Christianity and the Environment

Or how we should we treat Creation?

The environment is the biggest issue of our age. Technology has reached the stage where we are capable of doing massive damage to the world on which we live. Scientists are as near to unanimous as they get that we are, in fact, doing immense damage to the environment. Climate Change, also known as Global Warming, is happening, and is thought to be responsible for much of the extreme weather seen over the last couple of decades. The tropical rainforests are being chopped down at an amazing rate. Nuclear power plants are generating waste that will remain toxic for millions of years. Species are dying out at a rate that is unprecedented. Many natural resources are being used up at a rate that is unsustainable over the long term. The question of how we, as Christians, should respond to all of this is, however, not much talked about.

The vast majority of Western Christians seem to form their opinions about the issue on the same basis as non-Christians. They may be scared by the picture that is often drawn of how our lifestyle will leave the world a terrible place for our grandchildren to grow up, and start changing their lifestyle accordingly. Alternatively, they may be so fond of material comforts that they either dismiss and ignore the warnings, or find ways to justify their environmental damage. It should go without saying that either attitude - fear or materialism - is ungodly. So what should we think about environmental issues?

The "Anti-Green" Approach

Some groups of Christians have come up with a theology that says that environmental damage doesn't matter. They start with Genesis 1.28, where God tells the first humans to be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground." They interpret this verse to mean that God has given us permission to use the Earth and everything on and in it for our own purposes. According to them, we have a right to whatever we want to the environment.

This approach is supplemented by a certain approach to eschatology (the theology of the future). The Bible is crystal clear that Jesus will return, and make new heavens and a new Earth (see Revelation 21.1), although some believe that the new Earth will, in fact, be the current one re-made. The "anti-green" approach says that because this Earth will not last, because it will be replaced (or re-made), and because the second coming will be soon, then there is no reason to care about the damage we may do to the planet. This view could, conceivably, be taken to the extreme of saying that environmental damage will hasten the second coming because many of the disasters portrayed in the book of Revelation resemble some of the predictions that are being made about the effects of environmental damage.

"Green" Theology

There is, however, an alternative approach to building a theology of the environment. There are two main arguments made for why Christians in particular should care about environmental damage. One is a theological argument, the other a practical argument that it should follow on from our concern for the poor. There is also a third - less important - argument, about the nature of creation.

Stewardship

The Stewardship argument goes back to Genesis 1.28, as quoted above. Whilst "anti-green" theology interprets this verse as a license to do what we want to the environment, the Stewardship interpretation is that it is, in fact, a command to take proper care of the environment. The essential meaning of Genesis 1.28 is clearly that God is putting us - the human race - in charge of His creation, the environment. Now, the argument goes, if God has given us the responsibility of being in charge of the environment, surely He will hold us accountable for how we treat it. The parable of the Talents (Matthew 25.14-30) is a good illustration of that principle. The parable tells how a master - clearly intended to represent God - gives his servants varying amounts of money to look after whilst he goes off on a journey. When he comes back, he holds them accountable for what they have done with that money and rewards those who have made it grow, and punishes the one who has hidden it in the ground. Obviously, if this principle applies to the command of Genesis 1.28, then the first commandment that God ever gave implicitly included a duty to look after the environment.

Helping the Poor

If you don't think that Christianity means having a particular concern for the poor, then you clearly haven't read the Bible. However, you may not have thought that environmental issues had anything to do with the poor. People who have been working in the fields of poverty reduction (particularly in poor countries) and environmental protection have, over the last few decades, increasingly come to see their work as strongly related. It seems obvious that poverty reduction cannot last if it destroys the local environment upon which the poor so often depend, and environmental protection cannot be effective if the local poor believe that they can improve their lot by destroying the parts of the environment which you are seeking to protect.

