Merritt, Gushee: On creation care, evangelicals must move toward 'we'

It's certainly consistent with Jesus' command to "do unto others as you would have them do to you". That's why I don't leave my trash behind, and if I see someone else's trash, I try to pick it up for them.

 

A side note: I never realized how much Jonathan Merritt looked like James. You can see the resemblance all over his face.

 

Good article, even coming from Associate Baptist Press. It is important for each of us to take our part in caring for the creation we have been stewarded. In fact I will continue to suggest that creation care is a biblical mandate.

Being consistent and effective stewards of our creation on an individual Christian level will add to the global perspective. We glorify God by caring rightly for His creation.

 

Man was not made for the earth. The earth was made for man. We are not it's stewards, we are its lords. We subdue it to meet our needs. There is no such thing as "pristine" wilderness. (All one needs to do is spend some time in the wilderness to know that.)

Jungles? Bulldoze them. Turn the land into something useful.

Rivers? Dam them.

Deserts? Irrigate them.

Mountains? Blast them.

Valleys? Fill them.

Coal? Burn it.

Oil? Refine it.

Land? Own it. Rule it. It is only in the private ownership of land that Liberty has any foundation.

Now to the O.P. . . .Poppycock! For the Christian, it is not "me" or "we," but Christ.

 

It is a good idea to be a good steward; it should not be mandated. Otherwise, that's legalism. There is a lot of legalism in the environmental movement. Children are already brainwashed on Earth Day and think you are evil if you throw a bottle in the trash instead of recycle it. The attitudes are very oppressive.

I've already been through all this before as a New Ager, starting in the late 70s and going through the 80s. The Christians are johnny-come-latelys. The New Agers were the first avid environmentalists and the first ones to call everyone to care for the earth (and beyond that). So been there, done that. I think we have to be careful about this issue or it will draw us away from the gospel.

And as I've said numerous times, eating meat contributes to a lot of the bad stuff in the environment (1 lb. of meat takes something like 5,000 gallons of water to produce), and is more wasteful of the land than crops, but I know most people will not give that up. Since I don't eat meat, I am a better steward, according to environmentalists, than those who do. So if we're going to let the environmentalists set the agenda, then you better be ready for their suggestions and rules.

http://www.goveg.com/environment-wastedResources-water.asp


Of course, the meat industry has their own stats, which is to be expected.

Usually when I post these kind of remarks, I get lambasted. I am not saying people should be vegetarians; I am saying that some environmentalists are saying this. The issue is, where do we draw the line? There is no line in caring for the earth - that's the problem, imo.

 

Wow, this is literally one of the most anti-biblical posts I've seen around here...and that is saying a lot!

 

Don't be attaching the Gospel to your paganistic "steward the earth" idolatry. Christians worship and serve the Creator, not His creation.

 

This is not a very Christian way to think. For starters, what if we use up natural reasons to the extent that future generations didn't have those? That would be very selfish and sinful.

It is true that the earth was made for man. That is even more reason for us to be good stewards to what God has lovingly entrusted us with. Another thing is that God will redeem His creation at His Second Coming. One point that the Rev. Dr. Barbara Rossing, a Lutheran theologian and New Testament scholar, makes in her book The Rapture Exposed is that the fundies have fallen into a borderline Gnosticism, to wit: that the material world is evil and must be escaped. That is the opposite of the biblical message.

 

This is the most incredible post I've ever read on the BB. You have made Christianity subservient to rampaging Capitalism. If you truly believe this pile of garbage, then I suspect that there are some folks who would like to talk to you about some lake front property in Roane County, Tennessee, where the TVA liquid ash lake ruptured and flooded a large portion of the county. Rivers, creeks, houses, farmland, and private property, were ruined for the foreseeable future. It sounds like your kind of place. :BangHead:

Tim Reynolds

 

That land doesn't sound useful to me. Reread my post.

 

No bu they need to take what you said to an extreme to support their liberal position. That is what liberals do.

 

Good point. Like anythign else, it's a matter of the heart first and foremost.

On the flip side, we shouldn't be of the mentality that it's okay just to toss somethign in the trash. In many restaurants, there are now recycling bins next to the trash bins, and they're clearly marked. And still, some people mindlessly toss everything in the trash. That's sheer laziness.

So what? Even a broken clock is right twice a day. Just because New Agers place importance on environmental responsibility does not mean that Christians should avoid it.

 

And has it really been proven that recycling helps? That it doesn't cause more pollution? Some argue that recycling causes more pollution than it saves due to exhaust fumes from recycling trucks, the industry that recycles, etc. Not everyone thinks recycling is great.

But it does mean we should be careful, which is what I said. I made the point that there is no end to caring about the earth - there is no cut-off point. It goes on and on.

We create waste by virtue of being alive and creation is in a degenerative state. We can't make everything pristine again. I am not saying we shouldn't care but at the same time, there is no hard science on what should be done, or how far we should go, either.

 

Or that there is any real need to worry about it.

 

Let me ask it this way, Reverend: is it not selfish if we leave the environment in worse shape in that it may cause issues for future generations?

 

I reject the premise of the question. There are abuses by companies and the like but current everyday use of the average Americans is of no consequence.

 

Okay, then what, if anything should we be doing as individuals?

One thing I should point out is that while none of us as individuals do any consequential damage, once you add up everyone's usage, it adds up to issues of environmental concern.

 

No it doesn't

 

JohnV...

Agree completly

We have a $50 fine for littering in this area.

The fine should be $500...or maybe $1000.

One paper cup comes flying out your window....its $1000 or jail time.


When God told us (Adam) to tend...take care of...this beautiful earth He created for us, He meant it.


And no....I'm not a "liberal". I am a proud (in the good sense), card carrying conservative Baptist evangelical.

 

Littering does no damage to the environment.