Why Pay Attention to Evangelicals Now?

Thomas Bray writes an interesting column picked up the RealClearPolitics regarding the introduction of evangelicals into the global warming debate, a move which has received strong criticism here. Bray points out the fact that the media has a rather selective attention span when it comes to evangelicals:

When the National Association of Evangelicals, representing some 45,000 churches with a congregation of about 30 million, decided against adopting a policy statement calling for action against global warming last month, it merited only a few mentions in the mainstream press.

When a far smaller splinter group of 80-90 evangelicals, calling itself the Evangelical Climate Initiative, issued a demand for government restrictions on carbon dioxide emissions, which are thought to trap heat within the atmosphere, the mainstream media leaped on the story. “God’s Green Soldiers,” proclaimed Newsweek approvingly, noting that a prominent member of the group, Rev. Richard Cizik, is a former “foot soldier for the Moral Majority” who only recently attended a prayer breakfast at the White House.

Consider the irony: for years the media has been expressing alarm over the supposed intrusion of evangelical Christians (often confusing them with fundamentalists) into the political arena. But now that a rogue band of evangelicals has landed on the side of the global warming angels, all is forgiven. Too bad most of the press didn’t probe further into the roots of the Evangelical Climate Initiative, much less the supposed theological authority for its “Evangelical Call to Action.”

Bray also points out a comparison between the Global Climate Initiative and past efforts by some pretty radical groups:

In point of fact, the initiative appears to mirror the “creation care” philosophy of yet another group, the Evangelical Environment Network. That group, formed in 1994, brought us the infamous “What Would Jesus Drive?” campaign. The self-same Richard Cizik cited by Newsweek is identified on the EEN website as an active member. (He also heads the government affairs department of the National Association of Evangelicals, where he has been pushing for “21st century activism”).

Nor did we learn whether government rationing of carbon emissions might actually achieve the desired goal. Al Gore’s famous Kyoto Treaty, even global warming enthusiasts agree, would at best reduce the presumed warming trend by a negligible amount, which is why it’s always called a “first step.” But it would cost of hundreds of billions to implement in the United States alone.

The burden would inevitably fall most heavily on working men and women (and poor nations). Where is the morality in that?

[...]

But well-meaning religious people need to be careful about whose brand of environmentalism they sign up with. The so-called “deep environmentalists,” for example, lay much of the blame for environmental degradation on the Judeo-Christian heritage. Instead of a human-centered religion, they say, what’s needed is a “biocentric” ethic that acknowledges the equal rights of Nature. In the old days this was known as paganism.

And many global warming enthusiasts seem eager to act even at the expense of traditional bulwarks of freedom as property rights – a recipe for impoverishing society. Poverty is a great way to make all environmental problems much worse.

As always, true morality first requires clear thinking.

And solid science.

Tags: Evangelical, Evangelical Climate Initiative, Global Warming