It's the Environment, Stupid!
Check out Robert Parham of the Baptist Center for Ethics interview with Al Gore HERE and HERE.
Long-identified as a Southern Baptist, Gore moved seamlessly between science and faith. He spoke comfortably about how his faith shaped his moral convictions about the environment. "I was taught in Sunday school about the purpose of life," he said. "I didn't ever get a single lesson about the purpose of life at Harvard University or prep school I went to. But I learned about the purpose of life in Sunday school. And I was taught that the purpose of life is to glorify God." "How can you glorify God while heaping contempt and destruction on God's creation?" he asked. "The answer is that you cannot, you cannot." "If you believe in the teaching 'whatever you do to the least of these you do unto me,' the least of these include those who are powerless to defend themselves against harmful actions at our hands motivated by careless greed," he said.
Al Gore is correct - the environment is a moral issue. The Evangelical Environmental Network recognizes this moral imperative. Unfortunately, the Southern Baptist Convention doubts the dangers of Global Warming (etc.). See their recent resolution on Environmentalism and Evangelicals.
WHEREAS, The scientific community is divided on the effects of mankind's impact on the environment; and WHEREAS, Some environmental activists are seeking to advance a political agenda based on disputed claims, which not only impacts public policy and in turn our economic well-being, but also seeks to indoctrinate the public, particularly students in public institutions; and WHEREAS, Environmentalism is threatening to become a wedge issue to divide the evangelical community and further distract its members from the priority of the Great Commission...Why must the Southern Baptist Convention ALWAYS align itself with the agenda of the Republican Party? Hmm...
posted by Big Daddy Weave at 10:49 AM
3 Comments:
Why is Mars heating up? The sun's energy output is increasing, (incindentally, this would also explain Martian global warming, which by some evidence matches earth warming. Fact first.
5:24 PM
Here is an article that I think you should read before you make a judgment call on how stupid the SBC is in urging cautious examination of the issue of Global Warming. I look forward to your response:
A non-unanimous verdict
Also, I noticed that you didn't post the full resolution, so let me post what the SBC resolved to do. Notice that 4 of 5 resolution statements deal with taking care of the environment, but not engaging with radical groups who don't take into account the full evidence. Here it is:
RESOLVED, That the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in Greensboro, North Carolina, June 13-14, 2006, renew our commitment to God’s command to exercise caring stewardship and wise dominion over the creation (Genesis 1:28); and be it further
RESOLVED, That we urge all Southern Baptists toward the conservation and preservation of our natural resources for future generations while respecting ownership and property rights; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we encourage public policy and private enterprise efforts that seek to improve the environment based on sound scientific and technological research; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we resist alliances with extreme environmental groups whose positions contradict biblical principles (2 Chronicles 19:2) and that we oppose solutions based on questionable science, which bar access to natural resources and unnecessarily restrict economic development, resulting in less economic opportunity for our poorest citizens; and be it finally
RESOLVED, That we not only reaffirm our God-given responsibility of caring for the creation, but above all, that we continue to commit ourselves to the Great Commission to take the Good News of Jesus Christ to people of every tribe, tongue, and nation thus bringing glory to the One who will make all things new at His coming (Revelation 21:1).
8:57 PM
Cautious examination?
Does an overwhelming consensus among scientists exist on the issue of Global Warming? Yes.
Are there doubts among a small minority of scientists? Of Course.
Be it Global Warming or Evolution - the SBC continues and will continue to side with those dissenting scientists.
The point of my post was to address why the SBC feels the need to ALWAYS side with the agenda of the Republican Party. ALWAYS.
Richard Land is the worst offender. Has he ever disagreed with the Bush Administration?? Recently, SCOTUS (5-3) struck down the military tribunals established by Bush after 9/11 because Congress had not authorized those commissions and because the commissions violated the Geneva Conventions. Land immediately lashed out that the SCOTUS ruling will "undermine President Bush's efforts to keep Americans safe."
Land toes the party line. The Republican Party.
The leadership and voting messengers of the SBC seem to do the same...
12:48 AM
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