A group of Southern Baptists, who are not speaking as official voices of the Convention, have issued “A Southern Baptist Declaration on the Environment and Climate Change.” The Declaration, issued March 10 by Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary student Jonathan Merritt and signed by 46 other Southern Baptists, can be read here.
Well, it’s a nice try. Merritt, who is 25 year old, is son of former SBC president James Merritt. He begins by laying out basic truths about which no Christian should disagree, but then quickly connects them with environmentalist presuppositions with this conclusion:
Though the claims of science are neither infallible nor unanimous, they are substantial and cannot be dismissed out of hand on either scientific or theological grounds. Therefore, in the face of intense concern and guided by the biblical principle of creation stewardship, we resolve to engage this issue without any further lingering over the basic reality of the problem or our responsibility to address it. Humans must be proactive and take responsibility for our contributions to climate change—however great or small.
Here is where the wheels come off. If science’s claims of global warming are neither infallible nor unanimous (indeed, didn’t they just admit that “A minority of sincere and respected scientists offer alternate causes for global climate change other than deforestation and the burning of fossil fuels”?) and there is a clear word of Scripture on the immutability of God’s ordained cold/heat cycle in the Noahic covenant (Gen. 8:20-22), why can’t it be dismissed on theological grounds? Has it been too long since the SBC nature-lovers pondered the theological significance of a rainbow?
And then we are called to action:
Many of our churches do not actively preach, promote or practice biblical creation care. We urge churches to begin doing so.
OK, I get the stewardship point, and believe in responsible conservation, but ever since the Fall we have been dealing with a broken and cursed environment—and it was our own fault. Until the millennial reign of Christ, things are not going to get better; whales will still beach themselves, and more species may well become extinct. No amount of environmentalism will change inevitabilities–creation will continue to groan (Rom. 8:22), but the relief it seeks is “the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body” (Rom 8:23). A once-perfect environment has fallen in our fallenness, and will continue to be so until the curse is removed. And it was being negatively affected by man before he ever began burning fossil fuels. In the meantime, sing and rejoice–God is still on the throne. Accept His sovereignty, preach and live the gospel, and don’t let the greenies put a guilt trip on you. Or force you into making meaningless resolutions.
And, don’t hold your breath for a Creation Care Class to be offered at our church anytime soon.:)
