Going "Green"

[MelechYisrael]

Is it acceptable for Christians to go "green"? I'm talking about recycling; using cloth bags instead of plastic bags for grocery shoppes. Trying not use items that will forever clog up a landfill; and buying products that the container will easily break down or can be re-used. When out somewhere, using the garbage cans instead of throwing items on the ground.

What harm or wrong is there in Christians trying to keep our planet clean?

I cannot see how this is unacceptable Christian behavior. Anyone with thoughts on this.

 

[stephen]

You have a conscience about such matters......


It is a good thing to endeavour to 'save the planet' in whatever way we can. My wife and I follow the rule here in England, and reuse/recycle/repair/ and such.

But Over and above God is in control. The planet may appear to be threatened, and men trying to save it.......Such salvation is beyond the thought of man.


I am so glad that our father in heaven
Tells of His love in the book He has given.......

Yes 'He owns the cattle on a thousand hills........and I know He cares for me/you"


What a joy to know that He holds tomorrow....and He cares for you/me

 

[MelechYisrael]

You have a conscience about such matters......


It is a good thing to endeavour to 'save the planet' in whatever way we can. My wife and I follow the rule here in England, and reuse/recycle/repair/ and such.

But Over and above God is in control. The planet may appear to be threatened, and men trying to save it.......Such salvation is beyond the thought of man.


I am so glad that our father in heaven
Tells of His love in the book He has given.......

Yes 'He owns the cattle on a thousand hills........and I know He cares for me/you"


What a joy to know that He holds tomorrow....and He cares for you/me

I understand that God is indeed in control, but it seems to me that since this earth/planet is our living space, it would behoove the inhabitants do to as much as possible to keep it clean. And I do know that our planet may only appear to be threatened, but to me we should be trying to preserve what we have. Much has been lost already.

 

[stephen]

I understand that God is indeed in control, but it seems to me that since this earth/planet is our living space, it would behoove the inhabitants do to as much as possible to keep it clean. And I do know that our planet may only appear to be threatened, but to me we should be trying to preserve what we have. Much has been lost already.

I agree with you 100%.......

 

[Boanerges]

We should be good stewards of what we are given but always put people first.
The whole "global warming" thing has been proven false and climate change is natural and cyclical. So yes I do believe in being smart about what I do but i do not line up with the eco-nazis who want to run the lives of everyone else.

 

[Hekuran]

I share your qualms about eco-zealots. But surely taking care of creation is part of putting people first. Two overused quotations that are true:

"There is enough for everybody's need, but not enough for anybody's greed"

"Live simply so that others may simply live."

When we disrespect the environment, we disrespect the people who live in that environment, and the God who created and sustains it.

 

[MelechYisrael]

When we disrespect the environment, we disrespect the people who live in that environment, and the God who created and sustains it.

Thank you. I was trying to say that originally, but just couldn't seem to express myself in the manner I wanted. :shock:

Thank goodness there are others better at it than I am, lol.

 

[Boanerges]

I share your qualms about eco-zealots. But surely taking care of creation is part of putting people first. Two overused quotations that are true:

"There is enough for everybody's need, but not enough for anybody's greed"

"Live simply so that others may simply live."

When we disrespect the environment, we disrespect the people who live in that environment, and the God who created and sustains it.

No argument here. I simply do not think we can turn the world on it's ear in one day.
Many of the "green" proponents stand to make billions off of forcing their agendas and have little concern for the impact on the lives of others.

 

[Lion_of_Judah]

No argument here. I simply do not think we can turn the world on it's ear in one day.
Many of the "green" proponents stand to make billions off of forcing their agendas and have little concern for the impact on the lives of others.

This is the truth of the matter. "Follow the money" applies.
If carbon 'off sets' made any sense at all, why not ban them altogether instead.
Reason.... follow the money.. Its all about kickbacks and punishing the US.
I just heard this week in China, there's a factory thats putting out 5 times the pollution which is currently allowed
here in the US. I don't foresee them following such laws.

Is it acceptable for Christians to go "green"? I'm talking about recycling; using cloth bags instead of plastic bags for grocery shoppes. Trying not use items that will forever clog up a landfill; and buying products that the container will easily break down or can be re-used. When out somewhere, using the garbage cans instead of throwing items on the ground.

What harm or wrong is there in Christians trying to keep our planet clean?

I've been a hiker for years, and there's a motto we take to heart..


You packed it in, you can pack it out.


Freeze dryed spagetti.. $6.99, Freeze dryed Blueberry Cheesecake.. $8.49, Stewardship.. priceless

 

[Hekuran]

Many of the "green" proponents stand to make billions off of forcing their agendas and have little concern for the impact on the lives of others.

