Monday, February 21, 2005
People Are Hard To Control - More on 'Evangelical Environmentalism'
As a someone who pays the bills as an environmental consultant it is natural that I would have a great deal of knowledge and opinion about environmental issues. I have argued pretty strongly against the church becoming somehow environmentally active. This, this, and this are previous posts I have done on the subject.
Over the weekend I ran into this article from FOXNews, that I think bears discussion.
However, given the extent and technical nature of debate about environmental issues, the church should be very careful about throwing that authority around. The church also has to establish a prioritization of issues that it can use its authority to back. When there are so many moral issues facing the church (abortion, stem cell, the homosexual agenda, the death penalty, terrorism...) is this one really a high priority? 'Evangelical Environmentalism' simply cannot be pushed apart from a much larger discussion.
Over the weekend I ran into this article from FOXNews, that I think bears discussion.
The recycling downturn can be attributed to economics and the falling prices offered for those turned in bottles, cans and papers. In the last decade the use of plastic bottles has increased, but the demand for the recycled product has decreased dramatically.Even when people are offered an economic incentive, it can be hard to alter their behavior, as this recycling story points out. I think this is why many people want the church involved in environmentalism -- the moral and spiritual authority of the church can cause alterations in people's behavior not achievable by any other means.
However, given the extent and technical nature of debate about environmental issues, the church should be very careful about throwing that authority around. The church also has to establish a prioritization of issues that it can use its authority to back. When there are so many moral issues facing the church (abortion, stem cell, the homosexual agenda, the death penalty, terrorism...) is this one really a high priority? 'Evangelical Environmentalism' simply cannot be pushed apart from a much larger discussion.
