Introduction
The topic of climate change has hit fever pitch. Seldom can you watch a news cycle, hear from a politician, or login to Twitter without being inundated with climate change warnings and alarmism. There’s even a children’s movie releasing in theatres this weekend with a not-so-subtle plot that involves an evil villain who seeks to accelerate global warming by melting the arctic ice. Unsurprisingly, climate change alarmism is finding its way into churches and ministries as well. More and more evangelical leaders are calling their people to fight climate change and evangelical ministries are inviting climate scientists to speak at their conferences. And we will likely see more and more of this in the days to come.
As this climate change train motors on full-steam ahead, Christians need to know how to think through what is being communicated to them concerning this issue. And in doing so Christians need to remember what their ultimate standard is when it comes to these issues: the Word of God. The Bible has something to say about many of the topics and ideas being discussed right now under the banner of climate change. And whenever the Bible is at odds with something said by a politician, scientist, or news organization, the Christian must always, always, always believe what God says above and beyond what anybody else says. So with that in mind, here is a small sampling of what some climate change alarmists have said compared and contrasted with what God has said in holy Scripture. Admittedly, some of these quotes may represent more extreme views, but they are representative of the trajectory that our culture is on. And, if recent history is any indication, what seems extreme in this generation will be normalized in the next.
On Having Children
Climate Change Alarmists:
“There’s scientific consensus that the lives of children are going to be very difficult. And it does lead young people to have a legitimate question: Is it OK to still have children?” – U.S Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez[1]
When asked about whether he would be courageous enough to address the need to curb population growth in order to fight climate change: “Well, Martha, the answer is yes. The answer has everything to do with the fact that women in the United States of America, by the way, have a right to control their own bodies, and make reproductive decisions.” – Democratic Presidential Candidate Bernie Sanders[2]
The Word of God:
“And God blessed them. And God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’” – Genesis 1:28
“Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them!” – Psalm 127:3-5
On Global Flooding
Climate Change Alarmists:
“It’s happened before, and it could happen again. Tens of thousands of years ago, a giant ice sheet in Antarctic melted, raising sea levels by up to 30 feet around the world. This inundated huge swaths of what had been dry land. Scientists think it could happen again as the world heats up because of man-made global warming, new research suggests. Such a collapse would again cause seas to rise dramatically, which would lead to a global flood.” – Doyle Rice, USA Today[3]
The Word of God:
“I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” – Genesis 9:11
On Eating Meat
Climate Change Alarmists:
“So, why are people going vegan? Scientists say we must immediately eat less meat and change the way we manage land in order to halt the climate crisis. … Meat consumption is a big contributor to global warming — according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), agriculture is responsible for around a quarter of humankind’s direct, global greenhouse gas emissions — with livestock contributing about 14.5%. Raising animals for food is resource-intensive, requiring the production of feed and fertilizers that result in greenhouse gases — not to mention the methane that comes from cows.” – Amy Woodyatt, CNN[4]
“A global shift towards a vegan diet is vital to save the world from hunger, fuel poverty and the worst impacts of climate change, a UN report said today.”- PETA [5]
The Word of God:
“Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything.” – Genesis 9:3
“Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience.” – 1 Corinthians 10:25
“…through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving.” – 1 Corinthians 10:25
On the Apocalypse
Climate Change Alarmists:
“Climate change could bring about the end of civilisation as we know it within three decades, an Australian think tank has warned. The report by Breakthrough, endorsed by a retired Australian admiral, says a war-time response is needed to avoid the doomsday scenario. The authors sketch a scenario where by 2050 more than half of the world’s population faces 20 days a year of lethal heat, crop yields globally drop by a fifth, the Amazon ecosystem collapses, the Arctic is ice-free in summer, and sea levels have risen by 0.5 metres (they rose by 0.19 metres over the 20th century). In the worst case, ‘the scale of destruction is beyond our capacity to model, with a high likelihood of human civilisation coming to an end.’” – Adam Vaughan, NewScientist.com[6]
The Word of God:
“For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:2
“But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.” – 2 Peter 3:10
“But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.” – Matthew 24:36
“Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you.” – Revelation 3:3
On the Worship of Creation
Climate Change Alarmists:
“International Mother Earth Day promotes a view of the Earth as the entity that sustains all living things found in nature. Inclusiveness is at the heart of International Mother Earth Day; fostering shared responsibilities to rebuild our troubled relationship with nature is a cause that is uniting people around the world. Let us celebrate, with hope and determination, a new relationship between all humanity and Mother Earth.” – Miguel d’Escoto, former United Nations Assembly President[7]
On an NBC website where you’re encouraged to confess your climate sins: “Even those who care deeply about the planet’s future can slip up now and then. Tell us: Where do you fall short in preventing climate change? Do you blast the A/C? Throw out half your lunch? Grill a steak every week? Share your anonymous confession with NBC News.”[8]
The Word of God:
“Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.” – Romans 1:22-25
On Youth vs. Adults
Climate Change Alarmists:
“This is all wrong. I shouldn’t be standing here. I should be back in school on the other side of the ocean. Yet you all come to me for hope? How dare you! You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words. We are in the beginning of a mass extinction…You are failing us. But the young people are starting to understand your betrayal … We will not let you get away with this … The world is waking up. And change is coming, whether you like it or not.” – Greta Thunberg, 16 year old climate activist[9]
The Word of God:
And I will make boys their princes,
and children shall rule over them.
And the people will oppress one another,
every one his fellow
and every one his neighbor;
the youth will be insolent to the elder,
and the despised to the honorable.” – Isaiah 3:3-5
On Who Controls the Climate
Climate Change Alarmists:
“Humans have caused major climate changes to happen already, and we have set in motion more changes still…. Because climate change is a truly global, complex problem with economic, social, political and moral ramifications, the solution will require both a globally-coordinated response…and local efforts on the city- and regional-level. It’s up to us what happens next.” – NASA[10]
The Word of God:
He said to them, “Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm. The men were amazed, and said, “What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?” – Matthew 8:26-27
He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth; Who makes lightnings for the rain, Who brings forth the wind from His treasuries. – Psalm 135:7
Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit. – James 5:17-18
Conclusion
Christian, regardless of what your position is on climate change, remember that it must be subservient to the Word of God. If you ever come across something that is said or written about climate change that contradicts something that is said in God’s Word, you need to ask yourself this question: Will I believe what man says or what the Bible says? I hope the answer is obvious to you. For all Scripture is breathed out by God.[11]
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[1] https://www.newsweek.com/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-aoc-climate-change-have-kids-children-1342853
[2] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-49601678
[3] https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2018/12/20/antarctic-ice-sheet-collapse-could-lead-global-flood/2375523002/
[4] https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/reasons-to-be-vegan-intl-scli-wellness/
[5] https://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-food/global-warming/
[6] https://www.newscientist.com/article/2205741-is-it-true-climate-change-will-cause-the-end-of-civilisation-by-2050/#ixzz6427jAoM3
[7] https://sojo.net/articles/faith-action/environmental-justice-inclusiveness-and-mother-earth
[8] https://www.nbcnews.com/news/specials/climate-confessions-share-solutions-climate-change-n1054791
[9] https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/sep/23/world-leaders-generation-climate-breakdown-greta-thunberg
[10] https://climate.nasa.gov/faq/16/is-it-too-late-to-prevent-climate-change/
[11] 2 Timothy 3:16
