What Does Good Stewardship of the Earth Mean?

Mexdeaf..

No. I've had deer meat cooked by guys that know what they are doing. Deer jerky as well.

I just dont care for it. Give me beef or ham.

 

That barometer is cultural and subjective, like what constitutes long hair and what constitutes immodesty. But the fact that they're subjective doesn't mean we don't need to strive to adhere to them.

I don't think there's an objective line. Being a good steward is a process and an attitude, not an event.

 

I don't think there is any particular environmental standard even from a worldly perspective. There are extreme environmentalist who don't own cars, install solar panels and grow their own food and there is the average person trying to recycle and take more public transport. I don't see this rigid worldly environmental standard that you seem so concerned about.

I do see a lot of Christians who are opposed to environmentalism simply because it has traditionally been a political issue espoused by the left.

I agree with Johnv and others that stewardship of the earth is an attitude of obedience to scripture and not about meeting specific targets or standards just like any other spiritual act of obedience like prayer, offering, etc.

You initial question could just as easily have been, what does a good prayer life look like or how much is enough offering. Some people will be dogmatic about specific targets and we see where all the debates about the 10% thing get us.

In the end, I think you agree that good stewardship of the earth is a biblical principle found in several places in the bible. The concern should then be, so how can I do it and not worry about whose standard you are or are not meeting.

 

If you went back well before emancipation, there would also be very little talk by Christians about freeing slaves. Do we then say that emancipation was a worldly concept that Christians should avoid? In fact, that was the thought of Christians for some time before they realized that it was their Christian culture that was incorrect.

Same with environmentalism. It is the Christian/political culture that has been incorrect at seeing environmentalism as a secular/New Age thing to be avoided. Now Christians are realizing their Christian culture was wrong and that stewardship is a part of the Christian ethos that they were simply ignoring and avoiding because of their incorrect Christian culture.

It happens all the time. There are many problems with Christian culture that are unbiblical and have needed change in the past and still need change. Dress amongst women, approaches to divorce, views of racism, etc. I'm glad to see that the incorrect views of what scripture has to say about the creation stewardship are starting to fade amongst Christian cultural circles

 

The primary goal of recycling is diversion from landfill. It does not save energy but uses energy for this process. So yes it is more energy efficient to just dump everything into landfill and get more, bigger landfill sites that fill up faster. But the cost of not recycling is using up space for all that stuff that isn't recycled.

 

I don't think it is different at all.

You live in a democratic society so you indirectly vote on laws being enacted on the environment just like you indirectly vote on laws regarding your religious expression, finances and taxation issues with giving to charities. If there is a law that changes the way you can pray or give offering that you disagree with, you have the democratic ability to influence that law.

With regard to teaching, I'm not sure what unbiblical environmental ideas are taught and honestly cannot think of anything unless you had eco-terrorists teaching at your schools. But like teachings on religion, prayer and offering from church or school, you as a parent have a responsibility and an influence how your children respond to such teachings.

So I really don't see a difference at all between environmentalism and other religious concepts like prayer and offering.

 

This is patently false. Some of the earliest Christian writings condemn slavery.

 

I completely agree.

Maria discussing what was commonly talked about among Christian circles. While some Christians did condemn slavery, the common talk among Christian circles and Christian culture was not about condemning slavery before the ideas of emancipation came around.

I'm just debunking the idea that just because Christians didn't talk about it before, doesn't mean it is somehow wrong.