When Cleaner Air Is a Biblical Obligation

NY Times ^ | 11/7/5 | Michael Janofsky

[Crackingham]

In their long and frustrated efforts pushing Congress to pass legislation on global warming, environmentalists are gaining a new ally. With increasing vigor, evangelical groups that are part of the base of conservative support for leading Republicans are campaigning for laws that would reduce carbon dioxide emissions, which scientists have linked with global warming.

In the latest effort, the National Association of Evangelicals, a nonprofit organization that includes 45,000 churches serving 30 million people across the country, is circulating among its leaders the draft of a policy statement that would encourage lawmakers to pass legislation creating mandatory controls for carbon emissions.

Environmentalists rely on empirical evidence as their rationale for Congressional action, and many evangelicals further believe that protecting the planet from human activities that cause global warming is a values issue that fulfills Biblical teachings asking humans to be good stewards of the earth.

"Genesis 2:15," said Richard Cizik, the association's vice president for governmental affairs, citing a passage that serves as the justification for the effort: "The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it."

"We believe that we have a rightful responsibility for what the Bible itself challenges," Mr. Cizik said. "Working the land and caring for it go hand in hand. That's why I think, and say unapologetically, that we ought to be able to bring to the debate a new voice."

[Prime Choice]

Hm. Politics. Strange bedfellows.

Who knew?

[Better Dead Than Red]

I think these people are more Jimmuh Carter type evangelicals.

[adamsjas]

The NYT quotes evangelicals for their pet causes and ridicules them fore anything else.

[MissAmericanPie]

Any scientist worth his salt knows the sun is the only thing that can cause global warming.

Any Christian worth his salt knows that nothing is to be gained from signing onto treaties that ham string the West when the West is not the greatest source of pollution.

Any Christian worth his salt knows what time in history he is in, and believes God when God says in Revelation, that power is given to the sun to scorch men with fire, not polluters.

It's fine to require companies to be as environmentally friendly as they can afford and still turn a profit. It's fine to require proper handling of dangerous chemicals. To go overboard into treaties is ridiculous on the face, back, and side of it.

[bronxboy]

Total BS...more Times wishful thinking.

[KeyWest]

Just recall that there was a swoon at the Times when evangelicals came to Clinton's side to help him through his crisis.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

So, some Evangelicals have decided that worshipping Ghaia is really a form of worshipping God?