The same thing can be said of the leaders and advocates of traditional industries.

Banning carbon dioxide emissions altogether? C02 is a neccessary by-product of breathing, and I think you would find a total ban on breathing unpopular and difficult to enforce.

The problem is excessive carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels - coal, gas and oil - that is affecting our climate.

 

[Zathrus]

We should be good stewards of what we are given but always put people first.
The whole "global warming" thing has been proven false and climate change is natural and cyclical. So yes I do believe in being smart about what I do but i do not line up with the eco-nazis who want to run the lives of everyone else.

Actually global warming due to human intervention has not been proven or disproven because there is not enough data to support either argument. Climatic science requires a lot of data over a very long period of time, and we don't have this data.

We do have enough data to suggest (please note that I have used the word suggest) that we may be in the middle of a gradual natural global warming period.

 

[Zathrus]

I understand that God is indeed in control, but it seems to me that since this earth/planet is our living space, it would behoove the inhabitants do to as much as possible to keep it clean. And I do know that our planet may only appear to be threatened, but to me we should be trying to preserve what we have. Much has been lost already.

Genesis 1:26 says "Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, in our likeness. and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.'"

Some people have an odd idea about what it means to "rule over" something or someone. For many these words connotate the act of dominating and controlling something or someone without any responsibility as to the welfare of the person, animal or object (in the case of humans or animals this includes their psychological welfare as well). This sort of domination can be very destructive.

As Gods representative, we are to rule over things in the same manner that he rules over things. He is our example. He cares for the plants and animals of the earth. He cares for us. He gives us the things we need in good measure. He gives us just enough to sustain us (fairly comfortably for most of us) while at the same time keeping us in a position where we have enough stress to encourage growth.

God is not greedy with us. He does not demand our all without his giving anything in return. Though he can be harsh with us at times he does not abuse us or use us in a selfish way without this benifiting us in some way. There is always a return.

Remember the example of Jesus, he was like a servant in that he fostered the growth of those around him.


As God's representatives here on earth we are to "rule over" the bits of this world that he has given us specifically to rule over. Things like our houses, cars, children, animals, local parks, and highways. As God's representatives here on earth we are to rule over these things in the way that God rules over us and the rest of his creation. God is a steward, he cares for things, we are God's representatives, we are stewards over what he has given us to be stewards over.

 

[Boanerges]

Actually global warming due to human intervention has not been proven or disproven because there is not enough data to support either argument. Climatic science requires a lot of data over a very long period of time, and we don't have this data.

We do have enough data to suggest (please note that I have used the word suggest) that we may be in the middle of a gradual natural global warming period.

Actually I have read a fair amount of scientific data proving that global warming is a hoax. Personally I believe this to be a political football put in play to control and manipulate the population.

 

[Zathrus]

Actually I have read a fair amount of scientific data proving that global warming is a hoax. Personally I believe this to be a political football put in play to control and manipulate the population.

There is a lot of "scientific" data out there. Most of it is unreliable and politically motivated.

The nature of Climatology is that you need a lot of data over a long period of time (thousands and thousands of years) in order to come to any reliable conclusions.

Here's an analogy from the science of meteorology. Scientists used to believe that hurricanes could not hit the coast of Rhode Island. What led them to believe this was their limited knowledge of hurricanes and a lack of accumulated data of hurricane strikes in the U.S. (not to mention a good bit of sophmoric arrogance). the fact of the matter is that hurricanes do indeed strike rhode Island, it is just a very rare occurance. A lot of people died in that hurricane because they were ill prepared for the storm.


The fact of the matter is that we don't know what we are doing to our climate and speculating on this may be pointless due to lack of data, but the effects that we are having on our envirnment (minus climatology) are more certain. The evidence is clear from poluted lakes and depleted aquafers that our envirment can not take the abuse we a giving it. While I disagree with radical environ mental (patient) ists I also think that it is insane to believe that we can go on abusing the environment and not have to pay the consequences.

Both sides are way off base here. I believe in sane land management, recycling, renuable enery sources (when practical) and in reducing consumption, (the latter bit is actually a biblical concept but to aviod a long reply I will discuss it later if anyone is interested).

 

[Hekuran]

I, for one, would be interested in the biblical basis for reducing our consumption.

Thanks

 

[MelechYisrael]

Genesis 1:26 says "Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, in our likeness. and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.'"

Some people have an odd idea about what it means to "rule over" something or someone. For many these words connotate the act of dominating and controlling something or someone without any responsibility as to the welfare of the person, animal or object (in the case of humans or animals this includes their psychological welfare as well). This sort of domination can be very destructive.

