The Burning Question

In each issue we put a testing topical question to a Christian thinker.

A desire to care for God’s creation is leading many UK Christians to make lifestyle changes – we’re recycling, turning down the thermostats and fitting the energy saving light bulbs. But can these apparently small gestures really delay climate change or are we wasting our time?

Caring about God’s creation should not be an add-on to our Christian faith, like a concern that ebbs and flows with that of the society around us. Rather, it is surely fundamental to what we believe. God created the universe and this small planet we call our home – so it is not ours to treat just how we please.

It is therefore worthwhile taking into account the environmental impact of the way in which we live. That shows respect to our Creator. Yet, while our individual actions do have practical value – switching off lights in empty rooms for example saves energy and money, and outside allows a better view of the night sky – they cannot in themselves either halt climate change nor prepare for the impact it will incur. That demands action at business, national and international levels too.

There is an underlying arrogance in assuming that our individual tiny green choices might make that much difference. Green actions forged by such regard are often short-lived. It is too easy to wake up one day and wonder why you’re doing them – especially if you can see your gas-guzzling neighbours happily getting on with their lives without feeling they have to bother.

But stopping climate change is not the reason we should be attempting to live more simply in the first place. The point about, say, taking a quick shower instead of a bath, not using stand-by, travelling by public transport instead of your own private car, or leaving a wild section in your garden to allow small creatures to thrive, is that such actions have their own intrinsic worth.

Such green practices express a level of esteem for the world around us and the community we live in. They are about taking care, and they should help us humbly recognise our role of coexistence alongside the other people, flora and fauna with whom we share God’s earth.

Catherine von Ruhland is author of the recently published Living with the Planet: Making a Difference in a Time of Climate Change, published by Lion / £10.99 / ISBN: 978-0-7459-5255-0

Comments

cat

10:09 AM, Sunday, 22 June 2008

Climate change: real or scam is not the issue. The point is that our earth-damaging behaviour doesn't please God. Things like, laziness amd greed contributes to the decaying of the world and it doesn't please God seeing his species become exinct, buisnesses greedily destroying resources etc. The world is there for us to enjoy without sin.

J Baker

11:30 AM, Monday, 23 June 2008

Why are Christians taking the eco fundamentalist message on boaqrd so unquestioningly? Have they read Nigel Lawson or David Bellamy. Could this be a last days deception. You've guessed - I'm an eco sceptic - an eco heretic. With that out of the way how about some reasoned argument.

a ashton

11:39 AM, Wednesday, 25 June 2008

our primary concern should be our relatoinship with God - all else should flow from that as maifestations of either His power, or our responses to Him. Eco-stuff clearly falls within the creation mandate, so that's the starting point. In terms of the impact we make as individuals, lets see - slavery was abolished by one individual standing up and saying 'no more'; the fairtrade movement has grown because of individuals choosing to buy goods accoridng to a different set of criteria than shops were used to working to; recycling is growing because as individuals we're doing it - indidviually we are small, and have limited impact, but by our actions we inspire, encourage and challenge others. It may not take place overnight, but we begin revolutions by choosing to replace a ight bulb...

P Maude

5:38 PM, Tuesday, 01 July 2008

I am both an eco-sceptic and an eco-fanatic at the same time. I believe that the science that has been presented is seriously flawed and that our contribution to what they claim to be the reason for climate change is insignificant. Climate change will happen with or without us, as it has since creation - it is only 40 years since scientists were predicting a mini ice age!! Now they predict global burn-up. In another 40+ years, they'll probably be panicking about falling temperatures again! However, that said, I believe that not doing anything about our global lifestyle is a sure-fire way to disaster, while the little we do helps to create an earth-caring culture. Anything that puts governments and corporations under pressure to get their houses in order cannot be bad. At the end of the day, they are the ones in whose hands pollution lies and who can legislate and be forced to cut pollution levels. Let's face it, we do not have the London smog of the early 20th century any more for these very reasons. It also forces industry to find new ways of recycling materials in the manufacturing processes. Some corporations are doing really well at this, there are many products now made from used plastic mineral water bottles, for instance. Let's honour God with our attitude and do what we can to promote save ourselves money at this pressured time and turn that pressure on governments and industry to give us a cleaner and healthier environment to enjoy our God-given lives in.

Don Gwillim

6:08 PM, Tuesday, 01 July 2008

With the dramatic rise in our population and our increasingly environmental footprint on a finite planet. Only those who do not care for god, the hungry and the survival of God's wonderful creation would encourage business as usual. If environmentalists are wrong, sustainable living will still be good for the planet and it's creatures. If Eco-sceptics are wrong it will lead to unprecedented suffering for future generations and will threaten the very existence of life on earth. Is that a reasoned enough argument for you, J. Baker

Lorraine Gittins

6:14 PM, Tuesday, 01 July 2008

I agree that each of us, when all added together, will make a difference ,when we change our way of doing things to be aware of the fact that our Creator made us the stewards of His Creation and we honour Him when we do our best to take care of the resources of our planet as well as the creatures and plants etc. I have felt very recently an urgent desire to do just that and have been taking as many steps as I can ,to do this.

k.saunders

7:05 PM, Tuesday, 01 July 2008

Whether we believe in god or not is totaly irrerevant. Mankind is a greedy, selfish ,destructive creature and it is too late now to reverse the damage we have done to the planet. We use far more resources than the world can provide and treat each other with absolute disrespect. Mankind is doomed to go the way of the dinosaurs and when nature, or 'god' takes over again the world will be a much, much, better place.

