National Association Of Evangelicals Says Christianity Demands Climate Action And Urges Biblical Mandate To Stop It

The following report is from Word & Way:

The National Association of Evangelicals unveiled a sweeping report Monday (Aug. 29) on global climate change, laying out what its authors call the “biblical basis” for environmental activism to help spur fellow evangelicals to address the planetary environmental crisis.

Creation, although groaning under the fall, is still intended to bless us. However, for too many in this world, the beach isn’t about sunscreen and bodysurfing but is a daily reminder of rising tides and failed fishing.

Instead of a gulp of fresh air from a lush forest, too many children take a deep breath only to gasp with the toxic air that has irritated their lungs.

Reads the introduction of the report, penned by NAE President Walter Kim

But the authors admit persuading evangelicals is no small task, considering the religious group has historically been one of the demographics most resistant to action on the issue.

The nearly 50-page report, titled “Loving the Least of These: Addressing a Changing Environment,” opens with a section that insists protecting the environment is a biblical mandate.

The Bible does not tell us anything directly about how to evaluate scientific reports or how to respond to a changing environment, but it does give several helpful principles: Care for creation, love our neighbors and witness to the world.

The report reads

The authors go on to cite passages such as Genesis 2:15 (“God then took the man and settled him in the garden of Eden, to cultivate and care for it”), Matthew 22 (“Love your neighbor as yourself”) and Deuteronomy 15 (“Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart”).

We worship God by caring for creation.

The report reads

Another section outlines the basic science behind climate change, but the report, produced in partnership with the NAE’s humanitarian arm World Relief, returns often to the real-world impacts of climate change, such as how air pollution created by fossil fuels can have negative outcomes for children’s health or disproportionately affect the poor.

Kim suggested the emphasis on lived experiences, which are often tied to churches or evangelical organizations, is by design.

One of the things that you’ll see in this document is not simply scientific information, though that is there, or biblical argumentation, although that is there, but you also hear stories of actual impact on communities.

He told Religion News Service in an interview.

Real-world examples help readers “understand the human dimension of the impact of climate change,” he explained.

I think people of faith responded very deeply, because we’re wired to follow in the footsteps of Jesus of loving God and loving our neighbor.

Dorothy Boorse, a biology professor at Gordon College and the chief author of the report, agreed.

One of the things that can be true for evangelicals is they have a very deep desire to care for others, and they often have a deep spirit of hospitality.

She said

Appealing to concerns about health and care for children, Boorse said, can “spark an imagination” in evangelicals that climate change is “not different from other problems in the world that we feel committed to care about, such as education, food availability or disaster relief.”

The focus on persuasion may be the result of necessity. The NAE has spoken out on environmental issues before (the new report functions as an update of a similar document published in 2011), but while mainline Protestant Christian groups and Pope Francis have repeatedly signaled the urgency of addressing climate change, many prominent evangelical leaders have suggested the opposite: Last year, Franklin Graham, son of famed evangelist Billy Graham, dismissed climate change as “nothing new” in a Facebook post and compared it to biblical instances of extreme weather — such as the flood in Genesis or the years of famine and drought in Egypt — that are depicted as acts of God.

The result has often been a religious community resistant to acknowledging the source of the issue, much less acting to prevent it. In a Pew Research survey conducted in January, white evangelicals were the religious group least likely to agree that human activity contributes to climate change, with only 54% saying humanity contributed a great deal or some to the trend. By comparison, 72% of white nonevangelicals, 73% of white Catholics, 81% of Black Protestants and 86% of Hispanic Catholics said so.

But as Boorse points out in the report, there has been some movement since the 2011 report was published, particularly among young evangelicals: A year after that document was unveiled, Young Evangelicals for Climate Action was founded.

One huge pattern that I observed is that young evangelicals are very concerned about the environment. There’s an entrenchment of certain ways of thinking that just takes a long time to change.

Boorse, who sits on YECA’s advisory board, told RNS

Activists say the change can’t come soon enough. In addition to ongoing droughts in various parts of the world, the NAE report was unveiled the same day as news broke that, given the current pace of climate change, 3.3% of the Greenland ice sheet — around 110 trillion tons of ice — is slated to melt into the sea, raising global sea levels nearly a foot between now and 2100.

Asked if she was hopeful the report and similar efforts could urge evangelicals to muster their resources and help prevent further environmental calamities, Boorse acknowledged she is often frustrated by fellow faithful who espouse baseless conspiracy theories about climate change or express open hostility to science in general.

That has been very challenging for me in my professional life. But I feel God has privileged me with the task of speaking to a group of people that I know and love, and trying, consistently, to talk about this as a real phenomenon — and it needs our attention.

She said.

For Boorse, the necessity of the work — and the tenets of her faith — sustain her for the fight ahead.

I’ve decided to be hopeful. I think everybody has to, or you’d never get anything done.

She said

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AUTHOR COMMENTARY

The NEA’s nonsense and climate fear-porn is identical to the same statements and sentiments that Pope Francis has routinely stated, to wit, his Laudato Si’ nonsense that is congruent with the litany of statements by the United Nations, World Economic Forum, and others – not to mention also the authors are using the same cookie cutter logic of loving your neighbor: the same rhetoric used be these Hell-evangelists to justify taking a Covid death shot

Pope Francis Launches Seven Year Laudato Si’ To Further Agenda Absolute Zero

Taking a gander through the actual NEA document – though the authors were careful not to outright say it, they did imply “Christians” should reduce their consumption of meat, and eat more “sustainable” foods:

Live more simply and use energy more efficiently. Consider buying sustainable foods, recycling, composting, and switching to renewable energy sources and less polluting vehicles. Live with restraint. Take advantage of tax incentives to weatherize your home and business. Encourage your church and workplace to adopt money-saving energy efficiency measures. Make choices that express your love for God and care for his world and the people he has made.

Again, this is obviously a call to stop eating meats, and do all these silly-willy climate initiatives. Moreover, it almost seems like the NEA is going a bit of foreshadowing of what will be coming down the pike, i.e. “tax incentives” and the suchlike. Again, the NEA is parroting what Francis has declared.

Pope Francis Says Eating Meat Is A ‘Self-Destructive Trend’ And Says We Need To ‘Repent’ For Abusing “Mother Earth”

[1] Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; [2] Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; [3] Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.

1 Timothy 4:1-3

You must understand that all the denominations and sects are under the Vatican’s supervision and control. Rome has worked tirelessly to do that, and has succeeded. Therefore, do not marvel at the fact that all these mainline groups are vomiting the same papal nonsense; and, is yet another reason amongst the plethora of reasons I advise you to stay as far as possible from these church buildings and denominations.

It goes without saying that that born again child of God should not destroy the earth by using and promoting all these toxic substances and pollutants, and should use equitable practices in agriculture, farming, ranching, etc.; but obviously this is purely just a political stunt, and carrying out Rome’s mandates. Moreover, I have documented on many occasions the blatant hypocrisy of all this “green” nonsense, and how it is no better and worse than what we already have.

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[7] Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? [8] Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? [9] For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? [10] Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. (1 Corinthians 9:7-10).

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