Falwell quoted a scientist saying the west Antarctic ice shelf has been retreating two inches a year for 10,000 years. "I would back it up to 6,000," Falwell quipped, alluding to an intramural debate between "theistic evolutionist" Christians, who believe life developed over eons in evolutionary processes guided by God, and "young-earth" creationists, who hold God created the earth directly in six 24-hour days only a few thousand years ago.
- Bob Allen, editor of Ethics Daily
Scripture says what he says it does...and Scripture says that we are to be stewards of creation, to love the poor, and to repent when we sin. We have not cared for our planet. This would be sin. And we evangelicals argue about what order our assistance to the poor should be in...aid or preaching, preaching or aid. We make a bit of a tangle of it.
I won't talk about science. I am ignorant there...but it is an interesting rhetorical turn to choose the statement of a scientist to support your argument and then immediately undermine the scientific endeavor as a whole. Anyway...
The struggle is what we do with Revelation. Are we failing to be stewards? Or is this a sign of the end? That is the question. It is a theological question. It is an interpretive question.
I would remind my Baptist brother, Dr. Falwell, that there are many who shun the church, refuse salvation, because we do not speak for the earth but only for ourselves and our building projects. Yes, the Devil may distract us. And he is a clever one. But I think that global warming is the result of such distraction, the fruits of it, and not the distraction itself. Our failure to be stewards of creation is judged by God. And the critique from outside Christianity is one result of many of our failures.
Posted by tripp at March 6, 2007 06:35 AMI've never really looked at it this way before, but do some Christian groups prooftext science the same way they do the Bible? Want to condemn homosexuality, find a line or too that really nails your point home. Want to prove that the end is near? Latch on to one or two scientific facts that the earth is a messed up place these days.
It is prooftexting. Hm. I'd need some specific examples, though.
Thanks, Tripp... You've helped me look at something in a new way!
Posted by: Mark J. at March 6, 2007 11:46 AM