(Part 2 of 5)

Thanks to science, the past millennium has brought untold blessings our way. We live, longer, healthier, happier, healthier lives than our ancestors.

However, many citizens are concerned about science becoming a curse to the environment, humanity and nature rather than a blessing. While it is clear that we have a moral necessity of becoming good stewards of our ecology, the big concern is:  How? Whose in control!

Danger Number One: Extremists                           

Many observers view the environmental problem being man himself.  We are greedy consumers and polluters and not wise producers and stewards. This mind-set would like to convince us that “nature knows best” and that the great polluter, man should just keep his unsanitized hands of f of it and leave it alone. This romanticizing and deifying of nature is what concerns me the most.  Its danger is that it puts the environment above humanity itself.

Contrary to these deeply strained points of view the Bible has a long-standing and different point of view.

  1. Men and women were created in the image of God and commanded by him to “have dominion over…all the earth,” and all that is within it.
  2. By disobeying God’s Law, man brought upon himself a morally and physically corrupt environment;  and the good earth became a cursed earth Since the  Fall man has further defiled his environment
  3. God has not abandoned man in his fallen state; neither has He cancelled His command to have dominion over all the earth, to enhance its beauty and bring forth beautiful things from it.
  4. As Evangelicals we aspire to produce an environment where primarily human beings are cared for and treat one another as God’s creatures; and secondarily that we treat our physical environment as a gift from God for our common good.
  5. We aspire for an environment where advancements in fishing and farming and finances and industry etc minimize pollution and improve the material conditions of life for all.

Though the pollution of our environment is a near and present danger and in some cases intractable; it is not like molten lava is running down the mountain on all sides and all is lost.  It is not an imminent danger that threatens to annihilate the entire American nation as some Thomas Malthus environmentalist doomists would have us believe. Like him they are dead wrong. The Bible is our Modus Operandi, our Manufacturer’s Guide and not the perverted logic of secularist faith.

Danger Number 2:  Government Control (Statism, Big Brother)

As some politicians say, “Never waste a crisis.” I must admit this Machiavellian proverb shivers my timbers.  It gives socialistic politicians ammunition to belie the evidence, stoke our fears and increase the iron grip of Big Brother. It is as dangerous as “the end justifies the means,” philosophy; which means ‘whatever it takes;” which means not what we ought to do but whatever we would like to do. This is how government   imposes upon us further draconian regulations that we are gasping for breath under right now.

If man is merely a consumer than the fewer the better and let the government-run our planet as if it were a mere animal farm, and they are our zoo keepers. But if we are created of God than let us be free to live our lives as we individually please respecting each other’s inalienable rights believing that we have the creativity to meet the challenge when it comes. Remember radical-alarmist Thomas Malthus 200 years ago was dead wrong as it was mans’ genius in technology that met the population increase. We are not mere animals who feel no moral obligations to each other, who live on all fours inhaling the wind and sniffing the ground; we are quantitatively different,  we are human beings who stand upright on our own two feet who can lift up their hands to God in praise becausein His image’ we were created. We do not have a population problem but only the perception of one.

We must be as aware as a jealous spouse of those environmental, pantheistic activists who put spotted owls and kangaroo rats above people. Why should loggers and farmers and much-needed energy pipe lines be sacrificed for their habitat? Only when things are destroyed for no good purpose is such a thing wrong.  Why cannot they be moved to a new habitat or a new one made for them? We have the expertise; and if some are lost in the shuffle, it’s the greater good of man that justifies the issue.

We are told in scripture to be fruitful and multiply and conquer the earth and not to be overly sentimental about nature which is harsh and unforgiving if we do not tame it.. The earth is not perfect and needs the finishing touch of man.  God sends the sun and the rain but man must harrow and harvest the earth.  He has given us all things to enjoy.”

The mountain of  data about carbon monoxide and global warming and melting icecaps and ultra-violet rays punching hole through the ozone layer, rogue meteorites and rising tides that threaten life on planet earth  as we know it is too  unpredictable to get all tied up in a knot about. There are some things that just cannot be fixed at this time and you just have to find your peace in God.

Only One of Two Answers

It all depends on how you answer the question; How did humans get here? It’s either God or Chance (secularism.)  There is no rock solid ground to stand upon between the two. It’s either   a personal, benevolent, loving creator, or   an unguided process of materialistic evolution that converted primitive protoplasm into us. Only, if you can believe that it is possible to win the biggest lottery in America a billion times in a row could the last answer make sense. People who say they believe in such odds wouldn’t make the wager in a winner take all situation. Those of us who believe in divine laws laid down by an all-wise God feel comfortable believing that He is in ultimate control and that we are of infinite value in His sight and should not be sacrificed for the sake of nature.”The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof.”  If there is no God we certainly have no infinite value; and instead of being a little bit lower than the angels we are mere specimens on a par with animals. Most people wouldn’t give a tinker’s cuss about the future of a world that was caused by no more than an accidental big-bang, where war and suffering and injustice are so prevalent, while we are sinking into a toxic tide; if they did not see a greater divine purpose behind it all. This understanding of nature is sickening to the core.

In light of the facts, let us be good stewards of our planet.  God is still in control!

 The Best Is Yet To Be!

Pastor Bob

 To be Continued…