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 86 Evangelical Leaders Join to Fight Global Warming

(I wasn't going to post, but I CAN'T ignore this, especially those who refuse to admit what is happening, and sign on to the obvious)

Despite opposition from some of their colleagues, 86 evangelical Christian leaders have decided to back a major initiative to fight global warming, saying "millions of people could die in this century because of climate change, most of them our poorest global neighbors."

Among signers of the statement, which will be released in Washington on Wednesday, are the presidents of 39 evangelical colleges, leaders of aid groups and churches, like the Salvation Army, and pastors of megachurches, including Rick Warren, author of the best seller "The Purpose-Driven Life."

"For most of us, until recently this has not been treated as a pressing issue or major priority," the statement said. "Indeed, many of us have required considerable convincing before becoming persuaded that climate change is a real problem and that it ought to matter to us as Christians. But now we have seen and heard enough."

The statement calls for federal legislation that would require reductions in carbon dioxide emissions through "cost-effective, market-based mechanisms" — a phrase lifted from a Senate resolution last year and one that could appeal to evangelicals, who tend to be pro-business. The statement, to be announced in Washington, is only the first stage of an "Evangelical Climate Initiative" including television and radio spots in states with influential legislators, informational campaigns in churches, and educational events at Christian colleges.

"We have not paid as much attention to climate change as we should, and that's why I'm willing to step up," said Duane Litfin, president of Wheaton College, an influential evangelical institution in Illinois. "The evangelical community is quite capable of having some blind spots, and my take is this has fallen into that category."

Some of the nation's most high-profile evangelical leaders, however, have tried to derail such action. Twenty-two of them signed a letter in January declaring, "Global warming is not a consensus issue." Among the signers were Charles W. Colson, the founder of Prison Fellowship Ministries; James C. Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family; and Richard Land, president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention.

Their letter was addressed to the National Association of Evangelicals, an umbrella group of churches and ministries, which last year had started to move in the direction of taking a stand on global warming. The letter from the 22 leaders asked the National Association of Evangelicals not to issue any statement on global warming or to allow its officers or staff members to take a position.

E. Calvin Beisner, associate professor of historical theology at Knox Theological Seminary in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., helped organize the opposition into a group called the Interfaith Stewardship Alliance. He said Tuesday that "the science is not settled" on whether global warming was actually a problem or even that human beings were causing it. And he said that the solutions advocated by global warming opponents would only cause the cost of energy to rise, with the burden falling most heavily on the poor.

In response to the critics, the president of the National Association of Evangelicals, the Rev. Ted Haggard, did not join the 86 leaders in the statement on global warming, even though he had been in the forefront of the issue a year ago. Neither did the Rev. Richard Cizik, the National Association's Washington lobbyist, even though he helped persuade other leaders to sign the global warming initiative.

On Tuesday, Mr. Haggard, the pastor of New Life Church in Colorado Springs, said in a telephone interview that he did not sign because it would be interpreted as an endorsement by the entire National Association of Evangelicals. But he said that speaking just for himself, "There is no doubt about it in my mind that climate change is happening, and there is no doubt about it that it would be wise for us to stop doing the foolish things we're doing that could potentially be causing this. In my mind there is no downside to being cautious."

Of those who did sign, said the Rev. Jim Ball, executive director of the Evangelical Environmental Network: "It's a very centrist evangelical list, and that was intentional. When people look at the names, they're going to say, this is a real solid group here. These leaders are not flighty, going after the latest cause. And they know they're probably going to take a little flak."

The list includes prominent black leaders like Bishop Charles E. Blake Sr. of the West Angeles Church of God in Christ in Los Angeles, the Rev. Floyd Flake of the Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral in New York City, and Bishop Wellington Boone of the Father's House and Wellington Boone Ministries in Norcross, Ga.; as well as Hispanic leaders like the Rev. Jesse Miranda, president of AMEN in Costa Mesa, Calif.

The evangelical leaders are meeting Wednesday with senators or their staff members concerned with legislation on energy and the environment. Their letter commends senators who last year passed a resolution by Senators Pete V. Domenici, a Republican, and Jeff Bingaman, a Democrat, both of New Mexico, which called for regulatory measures like a cap and trade program, a system in which industries would buy or trade permits to emit greenhouse gases.

In their statement, the evangelicals praised companies like BP, Shell, General Electric, Cinergy, Duke Energy and DuPont that it said "have moved ahead of the pace of government action through innovative measures" to reduce emissions.