As Gods representative, we are to rule over things in the same manner that he rules over things. He is our example. He cares for the plants and animals of the earth. He cares for us. He gives us the things we need in good measure. He gives us just enough to sustain us (fairly comfortably for most of us) while at the same time keeping us in a position where we have enough stress to encourage growth.

God is not greedy with us. He does not demand our all without his giving anything in return. Though he can be harsh with us at times he does not abuse us or use us in a selfish way without this benifiting us in some way. There is always a return.

Remember the example of Jesus, he was like a servant in that he fostered the growth of those around him.


As God's representatives here on earth we are to "rule over" the bits of this world that he has given us specifically to rule over. Things like our houses, cars, children, animals, local parks, and highways. As God's representatives here on earth we are to rule over these things in the way that God rules over us and the rest of his creation. God is a steward, he cares for things, we are God's representatives, we are stewards over what he has given us to be stewards over.

Amen.

The Bible tells us that "the Earth is the Lord’s" (Psalm 24:1) and that "the Earth he has given to mankind" (Psalm 115:16).

There is no conflict between these statements: the earth belongs to God by creation and to us by delegation; God has not handed His creation over to us in such a way as to relinquish His ownership, but He has delegated to us the responsibility of looking after it on His behalf.

This means that we must avoid both the deification and exploitation of nature; our calling is co-operation with God in conserving and developing the environment for the common good.

 

[Zathrus]

I, for one, would be interested in the biblical basis for reducing our consumption.

Thanks

I don't have time to respond to this but I will when I return from my camping trip.

 

[Boanerges]

There is a lot of "scientific" data out there.

I could not agree more.

[/quote] Most of it is unreliable and politically motivated[/quote]
That I believe is the basis for the whole global warming agenda- controlling and manipulating the population. But that is just my view.
Either way lets agree to disagree.
Much love in Christ,
your brother Larry.

 

[SaulC76]

Stewarding the Earth

I'm surprised that no one has brought up the "Al Gore" factor in this little debate.

It is true that "ecological awareness" came about before him, but the fringe element that has brought about this rabid concern over the planet was borne of Gore and friends with his "An Inconvenient Truth" rubbish. Later, a small expose of Al in his castle, his SUVs and burning huge amounts of BTUs was brought to our attention. Gore response? Something like: "I buy such-and-such to cover my carbon footprint." In essence saying that if you're rich, you don't have to be concerned about the environment - just buy this such-and-such that goes towards green causes.

So, you and I bear the brunt of this so-called emergency. Yes, John Q. Public and his small house and two cars. Meanwhile, CEOs, politicians and the rich can continue to be over-consuming swine while yelling at us to stop consuming. With their long limousines, their six SUVs, three private jets and four houses... they don't have enough.

If the rich REALLY believed in the tripe that they're spewing, they should be the first to heavily cut their consumption because - according to their logic - they consume the most. But they don't want to INCONVENIENCE their own lifestyles, but they do want to have heavy influence in yours. Hypocrites, all of them.

While just like any reasonable person, I'm all for recycling, turning off lights when they aren't in use, etc. I'm not convinced by any stretch of the imagination that there is a crisis and if there is that it is caused by man. The supposed "science" that is continually flaunted in the news reminds one of evolution - a theory that is taken as fact but is never, never proven and never, never shows any results.

I believe that this is simply the latest "crisis" that we all can get behind and feel like we're heroes while the powers that be rob us. (Or haven't you noticed that "green" is the new way to spend more EVERYWHERE? Or all the new and old companies that have become even more rich over the puppeted public?) But, rest assured that when this "crisis" is over there will be another - as there always is.

I'm personally tired of hearing the liberal churches - especially the NCC - quoting the Bible's passage on stewarding the earth; while they flatly ignore passages on homosexuality or murder (of the unborn). The Sabbath and the Law were created for man, not man for the sabbath or law. I feel the same for the planet. God created it for us and He will be the one to destroy it - we won't be able to. We ought to steward everything we are given of the Lord; it's a shame that the ungodly won't steward the mass amounts that they're given.

 

[Hekuran]

Al Gore and Oprah are not environmental factors. Whether or not they are hypocrites does not make a jot of difference to the retreat of Polar ice caps, rising sea levels, the rising rate of extinction, the increase of severe weather including tropical storms and droughts, the pollution of rivers, seas, land and air.

If anybody wants to use a private jet to buy a burger, that is their own responsibility. It does not get me or you off the hook.

The problem is that the environment cannot sustain our current rate of consumption of natural resources - that is a scientific perspective. Looking at the issue from the perspective of our relationship with God, he has given us responsibility as stewards of his creation. We should take up that responsibility with reverence.