WP: The Greening of Evangelicals

[kskiska]

Christian Right Turns, Sometimes Warily, to Environmentalism

Sunday, February 6, 2005; Page A01

SEATTLE -- Thanks to the Rev. Leroy Hedman, the parishioners at Georgetown Gospel Chapel take their baptismal waters cold. The preacher has unplugged the electricity-guzzling heater in the immersion baptism tank behind his pulpit. He has also installed energy-saving fluorescent light bulbs throughout the church and has placed water barrels beneath its gutter pipes -- using runoff to irrigate the congregation's all-organic gardens.

Such "creation care" should be at the heart of evangelical life, Hedman says, along with condemning abortion, protecting family and loving Jesus. He uses the term "creation care" because, he says, it does not annoy conservative Christians for whom the word "environmentalism" connotes liberals, secularists and Democrats.

"It's amazing to me that evangelicals haven't gone quicker for the green," Hedman said. "But as creation care spreads, evangelicals will demand different behavior from politicians. The Republicans should not take us for granted."

There is growing evidence -- in polling and in public statements of church leaders -- that evangelicals are beginning to go for the green. Despite wariness toward mainstream environmental groups, a growing number of evangelicals view stewardship of the environment as a responsibility mandated by God in the Bible.

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A1491-2005Feb5.html

[Warpy]

1. He's a minority. Most don't think we have a future

and are actively working to bring about the next world war so they can all get raptured, leaving us to clean up after them. They don't care about the environment.

[w4rma]

2. "creation care"? Good grief. These people need to let go of their hate. nt

[Ellen Forradalom]

8. Call it anything you like..

so long as it works.

[Lorien]

9. Amen!

My mom is a conservative Christian, and she says that protecting God's creation is practically a commandment in the Bible; I don't know how she voted last year (she won't tell me), but I know that BushCo's reckless environmental policies upset her.

[goodboy]

13. I was wondering about that...What makes people sacrifice such a strong

belief about protecting the environment, but then just brush it away like a fly when their godly politicians disagree with it?

[sandnsea]

29. The Laws of Nature

I had just written that down in my frame the debate notes. I don't care what we call it either, as long as we get people on board. All it takes is one person in each church to really get interested in the environment and start studying, then they see what all we're doing around the world, and the rest falls quickly into place. Sounds good to me.

[stepnw1f]

35. EXACTLY!!!!

(nt)

[jdj]

37. they of all people need to embrace environmentalism

while they are busy cramming their creation myth down everyones throat, why don't they stop to ask themselves why they are shitting all over God's creation.

[joefree1]

3. We pagans will welcome any love and/or respect for nature

After all someone's God or Gods created nature in all it's beauty for us to love.

I can never understand earth hating dead-enders.

[proud patriot]

6. Exactly

I don't care what they want to call it ,
It's great that the environment will benefit.

I find it so funny that the difference in words used
allows them to embrace what otherwise would be frowned
upon for being a liberal trait .

[stepnw1f]

36. It's Nothing More Than Peer Pressure

They hear "Liberal" bashing everyday. So when they confront a word associated with some "Liberal" bashing they have heard from people around them, they go into a "Flight or Fight" mode.

I confronted a Born-Again Evangelical and told him he was very "Liberal". You should have seen his face contort. It was just the truth. Very strange, but I do understand. Their tolerance of Liberals has been based upon notions and myths fed to them constantly.

Some are willfully ignorant and will never change, no doubt. Others just have not seen the damage they do to themselves and society as a whole. It's tragic actually.

[Skip Intro]

4. "liberals, secularists and Democrats" - oh my!

[BamaLefty]

5. I've Never Understood Why They Don't Care...

[goodboy]

14. me too...You'd think, that beside the obvious benefit of making

God happy, they'll be protecting their health (body's a temple) as a bonus!

[Mike Niendorff]

7. I think this is a great development.

It's about time someone in the Christian community started talking about the idea of responsible stewardship again.


MDN

[joefree1]

10. "There are no passengers on Spaceship Earth. We are all crew."

I've always loved that quote by Marshall McCluhan.


Download the free PDF letter size art here:
http://www.ediablo.com

[Kimber Scott]

11. I guess they didn't hear Falwell when he said we shouldn't worry about

taking care of this earth, but should worry only about the next world. Good thing. I hope this catches on.

[goodboy]

12. Can someone tell me why taking care of our planet is not agreeable

with these people? Wouldn't it make God happy if we actually took good care of our home?

[Judi Lynn]

28. Looks as if they were manuevered into that belief by r-w politicians,maybe

This is sooo strange, from the article:

Even for green activists within the evangelical movement, there are landmines. One faction in the movement, called dispensationalism, argues that the return of Jesus and the end of the world are near, so it is pointless to fret about environmental degradation.

James G. Watt, President Ronald Reagan's first interior secretary, famously made this argument before Congress in 1981, saying: "God gave us these things to use. After the last tree is felled, Christ will come back." The enduring appeal of End Time musings among evangelicals is reflected in the phenomenal success of the Left Behind series of apocalyptic potboilers, which have sold more than 60 million copies and are the best-selling novels in the country.

