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As a community of committed Christians, Restoring Eden is deeply concerned about the degradation of God’s creation and the ‘least of these’ in peril around the world as a result of greenhouse gas pollution and the impacts of climate change. We accept our responsibility to examine our own generation’s role in pursuing solutions and to consider the impact of our lives upon the earth and humanity.
This is God’s world and the call for creation care in the Bible is plain to us.
We’ve grown up understanding the importance of stewardship of life and resources. But we are distressed at what seems to be unremitting and sometimes even irreversible signs of degradation of the world that God entrusted to us.
We see this as an assault on our future.
In Genesis we read of God’s covenant ‘with me and you and every living creature that is with you for all generations to come.” (Gen 9:12 NIV) Indeed, solving the climate change crisis is an international responsibility. As such, Restoring Eden is launching the JUSTpower campaign to bring focus on climate change and to affirm the other Christians and leaders who have taken a stand on this. We are planting a flag to proclaim our own willingness to act and call on those Christians and leaders who have not yet spoken to join us. We are the future leaders of the church and will pass the future to our children’s children.
We need the bold leadership and action today to ensure a secure tomorrow.
This is God’s world and the call for creation care in the Bible is plain to us.
We’ve grown up understanding the importance of stewardship of life and resources. But we are distressed at what seems to be unremitting and sometimes even irreversible signs of degradation of the world that God entrusted to us.
We see this as an assault on our future.
In Genesis we read of God’s covenant ‘with me and you and every living creature that is with you for all generations to come.” (Gen 9:12 NIV) Indeed, solving the climate change crisis is an international responsibility. As such, Restoring Eden is launching the JUSTpower campaign to bring focus on climate change and to affirm the other Christians and leaders who have taken a stand on this. We are planting a flag to proclaim our own willingness to act and call on those Christians and leaders who have not yet spoken to join us. We are the future leaders of the church and will pass the future to our children’s children.
We need the bold leadership and action today to ensure a secure tomorrow.
Seven Reasons Why Christians Should Care About Climate Change
1. There is overwhelming evidence that climate change is real and will become increasing deadly. As informed Christians, we believe there clear and overwhelming evidence that the world’s climate is changing and that greenhouse gas pollution and climate change will pose a grave danger to our own and future generations. We recognize the scientific models, increasing in accuracy as more data and better models are tested, and the peer-reviewed scientific conclusions, shows a relentless increase in greenhouse gas pollution. The evidence is overwhelming. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the worlds most authoritative body of scientists and policy experts, has been studying climate change since the 1980’s. It has documented the steady rise in global temperatures and projects that the average global temperature will continue to rise. They also attribute most of the greenhouse gas pollution to be human caused. We do not need absolute scientific certainty to see the wisdom in decreasing our reliance on polluting carbon sources of energy. Since there is enough evidence that our present actions will impact humanity’s future well-being, we must take precautionary and preventative action. With our future health and habitat at stake, the burden of proof lies with those who believe we can afford to wait. We contend that there is no moral argument for putting conspicuous consumption and reckless pollution above care for creation.
2. We believe care for the poor and for all of God’s creation is a sacred moral duty for all Christ followers. If the Earth’s systems are in danger as a result of climate change, as the evidence indicates, Christians therefore, have a sacred and moral duty to lead the fight to protect our earthly home for both love of God and love of our neighbor. This is living out the great commandment. First and foremost, this is a moral crisis. If we are not willing to alter our actions, climate change impacts are likely to kill millions of people as a result of more severe droughts, ferocious disasters and enhanced breeding grounds for diseases like malaria and dengue fever. The most severely impacted will be the poor. Jesus calls us to care for the least of these. (Matt 25:40). Climate change will impact most heavily upon the poor, the most vulnerable and the least prepared to face rising sea levels, heat waves, droughts and floods.
The principles of stewardship and prudence require that we take action now. Proverbs 3:27 “Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act.” Care for the poor and vulnerable has always been where we see our Christian faith most deeply expressed (James 1:27). As such, we declare that creation care is one of the high priorities for Christians.
3. We commit ourselves to living in a way that honors God, cares for people and preserves God’s creation. We admit that strong efforts to decrease the impacts of climate change begin with each of us personally, and we commit to pursuing personal and community lifestyles and habits that will honor the Lord, serve others and ourselves, and to protect water, air and natural resources as stewards of what God has entrusted to us.
Specifically, we intend to reduce the amount of energy we use through our daily lives. Our responses will include actions that may seem small, but multiplied can make an enormous impact. This includes buying clean energy, buying energy efficient products, changing light bulbs, driving fuel efficient vehicles, reducing automobile and air travel and increasing our use of public transportation. We want to model lives of stewardship for our own families and the world, and we want to be a part of a church that lives out the mission and ministry of creation care.
4. We believe public policies that protect God’s creation and reduce greenhouse gas pollution are good for our economy and good for America. As we join the workforce with no desire to diminish the vibrancy of the American economy, we believe that in the long run, environmental responsibility is good for everyone’s business.
