Comments on: Global Warming and Christians http://prolutum.com/2008/04/23/global-warming-and-christians/ mostly theological, hopefully practical, and subject to the erroneous thinking of the author Thu, 24 Sep 2009 17:26:52 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Clifton Griffin http://prolutum.com/2008/04/23/global-warming-and-christians/comment-page-1/#comment-97 Clifton Griffin Fri, 25 Apr 2008 06:11:00 +0000 http://prolutum.com/2008/04/23/global-warming-and-christians/#comment-97 Sarah, thank you for seeing my plight and making it worse. You are the best kind of friend. Sarah, thank you for seeing my plight and making it worse. You are the best kind of friend.

]]> By: Sarah Parr http://prolutum.com/2008/04/23/global-warming-and-christians/comment-page-1/#comment-96 Sarah Parr Fri, 25 Apr 2008 05:43:00 +0000 http://prolutum.com/2008/04/23/global-warming-and-christians/#comment-96 i don't know why you hate the earth, clif. not cool, man, not cool. i don't know why you hate the earth, clif. not cool, man, not cool.

]]> By: Clifton Griffin http://prolutum.com/2008/04/23/global-warming-and-christians/comment-page-1/#comment-95 Clifton Griffin Fri, 25 Apr 2008 02:27:00 +0000 http://prolutum.com/2008/04/23/global-warming-and-christians/#comment-95 Jamesy, <br />That is a great point about Leviticus...I wish I'd thought of that. *high five*<br /><br />I feel I must not be communicating well. So, instead of further explaining, I will give you this article which Ergun Caner (not my typical source...I know) referenced yesterday. It sums up my view better than I can.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.texanonline.net/default.asp?action=article&aid=5631&issue=3/19/2008" onmousedown="UntrustedLink.bootstrap($(this), "9fa9120346ab90fff784714d9bdf9606", event)" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><span>http://www.texanonline.net</span><wbr></wbr><span class="word_break"></span><span>/default.asp?action=articl</span><wbr></wbr><span class="word_break"></span>e&aid=5631&issue=3/19/2008</a><br /> Jamesy,
That is a great point about Leviticus…I wish I'd thought of that. *high five*

I feel I must not be communicating well. So, instead of further explaining, I will give you this article which Ergun Caner (not my typical source…I know) referenced yesterday. It sums up my view better than I can.

http://www.texanonline.net/default.asp?action=article&aid=5631&issue=3/19/2008

]]> By: James Citty http://prolutum.com/2008/04/23/global-warming-and-christians/comment-page-1/#comment-94 James Citty Fri, 25 Apr 2008 01:21:00 +0000 http://prolutum.com/2008/04/23/global-warming-and-christians/#comment-94 Though I agree that some products bio-degrade at a fairly quick rate. Some materials like plastic take a long time to biodegrade and even when they do they degrade into inorganic polymers which serve no benefit. I still do not see how recycling is not a moral issue. I think you make a good argument but wasting resources does seem like a moral issue to me. I have always liked the verse 1 Cor 10:31 where Paul writes that whatever we do, we should do it for the glory of God. I think that we should exude Christ in everything we do and make an attempt to glorify Him in everything and that scope includes our stewardship and use of creation that God has given us. Though I agree that some products bio-degrade at a fairly quick rate. Some materials like plastic take a long time to biodegrade and even when they do they degrade into inorganic polymers which serve no benefit. I still do not see how recycling is not a moral issue. I think you make a good argument but wasting resources does seem like a moral issue to me. I have always liked the verse 1 Cor 10:31 where Paul writes that whatever we do, we should do it for the glory of God. I think that we should exude Christ in everything we do and make an attempt to glorify Him in everything and that scope includes our stewardship and use of creation that God has given us.

]]> By: James Citty http://prolutum.com/2008/04/23/global-warming-and-christians/comment-page-1/#comment-93 James Citty Fri, 25 Apr 2008 01:02:00 +0000 http://prolutum.com/2008/04/23/global-warming-and-christians/#comment-93 I agree with you that it should not be out of a messiah complex and that we should think of it as we are maintaining the Eath but rather God. But at the same time you are making an assumption that God will not let us run out of a particular resource. I am a firm believer that God will provide for us. It even says in Matt 21:22 that if we ask then God will provide. However, if you look at Leviticus 25:1-4 God gives the command to Moses that they need to rest the land every 7th year. The reason for this is that the land will lose its fertility if it is farmed ever year. Jesus tells the parable of the talents in Luke 19 which teaches that those who are faithful with the minor things God has given them responsibility with (being stewards of the environment) God will entrust with greater things. I'm not claiming that God can not give us a new method of energy (i.e. solar power or electric cars) but that God gives us resouces and He expects us to use them with a purpose and not wastefully. I agree with you that it should not be out of a messiah complex and that we should think of it as we are maintaining the Eath but rather God. But at the same time you are making an assumption that God will not let us run out of a particular resource. I am a firm believer that God will provide for us. It even says in Matt 21:22 that if we ask then God will provide. However, if you look at Leviticus 25:1-4 God gives the command to Moses that they need to rest the land every 7th year. The reason for this is that the land will lose its fertility if it is farmed ever year. Jesus tells the parable of the talents in Luke 19 which teaches that those who are faithful with the minor things God has given them responsibility with (being stewards of the environment) God will entrust with greater things. I'm not claiming that God can not give us a new method of energy (i.e. solar power or electric cars) but that God gives us resouces and He expects us to use them with a purpose and not wastefully.

