Click to read Notable Signers of “An Evangelical Declaration On Global Warming”
As governments consider policies to fight alleged man-made global warming, evangelical leaders have a responsibility to be well informed, and then to speak out. A Renewed Call to Truth, Prudence, and Protection of the Poor: An Evangelical Examination of the Theology, Science, and Economics of Global Warming demonstrates that many of these proposed policies would destroy jobs and impose trillions of dollars in costs to achieve no net benefits. They could be implemented only by enormous and dangerous expansion of government control over private life. Worst of all, by raising energy prices and hindering economic development, they would slow or stop the rise of the world’s poor out of poverty and so condemn millions to premature death.
- We believe Earth and its ecosystems—created by God’s intelligent design and infinite power and sustained by His faithful providence —are robust, resilient, self-regulating, and self-correcting, admirably suited for human flourishing, and displaying His glory. Earth’s climate system is no exception. Recent global warming is one of many natural cycles of warming and cooling in geologic history.
- We believe abundant, affordable energy is indispensable to human flourishing, particularly to societies which are rising out of abject poverty and the high rates of disease and premature death that accompany it. With present technologies, fossil and nuclear fuels are indispensable if energy is to be abundant and affordable.
- We believe mandatory reductions in carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions, achievable mainly by greatly reduced use of fossil fuels, will greatly increase the price of energy and harm economies.
- We believe such policies will harm the poor more than others because the poor spend a higher percentage of their income on energy and desperately need economic growth to rise out of poverty and overcome its miseries.
- We deny that Earth and its ecosystems are the fragile and unstable products of chance, and particularly that Earth’s climate system is vulnerable to dangerous alteration because of minuscule changes in atmospheric chemistry. Recent warming was neither abnormally large nor abnormally rapid. There is no convincing scientific evidence that human contribution to greenhouse gases is causing dangerous global warming.
- We deny that alternative, renewable fuels can, with present or near-term technology, replace fossil and nuclear fuels, either wholly or in significant part, to provide the abundant, affordable energy necessary to sustain prosperous economies or overcome poverty.
- We deny that carbon dioxide—essential to all plant growth—is a pollutant. Reducing greenhouse gases cannot achieve significant reductions in future global temperatures, and the costs of the policies would far exceed the benefits.
- We deny that such policies, which amount to a regressive tax, comply with the Biblical requirement of protecting the poor from harm and oppression.
In light of these facts,
- We call on our fellow Christians to practice creation stewardship out of Biblical conviction, adoration for our Creator, and love for our fellow man—especially the poor.
- We call on Christian leaders to understand the truth about climate change and embrace Biblical thinking, sound science, and careful economic analysis in creation stewardship.
- We call on political leaders to adopt policies that protect human liberty, make energy more affordable, and free the poor to rise out of poverty, while abandoning fruitless, indeed harmful policies to control global temperature.
While our signatures express our endorsement only of this Declaration and do not imply agreement with every point in A Renewed Call to Truth, we believe that document provides ample justification for it. We call on scholars and experts to join us in signing this Evangelical Declaration on Global Warming.
Bruce C. Atwood says
Once the Earth was flat.
Once the Earth was the center of the Solar System.
Once the Earth was “admirably suited for human flourishing, and displaying His glory.…“
Now, it looks like man is warming it up.
“… let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth,….” (Genesis 1.26)
Steven Snellback says
Wingnuts. Plain and simple. God gave Man dominion over the Earth. “synonyms: supremacy, ascendancy, dominance, domination, superiority, predominance, preeminence, hegemony, authority, mastery, control, command, power, sway, rule, government, jurisdiction, sovereignty,”
Do you see anywhere in the synonyms for Dominion that include, Waste, destroy, loot, sack, ruin, soil, pollute, spoil or make uninhabitable? I doubt the Creators intent when giving man control of the Earth was for us to take a precious gift and like irresponsible children ruin if for our own short term pleasure. Dominion implies responsibility. In simple words, don’t excrete in the bowl from which you eat.
Skyler Thomas says
Well done, sir.
Skyler Thomas says
You modern-day “Trump Christians” are the most disgusting of the slime. Of course it is you people who chose to accept the multiple translations of Genesis to instead of saying “stewardship of the earth” to “subdue the earth” or “have dominion over the earth”. And of course “dominion” means to exploit and destroy.
Of course, it is you people who choose to ignore Jesus’s teachings of giving up your earthly possessions, to not pursue earthly treasures. It is you people who instead of heeding the Bible’s warning of not loving money, use your pursuit of the almighty dollar as your primary excuse to destroy God’s creations.
Of course it is you fake Christians who claim that we don’t have to behave in a responsible way. Just act like spoiled children. Sin sin sin! God will forgive. God will take care of everything. That is NOT what the Bible teaches. The Bible does not say to take advantage of God’s grace. We are not to test the Lord. We are not to waive our hands of any responsibility our actions have.
And again, what is the real reason all these people are making excuses not to take better care of the planet? Money. No one truly thinks mining is wonderful. No one truly thinks blowing the tops off mountains is a beautiful thing. No one thinks oil spills are healthy. No one really thinks the disappearance of all the wondrous biodiversity on this planet is great. But, just so you don’t have to change., just so you don’t have to lose a dime, you will kill God’s creations and pretend he wanted you to do it.
Sounds like we found where Satan is hiding to me. In today’s churches.