A. T. Wigglesworth

9:25 PM, Tuesday, 01 July 2008

I found this helpful, because I kind of gave up on thinking one person can change anything and wondering how much it really mattered anyway. I guess if life is about living for God, and acting eco-friendly really does make him cosmically grin, then it doesn't matter so much whether I can see the ice caps stop melting within the next 20 years or not.

Tim James

9:33 PM, Tuesday, 01 July 2008

Eco concerns, global warming, or the beginnings of the birth pains leading to the greatest destruction of the Earth ever, the great Tribulation and Armageddon? Like so many ants, we can so easilly get led away from the prime commission to win souls for God.....just wxactly what are we up to thinking we can alter the judgements upon the Earth that our generations are being ripenned for? The Kings wine press? As for warming, the Euphrates is goiung to dry up for the Kings from the East, an army of 200 million that China has recently boasted it can now deploy. When it is all over will we need cars ever again since all the roads will be trashed? Thank God instead because we will all be delivered from the power of the Prince of this world that led us into destroying so many animal species......do you not even understand that He is going to restore all the species He made for our joy when it is all over? What is it all leading to, the birth of what? The rule of God the Son over all the Nations under the absolute authority of absolute Monarchy [Zechariah 14] ......thank The Lord, no more elections! Political correctness or the glory of Israel? Which version of peace on Earth do you want?

Peter Bayliss

9:48 PM, Tuesday, 01 July 2008

Cat and a ashton have put it right. Even if JB is right ( and i doubt it ) it still is only too right that we take better control of all natural resourses, if not for ourselves but future generations. Or will Jesus return to an empty earth ?

janet k

10:11 PM, Tuesday, 01 July 2008

Nearly fourty years ago we moved into a flat with a very small uncared for, over weeded, barren garden. When we started using our kitchen waste as manure our christian fiends thought we were mad and this was uncivalised way to behave. We then moved on to our next home leaving a healthy blooming garden behind. In our present house we have a garden that has had niether artificial manure or pesticides used on it in over twenty years we rarely have green or black fly problems. We have birds, frogs, foxes and mice. We did have hedgehogs until a naighbour used slug bait. We recycle all we can though the local collectoions and two wormeries. When we started saying no to plastic bags we an others were in the minority, now we have been joined by many others. Over the years we believe we have made a difference. One step is the beginning of every journey.

Anne Hexter

11:43 PM, Tuesday, 01 July 2008

I stand with J Baker on this one. There is plenty of funding out there for those supporting global warming not any for those who dissent. It is a new religion. Yes God expects us to be careful about how we treat people and animals and think about the consequences of pollution but Christians are not thinking clearly on this and just following the crowd. If the world has been warming up for 150 years, we cannot stop it in a few. It would be better to think about how to help people live with the changes in climate rather than patting ourselves on the back because we changed our light bulbs while people are drowning from rising sea levels. When I was young we were told that fossil fuels would run out in 30 years and we were about to enter another mini ice age - so we turned off our excess lights and things just got hotter - magic!

James Bailey

9:17 AM, Wednesday, 02 July 2008

Although we do have a responsibilty to take care of the environent we need to balance that with the recognition that the earth is wearing out like a garment and will one day be replaced by a new heaven and a new earth. Let us do our bit but may we never make the environment our religion like so many outside of the church are doing. We have a call to the nations and the un-reached people groups of the earth. This will take a long time if we walk everywhere. We should do our best to care for the environment but we need to be confident that the gospel will be preached to every people group and only then will the end come come. God is not going to be caught out by the melting of galziers and rising sea levels.

J.Baker

10:42 AM, Wednesday, 02 July 2008

Just as I thought. None of your contributors has read the writers I mentioned - Nigel Lawson and David Bellamy. Of couorse we should live responsibly using God's creation for His glory. Having driven off the road in a London pea souper I'm glad the smog is no more. Is our carbon output the cause of climatic change, or is climatic change happening anyway due to other factors -even God as some suggest. While many environmental changes are desirable whatever, some could be socially and financially disastrous. We have to get this right. Think on please.

Don Gwillim

6:01 PM, Wednesday, 02 July 2008

God will make all things new but before that happens, the work we do on this earth, in this age, will be judged and have eternal significance. The 'Great Commission' is important but so is the command to follow Jesus by caring for the hungry, thirsty and sick. Christians who are prepared to risk the health and safety of the poor in order to maintain a selfish and greedy lifestyle would, by their actions, confirm what non-Christians have suspected all along; that we are no different then the rest of the world. On the other hand, Christians adopting a sustainable selfless lifestyle would be proclaiming a very powerful message; that as Christians, we are different and through our faith, we are prepared to follow the caring, non-violent teachings of Jesus Christ, here and now.