“The nations were angry; and your wrath has come. The time has come for judging the dead, and your saints and those who reverence your name, both small and great– and for destroying those who destroy the earth and for rewarding your servants the prophets”(Revelation 11:18).
Because there is so much controversy about global climate change in conservative evangelical circles, it seems like a risky issue to address here. But I’ll be the Guinea pig by telling you how I think about it. You be the judge about whether or not it’s a reasonable and biblically sound way to think.
To begin, let me say th
at I don’t consider any of the following to in any way be authorities on global warming: politicians (past or present), economists, preachers, news reporters, talk show hosts, Hollywood celebrities, parachurch ministry leaders, seminary professors, free-market libertarians, or scientists and publicists being paid by companies that stand to gain by either affirmation or denial of global warming. Not listening to them eliminates from my consideration most of those who are talking about it as though they were authorities.
Since it’s primarily a question of science, I choose to listen to earth scientists—and atmospheric and climate scientists in particular. But because there are behavioral issues suggested by whatever the science is telling us, when it comes to ethics in relationship to the global warming and its consequent climate change, I find it as close to ideal as possible to find and listen to the views of atmospheric scientists who share my view of Christian ethics. There are two individuals that I’ve chosen to listen to because they’re recognized and highly respected atmospheric scientists whose conclusions are carefully vetted by other such authorities, and they’re followers of Christ: Sir John Houghton former chief atmospheric scientist in the UK and Dr. Thomas Ackerman in the US. (Follow the links to their scientific conclusions and Christian views by clicking on their names. Also see John Houghton’s Wikipedia information here.)
[A new resource has become available since this article was first posted: A Climate For Change, a new book by climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe and her pastor husband, Andrew Farley. Katharine is both a follower of Christ and a member of the Academy of Sciences who contributed to the Nobel Prize winning report from the International Panel on Climate Change. Her scientific assessments appear sound and her writing style is smooth and easily grasped.]
From these individuals I get information that makes me conclude that global warming is happening, that worldwide human behavior is a major contributor to global warming, and that the general effects of global warming on God’s creation are and will continue to be far more negative than positive. So for me, that’s it.
Well, not quite. There’s a significant follow-up question: if global warming is happening and humans are a major cause, how must Christians then live? That’s not as easy a question to answer. What helps me with the answer, though, is the old story of the boy who was standing next to some authorities who were trying to figure out how to get a semi-trailer unstuck from an overpass that was two inches too low for it. They were considering cutting off the top of the truck, cutting out a section of girders, or even digging out the concrete below the overpass. Standing no more than wheel height, the boy tugged on the sleeve of an official and asked: “Why don’t you take some air out of the tires?” The “authorities” were thinkin
g of top-down and complex resolutions. The boy was looking at it bottom-up, where the solution was obvious.
My viewpoint on global warming and all other threats to the creation is similar. All sorts of internationally complex and controversial top-down “solutions” to the problem are being suggested. Further, vested interests with virtually unlimited amounts of cash are throwing all sorts of wrenches in the works. Debate rages and confusion reigns. So my bottom-up question is this: “Why don’t we each individually curb our unnecessary burning of fossil fuels (which we know pollutes the air), stop spewing other stuff into the air that we shouldn’t breathe, stop spreading on our soil stuff we shouldn’t eat, stop pouring into our water stuff we shouldn’t drink, cut back on our material consumption, live more simply, make some personal sacrifices in the use of transportation and energy, buy locally, and “reduce, recycle, and reuse”? If we did what we could down here by the “wheels,” there would be fewer upper-level problems to deal with. Ultimately the Copenhagen conference is about examining the standards of living of the industrialized world and about how the rich nations can help the poor ones.
The truth is that collectively our human habits are doing a lot of damage to God’s good creation. Whether these are directly, indirectly, or even related at all to global warming, lots of bad things are happening: the dying of the trees; the collapse of global fisheries; the disappearance of amphibians; the increase in human cancer, asthma, and allergies; vastly premature puberty in girls; loss of access to fresh water; alteration of ocean chemistry; heavy metal poisoning of marine mammals; and massive loss of biodiversity by human-caused extinctions of species made, cared for, and cherished by their Creator.
In my opinion, far too much human energy is spent on the big and complex debates, and not nearly enough on our just doing what we know is right and good for the creation. Who and what is “destroying the earth” referenced by the apostle John? We likely consider ourselves to be the saints who “reverence [God's] name.” But if we are also culpable in the destruction of the earth, what then? I don’t know about you, but that sobers me.
June 10th, 2009 at 2:39 pm
I’ve been one in the past to almost dismiss climate change due to all the hull-a-bull-u from media, politics, etc. but am thankful for your study of the subject and especially the papers from Houghton and Ackerman. They really do open eyes.
