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Ecology, the New Opium of the People
A Response to Scott Sabin's 'Whole Earth Evangelism'
To facilitate a truly global conversation, we ask Christian leaders from around the world to respond to the Global Conversation's lead articles. These points of view do not necessarily represent Christianity Today magazine or the Lausanne Movement. They are designed to stimulate discussion from all points of the compass and from different segments of the Christian community. Please add your perspective by posting a comment so that we can learn and grow together in the unity of the Spirit.
Scott Sabin rightly mentioned the heartbreaking situation of Haiti. In video images of the recent tragic earthquake, we saw a striking contrast between the denuded wilderness of the west side of the island and the green of the Dominican Republic on the east side of the same island. Why such a disparity? Acute poverty! The poor have to cut trees for fuel to cook with, or, worse, they use cow dung. And so poverty is perpetuated and the environment is destroyed.
Psychologist Abraham Maslow developed the theory of the pyramid of needs. Maslow explained that man has to fulfil his physiological needs (eating, drinking, sleeping) before he can turn his attention to other values—such as caring for the environment. If Haitian people—and others who live in widespread poverty—are to take care of the environment, they must first increase their wealth, because it is the wealthy who reach a state of development that allows them to pay attention to environment. This is what has happened in developed countries.
The rule of law combined with technological and economical progress is necessary to improve the environment. But some tell us that progress must be stopped in order to protect the environment. This reasoning lies at the heart of the Green movement: there are not enough resources in the world, and "we can't go on like this."
The public at large is convinced that the world today is highly polluted. But this environmentalist mantra is simply not true: it does not stand up to straightforward analysis.
The simplest indicator to measure material life quality is life expectancy. Since the industrial revolution, life expectancy has constantly increased. This would simply not be the case if the world were as polluted as some say. Take water as an example, a problem Sabin also raises. We are persistently told that water is either increasingly scarce or is highly polluted. But from the time when God created the world to now, not one single molecule of water has disappeared. And thanks to technology, we have vastly improved the quality of water. Typhus, plague, and other endemic illnesses have disappeared.
If some parts of our world (mainly the developing world) are directly suffering as a result of environmental degradation, the solution is to increase their prosperity. Ultimately this is nothing more than the creation mandate of God to multiply and prosper. If other parts of our world (mainly the wealthy countries) see nothing but gloom and doom, we must direct them to the hope that comes from Jesus Christ, to the God who is Jehovah Jireh, the God of Providence. Because although it might have escaped some Christians' notice, the ongoing debate is not just one of protecting the environment but also one of religion. For underlying some environmentalists' agenda is a pagan philosophy that is ready to sacrifice man to defend its love of nature and of Gaia their idol.
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TaylorNicole
I think that we should take a greater responsiblilty for creation ,but there is a fine line between taking care and obsessing. I think a Christian can look at creation and see the beauty of God in it so that should inspire us to take care of it. I do believe that humanity, in general, doesn’t care for this world and the poor, and that the world is now reaping the consequences.
Summer Bri'ann
I loved the author's idea of good stewardship going hand in hand with the gospel. It is very true that in other parts of the world, the climate and enviromental changes effect them more than it may effect us. I believe when we are building relationships globally with the body of Christ we could be increasingly more effective to our brothers and sisters if we teach them or encourage them to be good stewards of creation. However, our first mission field, in the area of stewardship, needs to be at home.
Caleb Robert Link , United States
Evangelical Christianity is the primary force destroying Christianity.
Jeffrey Spencer, United States
Mr. Furfari asks, "let us not change Christian civilization that has led to progress and prosperity for billions." What he fails to acknowledge is that the global warming crisis is changing climate world-wide -- the very climates on which this civilization is based. Because we human beings are causing climate change, we are dooming our own civilization. We must address the global warming crisis and the only way to do this is to reduce our carbon footprints, especially those of us who live in (and benefit from) the "developed" part of the world.
Roger McKinney, USA
I don't think it's true that Christians have ignored creation until recently. That is an exaggeration fabricated by people who want to sell books and by the radical environmentalists who want moral support for their corrupt, earth-worshiping agenda. Creation care is nothing but good stewardship, which has always been at the heart of Christian teaching. And it's part of helping the poor. The only thing Christians have failed at is worshiping creation as some want us to do. I can guarantee you that those who make creation their idol have no interest whatsoever in saving souls. Christians have no reason join them and nothing to be ashamed of in regard to the traditional Christian stance toward creation.
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