]]> By: Mandi Corbett http://prolutum.com/2008/04/23/global-warming-and-christians/comment-page-1/#comment-92 Mandi Corbett Thu, 24 Apr 2008 23:30:00 +0000 http://prolutum.com/2008/04/23/global-warming-and-christians/#comment-92 Well said, James. Well said, James.

]]> By: Clifton Griffin http://prolutum.com/2008/04/23/global-warming-and-christians/comment-page-1/#comment-91 Clifton Griffin Thu, 24 Apr 2008 20:11:00 +0000 http://prolutum.com/2008/04/23/global-warming-and-christians/#comment-91 I think it is wrong to throw trash out of your window because it is disrespectful to people, not because it will harm the earth. The earth is well equipped to break down just about anything we throw at it...literally.<br /><br />What represents being a good testimony for us is a religion to other people. Which is why we have to be careful about joining hands with them. They are telling people that the sky is falling...and even though we may agree with them that having a clean planet is better for all of us, we shouldn't put ourselves in the position where Christ would appear to be in support of paganism.<br /><br />Anyway...I should stop now or I'll just keep going. :) I think it is wrong to throw trash out of your window because it is disrespectful to people, not because it will harm the earth. The earth is well equipped to break down just about anything we throw at it…literally.

What represents being a good testimony for us is a religion to other people. Which is why we have to be careful about joining hands with them. They are telling people that the sky is falling…and even though we may agree with them that having a clean planet is better for all of us, we shouldn't put ourselves in the position where Christ would appear to be in support of paganism.

Anyway…I should stop now or I'll just keep going. :)

]]> By: Clifton Griffin http://prolutum.com/2008/04/23/global-warming-and-christians/comment-page-1/#comment-90 Clifton Griffin Thu, 24 Apr 2008 20:08:00 +0000 http://prolutum.com/2008/04/23/global-warming-and-christians/#comment-90 I agree, James. I'm not advocating waste at all. I think Christians should be conservationists. <br /><br />But not out of a Messiah complex that says that we are saving the world. And not out of fear that we will run out of the resources God has provided us. <br /><br />Creation is magnificient and much better equipped to provide for us (and regulate itself) than we are at using its resources or messing it up. The earth is not fragile. It is absurd to conclude that we, as mankind, simply by being ourselves, are powerful enough to destroy the earth.<br /><br />We pollute far less than "nature" itself. A few years ago Mount Pinatubo in the Phillipines spewed forth more than a thousand times the aount of ozone=deplenting chemicals in just *one* eruption. In that one eruption it produced more toxic pollutants than humans have in all of history.<br /><br />When you learn things like this, it makes it difficult to view recycling as a moral issue.<br /> I agree, James. I'm not advocating waste at all. I think Christians should be conservationists.

But not out of a Messiah complex that says that we are saving the world. And not out of fear that we will run out of the resources God has provided us.

Creation is magnificient and much better equipped to provide for us (and regulate itself) than we are at using its resources or messing it up. The earth is not fragile. It is absurd to conclude that we, as mankind, simply by being ourselves, are powerful enough to destroy the earth.

We pollute far less than "nature" itself. A few years ago Mount Pinatubo in the Phillipines spewed forth more than a thousand times the aount of ozone=deplenting chemicals in just *one* eruption. In that one eruption it produced more toxic pollutants than humans have in all of history.

When you learn things like this, it makes it difficult to view recycling as a moral issue.

]]> By: James Citty http://prolutum.com/2008/04/23/global-warming-and-christians/comment-page-1/#comment-89 James Citty Thu, 24 Apr 2008 18:30:00 +0000 http://prolutum.com/2008/04/23/global-warming-and-christians/#comment-89 I think the part I liked the most about this note is the:<br /><br />Be a good steward of the earth.<br /><br />I think regardless about what when think in regards to global warming, we should be good stewards of our planet. I think it reflects as a good testimony that Christians care for their environment and are not just throwing trash out the window of their car on the highway or being wasteful of non-renewable energy sources. I agree we should focus on eternal things more than temporal, but the Earth we leave behind is going to be inherited by the next generation and we should leave the Earth in a good condition for them to live on. I do like your point though that we should trust God will provide, but in the same sense we still need to be good stewards of the Earth. I think the part I liked the most about this note is the:

Be a good steward of the earth.

I think regardless about what when think in regards to global warming, we should be good stewards of our planet. I think it reflects as a good testimony that Christians care for their environment and are not just throwing trash out the window of their car on the highway or being wasteful of non-renewable energy sources. I agree we should focus on eternal things more than temporal, but the Earth we leave behind is going to be inherited by the next generation and we should leave the Earth in a good condition for them to live on. I do like your point though that we should trust God will provide, but in the same sense we still need to be good stewards of the Earth.

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