conservative Evangelicals • Rev. Skinner received a standing ovation from National Association of Evangelicals. • Emission Standards Proposal

Coalition between moderate and Conservative Evangelicals broken by Robertson, Dobson, and Republican Senators

• Pat Robertson, Sen. James Inhofe • Inhofe characterized Environmental Groups as – Associated Environmental Liberation Front. • Referred to as “terrorist groups” – “Jesse Jackson’s group and ACLU, and all these”

Ingram’s characterization • • • “But her whole message was, you have to give up your core values. ” “You can’t have a litmus test on gay marriage, You can’t have a litmus test on abortion on demand, you can’t have a litmus test on the Pledge of Allegiance, “

“You know, I was so excited that we were winning all of these things, and now we have this far. Left group coming in trying to capture the evangelical Christians. We can’t let it happen, Pat”

New coalition will have to be formed that includes Dobson and Robertson or wait until after Dobson and Robertson lose some of their power.

Links Creation Care: www. creationcare. org Focus on the Family Statement on the Environment: www. family. org/cforum/pdfs/fosi/worldview Pat Robertson and Inhofe: http: //www. 700 club. com/cbnnews/050429 a. asp Other sources: http: //www. theocracywatch. org/relig_inst_evangel_times_mar 11_05. ht m http: //www. raptureready. com/rap 2. html http: //www. cbn. com/spirituallife/Church. And. Ministry/Clergy/Christian. Env ironmentalists. Are. Outto. Savethe. Earth. asp http: //www. pagetwister. com/generic/templates/cej_news_wide. cfm? id= 594&secver=sec 1 name&pid=33&storyid=2206