The television spot links images of drought, starvation and Hurricane Katrina to global warming. In it, the Rev. Joel Hunter, pastor of a megachurch in Longwood, Fla., says: "As Christians, our faith in Jesus Christ compels us to love our neighbors and to be stewards of God's creation. The good news is that with God's help, we can stop global warming, for our kids, our world and for the Lord."

The advertisements are to be shown in Arkansas, Florida, Kansas, New Mexico, North Carolina, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee and Virginia.

The Evangelical Climate Initiative, at a cost of several hundred thousand dollars, is being supported by individuals and foundations, including the Pew Charitable Trusts, the Hewlett Foundation and the Rockefeller Brothers Foundation.

The initiative is one indication of a growing urgency about climate change among religious groups, said Paul Gorman, executive director of the National Religious Partnership for the Environment, a clearinghouse in Amherst, Mass., for environmental initiatives by religious groups.

Interfaith climate campaigns in 15 states are pressing for regional standards to reduce greenhouse gases, Mr. Gorman said. Jewish, Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox leaders also have campaigns under way.


 2006/2/8 3:40









 Re: Global Warming

Hi Brother Neil,

I just wanted to ask if you believe in global warming ?

Very interesting article. Glad to have the heads up.

Thank you for posting it.
Keep posting.
Annie

 2006/2/8 4:49
Servant2U
Member



Joined: 2003/10/10
Posts: 26


 Re: 86 Evangelical Leaders Join to Fight Global Warming

Hi Neilgin1,
I guess after reading this and seeing much in the media concerning global warming these days I haven't been persuaded. Where I am from we are experiencing a very unusually warm and snow free winter. Contrastly, in Eastern Europe they have undergone a brutally cold winter. Japan recieved 4 meters of snow last month. Was Katrina caused by global warming? I don't know. Does anyone know? I keep very close attention to the weather in my area because I am in the snow removal business. On Environment Canada's web site I can track current temperatures and weather patterns along side trends from years past. What we would call an "unusually warm" winter this year is not really that unusual in the big picture. I make myself out to be no global warming expert by any stretch of the imagination. Like most things in the media today, it really depends what news network you are watching and what interrests they have.
Ok, my point is coming. What is the best way for us to use God's money, to be the best stewards? Rev. Joel Hunter, pastor of a megachurch in Longwood, Fla., says: "As Christians, our faith in Jesus Christ compels us to love our neighbors and to be stewards of God's creation. The good news is that with God's help, we can stop global warming, for our kids, our world and for the Lord." Are we loving our neighbors by slowing down pollution which may be causing "natural" disasters? Are we loving our neighbors by prolonging the inevitable. So, if we spend these hundreds of thousands of dollars (which will likely turn into millions) on environmental issues which, is taking away monies that should be used to bring the gospel are we being good stewards? Jesus said that He will not return until every tribe and nation has heard the gospel and every last numbered martyrs blood has been shed. I guess what we have to seek God over is what is more important souls or soil? It's like humanitarian missions that feed the poor physical food and not spiritual food. They are well feed but are still going to hell at the end of the day so to speak. It has to be both. Humanitarian initiatives with the gospel. We have to be concerned with the earth that God has given us dominion over but we also need to be concerned with souls. As a brother always said to me "it's all gonna burn!". I would hate to see satan get the church all bound up in secondary issues once again at the expense of souls. K.P. Yohannan's book "Revolution in World Missions" has been helpful to me over the years in keeping me more focused.

 2006/2/8 8:30Profile









 My dear sister Annie

God bless you dear sister, you cannot hear the tenor of a my voice in what I'm about to say,

I believe in God, I believe that He sent His Son, fully man, fully God to take our sins upon the Cross, and that all accept this wonderous wonderful free gift of mercy will enjoy fellowship with Him and eternal life.

That is what I believe.

I believe the mercy of God is without limit, I believe He is slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness to His creation, that none should perish. I believe that we are given free will to accept the wonderous provisions of Messiah.

and I thank Him for deigning to count me worthy enough to lift me out of the mire, lift me out of the world, seperate me, justify, sanctify me and present me without blemish in His sight, Praise the Holy Name of the God Most High.

That is what I believe.


Now , as to what I know: we are poor stewards of our Lord's creation.

I am no scientist, but I have a degree of common sense. If you have a glass of clear water, and and drop by drop you put squid ink into it, you will no longer have clear water.

If you have a room,and the air in it is clear and clean, and then you put 5 people in it, smoking cigars, and close the door, the room will be smoky and the air quality will become poor.