That's so diseased it makes one sick with disgust. How could they be this stupid? The right-wing leaders tell them anything, they never question, despite more than adequate proof their right-wingdingaling leaders have very flat feet of clay, and are hardly devine.

It's about time they snapped out of it and started pulling their weight, too. They can't just sit on their thumbs, cursing Democrats and waiting for the Rapture. They have a responsibility to work toward a better world, themselves.

[goodboy]

31. so jesus' is on his way, so no need to worry about the environment...

so I guess folks who don't subscribe to their religious beliefs are outta lucK.

[Judi Lynn]

33. Yeah! Can't believe Reagan's Secretary of the Interior encouraged them

in their insanity, either. That's really sick. To tell them they're on the right track, officially, sidelines them, makes it even easier for massive assault on the environment for profit.

When these rapture geniuses resist getting involved, they become their accomplices.

[Cicero]

45. James Watt never said that

Sorry, but just like the George Washington "Liberty's teeth" and the Janet Reno "Socialist America" comments, this one too is an urban legend.

http://powerlineblog.com/archives/009475.php

The most relevant excerpt:

Mr. Watt explained that the quote attributed to him by Moyers is fraudulent. As another blogger has written, and as Moyers' favorite source, Grist, has now admitted in a correction, it originated in a book published in 1990 by one Austin Miles, an anti-religious tract titled Setting Free the Captives. Miles' book does not, however, claim that Mr. Watt made the statement in question in testimony before Congress; that little embellishment was added by Grist, and repeated by Moyers with no effort on his part to check its veracity.

But the real issue here is not the quote, but what Moyers says about its context. Moyers claims that as Secretary of the Interior, James Watt "told the U.S. Congress that protecting natural resources was unimportant in light of the imminent return of Jesus Christ." Moyers' claim is false. Mr. Watt forwarded to me the transcript of his testimony before the House Interior Committee in February 1981, the only time he can recall the Second Coming ever arising in such a setting. In fact, the philosophy of environmental protection that Watt espoused in his testimony was the precise opposite of what Moyers and his friends at Grist claimed:

Mr. Weaver (D. Ore.): Do you want to see on lands under your management, the sustained yield policies continued?
Secretary Watt: Absolutely.

Mr. Weaver: I am very pleased to hear that. Then I will make one final statement... I believe very strongly that we should not, for example, use up all the oil that took nature a billion years to make in one century.

We ought to leave a few drops of it for our children, their children. They are going to need it... I wonder if you agree, also, in the general statement that we should leave some of our resources--I am now talking about scenic areas or preservation, but scenic resources for our children? Not just gobble them up all at once?

Secretary Watt: Absolutely. That is the delicate balance the Secretary of the Interior must have, to be steward for the natural resources for this generation as well as future generations.

I do not know how many future generations we can count on before the Lord returns, whatever it is we have to manage with a skill to leave the resources needed for future generations.

...


I know, a lot of people around here won't like me using Powerline as a source for this, but just because you dislike the messenger, don't automatically discount the message.

The point is, James Watt never said it. There's likely plenty else to be upset with him about, but this ain't one of them.

Later,

[MountainLaurel]

34. The Creation Story

Is usually used as justification for it -- with the creation of Adam, Man was placed ABOVE all of the other animals. Therefore, he could do whatever the fuck he liked. Of course, they ignore the part about Man's responsibility and stewardship over the Earth.

[RPM]

15. F the Evangelicals

that is all...

[Dob Bole]

42. No thanks...

but I appreciate the consideration

[kskiska]

16. WP: 'God's Mandate': Putting The White House on Notice

Frustration with the Bush administration's environmental polices is bubbling up from mainstream churches and synagogues, as reflected in a statement signed recently by more than 1,000 clergy and congregational leaders in about 35 states.

Called "God's Mandate: Care for Creation," the statement says that "there was no mandate, no majority, or no 'values' message in this past election for the President or the Congress to rollback and oppose programs that care for God's creation."

Analyses of the November election have found that President Bush's victory owed much not only to strong support from white evangelicals, but also to gains in support from conservative Catholics, mainstream Protestants and Jews.

In a conference call last month, some Catholic, Protestant and Jewish leaders came up with the idea of a strong statement on the environment to warn the White House and Republicans in Congress that there are limits to the support they can expect from the religious community, according to Paul Gorman, executive director of the National Religious Partnership for the Environment, an alliance of Catholic, Protestant, evangelical and Jewish organizations.

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A1499-2005Feb5.html

[Nothing Without Hope]

17. Good news! Guess he's an (unintentional) uniter after all! n/t

[hatrack]

18. Uh, Reverend/Father/Rabbi - were you not paying attention before?

Did y'all honestly have no clue as to what has been going on since 2001? Or no idea of what four more years of these corporate clowns would do to environmental policy?

Or was the whole gay marriage "crisis" paramount?

I mean, good to hear you're concerned and all that, but you're more than a little bit FUCKING LATE!!!!!!!!!!!!! :mad:

[liberalhistorian]

20. The gay so-called

"crisis" was all they gave a shit about. And now the chickens are coming home to roost. Thanks a lot, you fucking bigoted idiots.