We agree with many business leaders that America can find ways to protect our future while at the same time maintaining a vibrant economy and reducing our independence on oil - thereby enhancing our national security. This approach is one that recognizes God’s sovereignty, our responsibility and the wisdom of solutions that consid-er the best for today’s world and the one we will live in tomorrow. We seek a secure nation that is economically and environmentally sound for generations to come.
5. We call for prophetic leadership from our Christian leaders on creation care in general and climate change in particular. We commend Christian leaders who have elevated our concern for creation care, for the health of the earth and for justice for the global poor. We respect that leaders have come to different positions based on their own convictions. But are disappointed that some of our leaders have stilled their moral voices on the moral responsibility to stop human caused climate change. Now is the time for leadership and action.
6. We call upon our elected officials to provide leadership through public policies to reduce greenhouse gas pollution. We will live for years with the consequences of today’s public policy decisions. Our legacy to our children cannot be massive destruction and social chaos caused by the unmitigated impacts of greenhouse gas pollution and climate change. We call today for federal and state governments to finalize
and pass legislation that will require limits on the greenhouse gasses that are causing climate change. We believe that the most important and immediate step that can be taken at the federal level is to pass and implement national legislation requiring sufficient economy-wide reductions in carbon dioxide emissions through cost-effective, market-based mechanisms. Now is the time for leadership and action.
7. We urge our generation to lead the movement to protect God’s creation in ways that many of those who have come before us have not.
Now is the time for leadership and action. If you are not ready to lead, then kindly step aside. Enough said!
2. We believe care for the poor and for all of God’s creation is a sacred moral duty for all Christ followers. If the Earth’s systems are in danger as a result of climate change, as the evidence indicates, Christians therefore, have a sacred and moral duty to lead the fight to protect our earthly home for both love of God and love of our neighbor. This is living out the great commandment. First and foremost, this is a moral crisis. If we are not willing to alter our actions, climate change impacts are likely to kill millions of people as a result of more severe droughts, ferocious disasters and enhanced breeding grounds for diseases like malaria and dengue fever. The most severely impacted will be the poor. Jesus calls us to care for the least of these. (Matt 25:40). Climate change will impact most heavily upon the poor, the most vulnerable and the least prepared to face rising sea levels, heat waves, droughts and floods.
The principles of stewardship and prudence require that we take action now. Proverbs 3:27 “Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act.” Care for the poor and vulnerable has always been where we see our Christian faith most deeply expressed (James 1:27). As such, we declare that creation care is one of the high priorities for Christians.
3. We commit ourselves to living in a way that honors God, cares for people and preserves God’s creation. We admit that strong efforts to decrease the impacts of climate change begin with each of us personally, and we commit to pursuing personal and community lifestyles and habits that will honor the Lord, serve others and ourselves, and to protect water, air and natural resources as stewards of what God has entrusted to us.
Specifically, we intend to reduce the amount of energy we use through our daily lives. Our responses will include actions that may seem small, but multiplied can make an enormous impact. This includes buying clean energy, buying energy efficient products, changing light bulbs, driving fuel efficient vehicles, reducing automobile and air travel and increasing our use of public transportation. We want to model lives of stewardship for our own families and the world, and we want to be a part of a church that lives out the mission and ministry of creation care.
4. We believe public policies that protect God’s creation and reduce greenhouse gas pollution are good for our economy and good for America. As we join the workforce with no desire to diminish the vibrancy of the American economy, we believe that in the long run, environmental responsibility is good for everyone’s business.
We agree with many business leaders that America can find ways to protect our future while at the same time maintaining a vibrant economy and reducing our independence on oil - thereby enhancing our national security. This approach is one that recognizes God’s sovereignty, our responsibility and the wisdom of solutions that consid-er the best for today’s world and the one we will live in tomorrow. We seek a secure nation that is economically and environmentally sound for generations to come.
5. We call for prophetic leadership from our Christian leaders on creation care in general and climate change in particular. We commend Christian leaders who have elevated our concern for creation care, for the health of the earth and for justice for the global poor. We respect that leaders have come to different positions based on their own convictions. But are disappointed that some of our leaders have stilled their moral voices on the moral responsibility to stop human caused climate change. Now is the time for leadership and action.
6. We call upon our elected officials to provide leadership through public policies to reduce greenhouse gas pollution. We will live for years with the consequences of today’s public policy decisions. Our legacy to our children cannot be massive destruction and social chaos caused by the unmitigated impacts of greenhouse gas pollution and climate change. We call today for federal and state governments to finalize
and pass legislation that will require limits on the greenhouse gasses that are causing climate change. We believe that the most important and immediate step that can be taken at the federal level is to pass and implement national legislation requiring sufficient economy-wide reductions in carbon dioxide emissions through cost-effective, market-based mechanisms. Now is the time for leadership and action.
7. We urge our generation to lead the movement to protect God’s creation in ways that many of those who have come before us have not.
Now is the time for leadership and action. If you are not ready to lead, then kindly step aside. Enough said!
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