However, there are a number of other major links between the two. Environmental destruction hurts the poor most of all, and poverty can lead to people being forced to damage their local environment. If the rainforest is cut down, the tribes that live there loose their livelihood. If the soil is damaged, the rich farmer can buy fertiliser whilst the poor farmer will be unable to grow enough to feed his family, and you can safely bet your annual salary that toxic waste will never be dumped in an area populated by rich people. Natural disasters, which scientists predict will increase with global warming, affect the poor the worst. When they hit a rich country, there is usually a lot of property damage, but relatively few people die. When they hit a poor country, the reverse is true. And, of course, poor people are more likely to live in disaster areas, because they have less choice about where to live. All this is true both within and between countries.

Another link between the two issues is that many of the causes are related. Campaigners from and for what is sometimes called "the developing world" often target the unethical actions of big business, the international trade laws, and the organisations which enforce them, and so do environmental campaigners. The things that keep people in poverty are often the very same things that are damaging the environment. Obviously there are some examples where a change that would benefit the poor will damage the environment, and vice versa, but it is remarkable how much the politics of those aiming to reducing or eliminate poverty and those aiming to preserve the environment coincide.

The Argument from Creation

The Bible is unambiguous about what it thinks of creation. Genesis 1.31 says "God saw all that He had made and it was very good." This sentiment is repeated numerous times throughout the Bible, particularly in the Psalms - where creation is a reason to praise God. The natural implication of this on our attitude to creation is that something which God says is good surely has to be worth preserving, rather than ruining.

This attitude should be heightened for those Christians who are Creationists (whether they are Old-Earth or Young-Earth Creationists). After all, if you believe in Evolution, then species becoming extinct is all part of the way nature works. You might be a little bit concerned about the rate of extinctions, but there would be no reason to see extinction as a problem per se. Similarly, Evolution views major changes to the environment as part of the natural order. You may be concerned that it will hurt your own species or have an impact on your own life, if it happens rapidly enough, but that's all. However, for the Creationist (particularly the Young Earth Creationist), such things are not natural at all, they are simply humans spoiling God's creation.

So what should Christians do?

Assuming you've agreed that the Green Theology outlined above is a Biblical approach, how should Christians respond to environmental issues? Firstly, our response must not be out of fear for the future. God is, ultimately, in control of the entire Universe. Whether we wreck the environment or not, Jesus will return and there will be a new heaven and a new Earth, and God will provide for His people in the meantime.

Secondly, we should look at our own actions. Environmental campaign organisations will be able to point out all sorts of ways to reduce our environmental impact. It may not be possible to do everything, but you can at least do something. Something as simple as replacing your lightbulbs with energy-saving ones, switching off the TV when you're not watching it, or turning down the heating in winter can both help the environment and save you money. There are also lifestyle choices. Do you really need a gas-guzzling 4x4/SUV? Do you need to use a car at all when there's public transport available? Do you really need to fly somewhere? When you're buying a big electrical appliance, do you think about energy efficiency? Just starting to think in those kind of terms will make a difference.

Thirdly, we can let it affect our politics. This doesn't necessarily mean you need to actively campaign on green issues. Simply making sure that they affect the way you vote in elections (and letting the candidates know) is enough. Governments can make a big difference to our impact on the environment. However, they are very slow to act - partly because they tend to put economic growth (i.e. remaining rich for now) ahead of protecting the environment (which will, of course, ensure it's possible to be rich in the future), partly because of lobby groups like the oil industry with vested interests in preventing "green" legislation (such groups put an awful lot of money into funding political parties), and partly because they don't believe that it will win them many votes. Obviously letting politicians know that you care will push them that bit further towards policies and laws that will help protect God's creation rather than help to destroy it.

Fourthly, and most importantly, we must not let environmental issues take our focus off of Jesus. It is possible to get so heavily into environmental issues that your faith, your relationship with God, takes second place. Yes, make an effort to be responsible in how you impact the environment, but make more of an effort to get to know God better, to worship Him, and to spread the gospel. Doing that will have an eternal impact which outlasts whatever damage humanity may or may not wreak on God's creation.