I read a comment on the Crunchy Chicken a few days back that really bothered me. The post was about the fighting between those who are implementing green practices, super easy things like turning your thermostat down to save money and energy, and those who are downright angry that people are asking others to do these things. One anonymous commentator said that she has encountered people who trash environmentalists by saying that they worship the Earth instead of God. Well guess what, there are SOME environmentalists out there that DO worship the Earth, and they are happy to say so, but she does bring up an interesting debate within the Christian community. Some people automatically assume that if you are pro-green movement that you are anti-Christian, and that if you are a Christian then you are against anything green related. So, these people are somewhat confused when they come across people like me…who are both. There are many Christians I have encountered with the view that God gave us this Earth to live on temporarily. They use the Christian belief of the “End Times” of the Earth, and how it will all be going away sometime soon, so it doesn’t really matter how we treat it. I have to disagree with this way of thinking. As Christians, we are taught that God created the Earth and everything in it with loving care. He put a lot of thought into this Earth so it could be a gorgeous place for everyone to live. Do you really think that he would put all that time and effort into a place, though only our temporary home, for us to just trash it as much as possible? If a child scribbles on all of the walls of his room, grinds all of his playdoh into the carpet, and tears all of his clothes, wouldn’t the parent be upset? Of course they would, as that parent loves their child and wants to provide a nice place for them to play and sleep. The child would be considered irresponsible, and so it is with God that we humans are being wasteful with the gifts we have been given, and I doubt he is very pleased. Some Christians are in the “global warming is a myth” camp. Alright then, fine, I’m not telling you that you have to believe in global warming, but I would say that regardless of if you believe in global warming or not, you should still implement some green living practices to help take care of God’s creation. It doesn’t make much sense to me that if global warming isn’t occurring that we should all just continue to be as wasteful as possible. Now, I’ve tried to make my reasoning fairly basic, but I know there are many arguments on both sides of this issue, as it is a hotly debated issue within the Christian community. If I have piqued your interest at all in this, you might want to check out the documentary Is God Green? as it has both sides of the issue presented and you can make up your own mind. However, I am assuming that if you are reading this blog you are mostly likely on the green side ☺What are your thoughts on the issue? Are you a Christian who is trying to live more green? Do you assume that if someone is a Christian that they can’t possibly be interested in living a more sustainable life?
An Environmentalist Christian is Not an Oxymoron
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Great post and very well written. I completely agree that the earth is a gift, and whether global warming is real or not, why would we trash this gift?
I feel the same way when thinking about the way factory farming treats animals. Did God put us at the top of the food chain — yes. But does that mean we should treat other creatures with cruelty? Can’t we raise livestock in a humane way? Animals are also living things He created.
I’m not religious, but I totally agree with this. What’s wrong with taking care of the earth for the sake of taking care of the earth? I think many people (Christians and non-Christians alike) dump on being green because they don’t want to take any responsibility for their actions, and lambasting other people for “worshipping the earth” makes them feel superior. But anyway, even if there are people who worship the earth, I don’t really see what’s wrong with that. That’s their prerogative.
Emily: You bring up a good point about the cruelty to animals, that gives me a great idea for another blog post!
Cate: I have friends from many different backgrounds religious and not, so I’m not trying to put down people that do worship the Earth, that is their right, of course. I just feel that most people assume that you can’t come from a religious background and be concerned for the environment, whether Christian or Buddhist or whatever. I don’t know why, but for some reason I have come across quite a few Christians in particular who are anti-green. It’s just puzzling to me is all, given what we are taught, thus my post. I also feel like people don’t want to take responsibility for their actions, just look at the fact that only 58% of people voted in the last election, and that’s one of the better years! That’s sad, and I think its because there are many people out there who love to make excuses, “well, I didn’t vote for that person, so this isn’t my fault the country isn’t going the way I want it.” We need to take responsibility for all of our actions, and face the consequences, both the good and bad. Thanks for your insights!