The American Spectator

Recently, you wrote: “I defy anyone to read the entire Bible and find clear condemnation from God for ‘damaging the world.’ People, yes, dirt, no.”

This was in response to the SBC (Southern Baptist Convention) recently putting out a statement that they agree with protecting the environment. They did NOT, however, state that they were climate alarmists.

I am not a member of the SBC, but instead am Presbyterian (member of the Presbyterian Church in America, actually). However, I do believe that we should care for the earth…but am also not a climate alarmist. I also believe that anthropomorphic global warming is a complete fallacy (at best!).

Having said that, humans have done much damage to the earth, and we should do all we can to care for the world. While the Bible is greatly concerned with how we care for each other and for how we respond to God, you don’t need to go far to see a statement that we should care for the world:

Genesis 2:15 — The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. We should be “keeping” the earth, as it is a gift to us from God.

I would agree with you that the liberal way of “keeping” the earth is rather misguided (not clearing the brush from the forests of the west coast, for instance, actually INCREASE the amount/likelihood/strength/reach/damage of forest fires). But, the SBC is putting out a paper for Christians to take a reasonable way to care for the earth.

This should be encouraged and up-held, not condemned.