[liberalhistorian]

19. WTF DID THEY EXPECT WHEN

THEY VOTED FOR HIM? Like his environmental "policies" (if you can even call them that) were any damned secret to begin with. I'm getting tired of hearing about certain groups whining about Bush, when those groups mainly voted for him in the first fucking place. What the fuck did they expect???????

[WorseBeforeBetter]

21. Where were these..

"Catholic, Protestant and Jewish" leaders before 11/02? "Warn the White House"? That's rich.

[sally343434]

22. Editorial continues propagating the lies about the election

> President Bush's victory owed much not only to strong support
> from white evangelicals, but also to gains in support from
> conservative Catholics, mainstream Protestants and Jews.

These religious types are really deluded into believing they "helped Bush win," and it bubbles out of the lazy editorial here.

Bush's "victory" is owed to one thing alone -- suppression of democratic votes, and the subsequent "funny business" with the counting.

They might be able to reword the statement into something reflecting reality by saying that religious fanatics provided enough margin that, when combined with the effects of voter suppression, fraudulent counting, and continued support of state media, Bush was able to eek out a numerical advantage.

[Robbien]

23. Bush "shrugs" and says so what, I no longer need your votes.

Go peddle your God's Mandate somewhere else.

[napi21]

24. That's true, but his minions need them!

I keep hearing about Santorum, and wingos like him looking to run in 08. If he pisses off the evangelicals, it will carry over to the vote then, and, although I doubt very much they'll ever vote Dem, they'll just stay home!

That's a good thing! Keep it up George!!! After all you've NOT DONE, the earth can withstand another 4 years, but then it will be over for you and your idiot buddies!!!

[Robbien]

25. No they don't. They have Diebold

In two years the system will be perfected to the point that the voter fraud will be nearly invisable.

[Hong Kong Cavalier]

26. Bed. Made. Lie.

They voted for him, they DAMN WELL HAVE TO LIVE WITH HIM NOW!
They have no ground to complain now. Seriously, they thought Bush gave a crap about the environment? After Bush increased the acceptable levels of arsenic in the drinking water, said the best way to fight forest fires was to chop down all the trees, and planned to drill for oil in a remote wilderness with no guarantee of results, these people now have the gall to complain about Bush's environmental policies?
As I said: they made the bed; they now have to lie in it.

[Colorado Blue]

27. Unfortunately WE have to lie in damn bed. NT.

[T_i_B]

30. What would Jesus Drive?

Well I for one have always been taught to take care of the enviroment in Church and many churches are very pro-enviroment (it's common in both Methodist and Anglican circles for starters), although that tends to get ignored by most people on DU who are only looking for something to hate.

http://www.whatwouldjesusdrive.org/

[blm]

32. The Rapture Crowd WANTS the environment destroyed as part of "prophecy"

that they describe as barren lands ot the last tree will be part of the End Times.

Oldtime Republicans better get a grip on the End Times Republicans before they bankrupt this country AND the earth.

[VegasWolf]

38. Baloney. Saving electricity! They are going green only to save the

Green dollars they love so much.

[NVMojo]

39. Amazing, God must have pulled their heads out of the dark holes ....

[depakid]

40. This is the EXACT opposite of what I heard Bill Moyers say

http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/120504G.shtml

And if evangelicals are (fat chance) going green, does that mean that they'll stop voting for Republicans who trash poison their water, pollute their air and expose thier kids to toxics- write rules designed to conceal that fact?

I don't think so.

More garbage from the Post.... I wish I had a buck for every bullshit story I've seen from that paper in the last couple of years. Could have saved up enough for a long vacation- far away from any evangelical Christians and their tireless apologists at the Washington Post.

[Cicero]

46. Bill Moyers repeating a false statement about James Watt

James Watt never said "after the last tree is felled, Jesus will come back". Didn't happen. See my other post about it...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=1216165&mesg_id=1223872

Later,

[Bridget Burke]

41. Not all Evangelicals are alike....

Jim Wallis describes himself as an Evangelical Christian & appeared on The Daily Show recently to discuss his new book, "God's Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong & The Left Doesn't Get It." This page has a link to the video:

http://sojo.net/index.cfm?action=special.display&item=050111_godspolitics

From the link: God's Politics offers a clarion call to make both our religious communities and our government more accountable to key values of the prophetic religious tradition - that is, make them pro-justice, pro-peace, pro-environment, pro-equality, pro-consistent ethic of life (beyond single issue voting), and pro-family (without making scapegoats of single mothers or gays and lesbians). These are the values of love and justice, reconciliation, and community that Jesus taught and that are at the core of what many of us believe, Christian or not.

Unfortunately, many Evangelicals don't agree...

[muse]

43. Next thing you know, they will be into caring for the poor and sick,

and they will all become Democrats.

:)

[Roland99]

44. Isn't that a bit contradictory? I mean, with the Rapture coming soon,

who cares about a few more pounds of fossil fuel remnants polluting the atmosphere?