Christianity & Conservation

How involved should Christians be in environmental/conservation efforts?

God has great joy in His creation (Genesis 1:31, Job 39-41 & other passages). We have been given the stewardship over nature (Genesis 1:26). Nature waits eagerly for God's children to be revealed (Romans 8:19). Our earth is showing significant signs of wear. Sounds like we should be active.

On the other hand, earth's burgeoning population needs to be fed & clothed, which requires resource utilization & clearing of land. Energy resources need to be tapped (and alternatives developed). Nations need to be allowed to develop their economies.

Complicating the issue, conservative American Christians tend to affiliate with the Republican party (not known for its environmental sensitivity), while environmentally savvy people tend to affiliate with the Democrats.

And this summary barely touches the issues (for example, global warming concerns may or may not be true).

We will be covering this in our "Creation Changes Everything" class that starts this Sunday. If you're not already signed up for a class, feel free to come.

Thanks!