I was particularly struck by Dr. Ackerman’s comment that the conservative Christian community, or evangelicals mostly side with the deniers (must be partially why I was among the group).
For a subject that has massive ramifications, even for those who deny climate change, you would think we as a nation could get beyond our personal biases and look at the evidence and make appropriate responses. Your suggestions seem very sound. (From one who relates well to the young lad suggesting letting air out of tires).
Those of us who really care for the forests, rivers, or wherever we happen to care for should be together in this and help to be part of the solution.
Keep us posted. You’re doing a good job.
Bob
June 11th, 2009 at 7:41 am
Dean, I am not a scientist nor am I an author or expert on the subject of “Global Warming”.
However I do have an opinion. My opinion is based on life experiance, scientific reading and common sense.
I am a weather observer for the National Weather Service. Not only do I keep a daily record of weather activity, but have access to records as far back as weather observation has been recorded for my area. There is no evidence of radical weather changes in the limited time we have been recording data.
Let me begin by saying that it is obvious that the earth has been warming since the last Ice Age. Otherwise we would never have recovered from the frozen climate the world was locked in.
The scientific community is divided on what factors cause extreem world wide weather changes. There is no solid agreement. There also is very little actual information available to be able to make a scientific factual conclusion.
There is no doubt that man effects the world we live in and most often negitively.
But the scientists I speak with at the Sterling VA Office of the National Weather Service
do not believe in the Global Warming issue as represented in the news media. Nor do I.
The bigger question is do I believe in “Creation” or “planetary evolution”.
As a creationist I can accept the Biblical view of the earth being only several thousand years old.
Science disagrees and places earth at mega millions of years old.
Which do you believe?
June 11th, 2009 at 10:49 am
Hi Steve,
Thanks for your reply. You will note from my post that I have shut my ears to the great majority of people who offer opinions on global warming. In fact, I have discovered that most working meteorologists in the Grand Rapids whose opinions I have heard are global warming deniers. So I have simply chosen to listen to two individuals who are near the top in the field of atmospheric science, Ackerman and Houghton. I am trusting them as both authorities and followers of Christ to give me their honest assessment. So I will not attempt to address the issues you bring up. I defer to them. Have you read their views by following their links? Ackerman in particular speaks about the way creationism interacts with climate change issues. We have decided on this forum that we will not take up the issue of creationism vs. Darwinianism. There are zillions of sites that do that. If you want to read the RBC position on it, please go our booklet on the topic at this URL: Genesis Account
Thanks,
Dean
June 12th, 2009 at 7:18 am
Dean, I did read the entire lecture Sir John Houghton gave as per your link, and am reading the 15 page article wrote by Dr Thomas ackerman. Both are very tough reads and nothing new.
I must admit Dean I don’t understand why you would bring up a subject on a blog and then not want to discuss it.
I am sorry that you are not open to listen to disenting opinions, this is how we learn.
I see God in all of creation, I see God in all science. I see him because I look for him.
I have read RBC’s booklets on Creation. I am not ashamed to admit I believe in a 6 day creation. I don’t care how I am thought of by other’s, especialy scientists. I would rather be God’s fool than a fool to man’s imaginings.
June 12th, 2009 at 10:47 am
Steve, as I see it, global warming is a matter of science, not theology or economics or politics. It is neither a conservative nor a liberal issue. It’s about the way things are. If I suffered symptoms of cancer and wanted to deal with it, I would not listen to anyone but the best oncologists—regardless of dissenting opinions from people from all other disciplines (which on global warming I have listened to). I brought the subject up because it is so big in conservative circles–but only to say how I view it, and to introduce Sir John Houghton, whom I know, and Dr. Thomas Ackerman, whom I don’t know. These men are both evangelical Christians and a couple of top atmospheric scientists in the world. Hence I have chosen to listen to them, just like I would have to eventually listen to one or two oncologists if I had cancer and was compelled to deal with it. One reason for introducing them is to counter the impression that somehow all global warming science is conducted by humanist crackpots. You say that their statements provide nothing new. Perhaps that’s because they are reviewing scientific studies that have gone on for decades. Your implication, as I hear it, is that unless they counter the prevailing scientific conclusion, their views are not worth listening to.
I can understand the depth of your feeling about the creation/evolution issue, but I don’t think you grasp the unkindness of your final statement that implies all followers of Christ who do not hold your view are fools to “man’s imaginings.” It is that sort of emotional rhetoric that we want to avoid on this forum; hence, a major reason why that issue is not one of Wonder of Creation’s topics.
December 14th, 2009 at 6:21 am
Thanks, Dean, for the wisdom you share here. I find it helpful. This is such a hot, contentious subject, made even more so now by what happened in November. Speaking of Faith yesterday, had an excellent program with Bill McKibben which I found helpful.