The environment is again an important election issue. Some candidates have claimed religious support for their views, but there is no single “Christian” perspective on the environment. It is a question of fact and prudence, not theology. We all have a stake in a healthy environment. God gave humanity dominion over the earth and called us to be good stewards of his creation. But he gave us no particular policy agenda. Rather, we must work together to balance environmental protection, economic … [Read more...]
Global Warming: Why Evangelicals Should Not Be Alarmed
An annotated, PDF version of this article is available for Download. In a documentary aired August 23, 2007, by CNN and titled “God’s Warriors,” Richard Cizik, vice president for governmental affairs of the National Association of Evangelicals, said about evangelicals who disagree with his urgent appeals for action to fight global warming: Historically, evangelicals have reasoned like this: Scientists believe in evolution. Scientists are telling us climate change is real. Therefore, I won’t … [Read more...]
Alma’s Mater
Originally Published in Touchstone, A Journal of Mere Christianity “Peace and justice” Christians are insistent in telling us they do not wish to move away from the protection of unborn life when they point to other social issues. They simply seek to “expand” Christian social witness from the “Religious Right’s” narrow focus on abortion and marriage to the full range of life issues. We’re not pro-abortion, they assure us. It’s just that we believe that life doesn’t begin at conception and end … [Read more...]
NAE, or Cizik, off course
Originally Published in Focus on the Family Citizen, July, 2007 Richard Cizik is no stranger to controversy. As vice president of government affairs for the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE), Cizik has generated plenty of headlines — and cries of protest from fellow believers — for his increasingly caustic comments on what he sees as human-caused global warming. But Cizik staked out new territory on the topic in early April, when he spoke at a daylong global-warming conference … [Read more...]
Scientific Orthodoxies, Politicized Science, and Catastrophic Global Warming: Challenges to Evangelicals Navigating Rough Waters in Science and Policy
Click here to download the full paper. The year 2006 has seen a major division among evangelicals over a strange, multifaceted issue: whether human action is causing potentially catastrophic global warming and what, if anything, should be done about it. That division quite possibly had enormous political consequences in the mid-term elections just completed, contributing to both diminished voter turnout among evangelicals and a decline in their support for Republican candidates from 75 percent … [Read more...]
Fact Sheet: Evangelicals Should be Wary of the Politicization and Bad Science of Global Warming Alarmism
Download the Fact Sheet In recent months, the news has carried a spate of stories about Christians embracing the cause of global warming. These news stories highlight some evangelical leaders who have endorsed alarmist claims in their public statements, urged political action on climate change, and even screened Al Gore’s movie, An Inconvenient Truth, in their churches. It’s no surprise that some politicians are welcoming converts to the cause on the eve of national elections, or that the … [Read more...]
A Call to Truth, Prudence, and Protection of the Poor: An Evangelical Response to Global Warming
A Call to Truth, Prudence, and Protection of the Poor (PDF) An Open Letter to the Signers of Climate Change an Evangelical Call to Action and Others Concerned About Global Warming (PDF) As evangelicals, we commend those who signed the Evangelical Climate Initiative’s “Climate Change: An Evangelical Call to Action” for speaking out on a public issue of ethical concern. We share the same Biblical world view, theology, and ethics. We are motivated by the same deep and genuine concern they express … [Read more...]
An Open Letter to the Signers of “Climate Change: An Evangelical Call To Action” and Others Concerned About Global Warming
“They only asked us to remember the poor–the very thing I was eager to do.” –The Apostle Paul, Galatians 2:10 To read the full letter including endorsements click: An Open Letter to the Signers of Climate Change an Evangelical Call to Action and Others Concerned About Global Warming. To see a list of signers categorized by expertise, click here. Widespread media reports tell of a scientific consensus that: the world is presently experiencing unprecedented global warming; the main cause … [Read more...]
ISA Announces Launch of Cornwall Network at Senate Luncheon
Dr. E. Calvin Beisner addresses the crowd at the "Pulpits, Pews and Environmental Policy: How the Cornwall Declaration is helping define the mandate of Biblical stewardship" luncheon briefing. Before a packed room in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on April 19th, 2006, the Interfaith Stewardship Alliance (ISA), in conjunction with the Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty, and the Institute on Religion and Democracy, hosted a special Capitol Hill luncheon briefing entitled … [Read more...]
ISA Announces Launch of Cornwall Network at Senate Luncheon – Weitz
My name is Ralph Weitz, Stewardship Pastor for Immanuel Bible Church in Springfield, VA. I have a degree in Forest Technology and a degree in Forest Management. As an evangelical pastor I take seriously the issue of God’s command to subdue and rule over the earth. It is a divine responsibility – a stewardship. That word reflects a responsibility of management. The religious community needs environmentally aware study materials that are sound scientifically and biblically insightful. We need to … [Read more...]
