Climate change and the end of the world
I think about climate change a lot. I kind of have to for my job. At Oxfam I’m helping get things ready for COP17, the big UN climate talks that happen every year, this time in South Africa. The weird thing about this job, is that promoting action on climate change can be a lonely thing for a Christian. I’m on one side with the athiests, agnostics and liberal greenies and most of the Christians seem to be over on the other side. (Actually there are others over here with me but it just doesn’t seem like a lot).
I just don’t get it. Why are a majority of Christians so against action on climate change? I doesn’t even seem to be a biblical thing. In fact the Bible seems to support climate change. Those of us from evangelical backgrounds were implanted with the belief that the world is going to end, maybe in our lifetime. There were going to be famines, droughts, earthquakes, all kinds of crazy natural disasters. Granted some of this may be more based off those darn Left Behind books than the Bible, but some of it’s still in there. It just seems like if that is the view you take (which it seems like most Christians take) then climate change is a sign of the times.
I mean, doesn’t it make perfect sense that in the obvious irony of our world, when God leaves us to our own devices, we are actually the ones that destroy ourselves? Yet many Christians are adamant that this isn’t happening. I saw one on tv just the other day. I just don’t get it; it fits in with their theology.
Climate change skeptics are in a class of their own, but I guess there’s another group of people who think it’s not human made thus there is nothing we can do to stop it- therefore why engage in it.
Here’s why I think we should. First off let me quickly breeze through the idea that we are stewards of the earth and God told us to care about it, because that doesn’t really seem to be enough motivation for anyone. It’s a nice idea, but are we going to make drastic decisions because of it? I doubt it, regardless of the fact if it really is a good enough reason.
The reason why we should care about climate change is because if we do nothing we are failing to follow God’s number two commandment-Love you neighbor as yourself (and thus the number one as well). Climate change affects people-mainly the poor, and God says a lot about helping the poor, especially when you are the one who is in the wrong (western world carbon emmissions).
How is it affecting the poor? People in Bangladesh have become climate refugees from rising water levels, forced to leave their homes and their sources of livelihood. Rising sea levels have caused some land in pacific islands to become impossible for growing food due to rising levels of salt in the soil. Then there’s the drought in East Africa, the worst they’ve seen in decades with thousands upon thousands fleeing with children in tow, starving along the way. Rain is not predicted to fall for a few more months even.
That’s something my eyes have opened to through working at Oxfam. Climate change isn’t a greenie idea just for hippies and liberals. It’s a issue of human compassion. Please Christians, it’s time to re-evaluate which side we’re on. Whether it’s a carbon tax in Australia, green energy in the States or just riding a bike instead of a car these are small prices to pay for the destruction we are creating in the world. Because it’s literally killing people.
That passionate plea is the Rachel in me. Now the Joel in me will add one more thing. I acknowledge this is a serious enough thing to get angry about, but not unloving. I really want to understand why Christians are so resistant to this in a effort to understand. If you disagree I really want to know why and am always open to the possibility that I don’t get something completely.
Any thoughts?
Agreed! Been struggling with this myself – being a Christian Horticulturalist. See Genesis 2:15 “The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.”. And that’s what I intend (& teach my kids) to do. Jane.
August 8, 2011 at 7:05 pm
Hmmmm. Seems you are generalizing quite a bit when you say all or most Christians are on one side of the fence. Can I ask how you came to that conclusion? Who represents this Christian majority?
August 14, 2011 at 6:05 am
It’s true it may just be the environment I’m in since it is quite secular. Working closely on climate change for Oxfam the politicians and critics of climate change policy are mostly people from the religious right which includes a lot of Christians. I’ve also seen it in the media, for example a show here called “Q and A” the topic was on climate change, and the people who were vehemently opposed to it, always started by labeling themselves Christians. I’ve also had close friends who are Christians tell me they don’t know if they agree with all this talk on climate change. I do have some Christian friends who are passionate about climate change but they are probably from more theologically liberal backgrounds. And from just the sense when I have told some other Christians what I do at work, I feel a bit of an uncomfortable silence. Once again this is just me. So if there are more Christians out there that do care that’s great, but how the debate is formed most of the time in Australia is the secular liberals on one side and the religious conservatives on the other and I just don’t get that dichotomy. Have you seen signs of the opposite?
August 14, 2011 at 12:48 pm
I agree with you that climate change is an issue that Christians should care about. There’s lots of reasons for that. But one of them is that the bible shows God cares a lot about poverty. As climate change will not only affect poor people the most, but will actually create poverty, I believe Christians should be doing all they can to mitigate its effects.
But I know lots of people who don’t see it as an issue. I think one reason for that is some groups of Christians have been taught to be very sceptical of science and the media. And I think there are good reasons for that. Science and the media can be quite anti-Christian at times. But it’s hard then to simply accept what science and the media is saying.
I think another reason is the same reason many people find it hard to believe lots of things – if we actually accept climate change is happening, then we have to make changes in our lives – changes we do not want to make. It’s always harder to believe the things that we don’t actually want to believe.
Liz
August 16, 2011 at 9:26 am