Every year, we pour gigatons of particulate matter into the atmosphere. God is in His infinite wisdom must have some sort of filtering system, but we are greedy, lazy and most on this planet don't stop and think what an Intelligent Designer the God of Hosts is, how beautiful is the work of His Hands, And they pollute and despoil and rape and pillage.

I need a house, I have a hundred trees, I cut down 15 to build this house, and I will plant fifteen more and give thanks to His name and say God, "Thank You Lord for this house, it is Yours, thank You for allowing my family to live in it.

The new 15 saplings will grow because He designed such wonderous bio-systems.

What mystifies me, are the 22 "evangelicals" who did not sign this letter, in fact they came up with a counter letter:

Quote:
But this fledgling movement -- dubbed the "greening of evangelicals" in a front-page Washington Post article a year ago -- has also met internal resistance. In a letter to Haggard last month, more than 20 evangelical leaders urged the NAE not to adopt "any official position" on global climate change because "Bible-believing evangelicals . . . disagree about the cause, severity and solutions to the global warming issue."

The letter's signers amounted to a Who's Who of politically powerful evangelicals, including Charles W. Colson, founder of Prison Fellowship Ministries; James C. Dobson, chairman of Focus on the Family; the Rev. D. James Kennedy of Coral Ridge Ministries; the Rev. Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Convention; Richard Roberts, president of Oral Roberts University; Donald E. Wildmon, chairman of the American Family Association; and the Rev. Louis P. Sheldon, chairman of the Traditional Values Coalition....



Its not the fact they oppose a Christ-centric stewardship of the environment, it's the other issues these men above support, while ignoring this pressing potential disaster which our children would inherit.

Why not sign the Kyoto protocols? Why not work together to be good stewards of the Gift of God?

and many would say, "because it's bad for business, bad for the global economy", and in that sentence, they indicate the name of their god, the god of this world.

Thats what I know.

 2006/2/8 9:49









 Re:

Thanks brother Neil for answering so succinctly.

I'm still up for grabs on this one, because I've heard scientists from both side on this issue.

But Polution is definitely a definite and we are very guilty there.

Since you've gone out on a limb to answer or post this, I'll do the same and ask ... Do you believe in "Chemtrails" ? (SOME call those contrails).

Well, out here on this here limb, I will say, yes I definitely do believe in them, because I'm almost 53 years old and have been a "sky watcher" since I was very little.
I even went into Weather in the ANG. So, there ya go ... some of the substances found in these "chemtrails" have been "metalic" and could cause weather modification.

Ho hum, I just thought you might like some company out there on a limb.

Mine may be a little thinner than yours though .... HA.

Love & Peace.
Annie :-?

 2006/2/8 17:10









 Re: 86 Evangelical Leaders Join to Fight Global Warming

I can't believe what I just read, but one scripture kept speaking to me which I will share here:

Quote:
Proverbs 16:5 Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.


The only climate change we need today is the temperature of our hearts to go from being cold to red hot.

Note: This post is directed towards those so called evangelical leaders, not to any member here.

 2006/2/8 17:22









 Re:

Love Slave ? If you're talking about the "article" above ... you should state so ... or if you are addressing a "member's" opinion, state so. Be a brave slave.

It is one thing to not agree with what "brethren" post, but to use Scripture to judge their [u]hearts[/u] ... is stepping way over it.

I'd say you'd be out of order there cowboy, 'if' it was leveled at a member here.

Would you mind specifying to whom you are directing your post, now that you've shown us how red hot you seem to think you are, so that whomever can reply in kind ?


Edited to add: Loveslave, when you Edit a Post so long after your intitial posting, please type "edit" there.
Your "Note" above was added after my reply.
Thanks !

 2006/2/8 17:50









 Re: 86 Evangelical Leaders Join to Fight Global Warming

What enviromentalist are trying to do is going to be pointless and fruitless in the days ahead. As jobs dwindle in the global economy the last thing the average worker is concerned with is saving the Earth. They will want to work, and if cutting down trees is going to bring in a steady wage they will do it to feed their families. The need will be in the now, not in a thousand years.

The only way that this earth will be saved, and that is that every nation on the earth all agree to stop burning fossil fuels and coal. But this will never happen because there is one equation that can never be stripped from natural man and that is "Greed".

David Wilkerson said in his book entitled, "The Vision" here is a quote;

"Nature will unleash its fury with increasing intensity over the next decade. There will be short periods of relief, but almost every day mankind will witness the wrath of nature somewhere in the world. These record breaking changes will be above and beyond anything experienced in the past. Floods, hurricanes, and tornadoes will destroy crops, animals, and much wildlife, driving prices even higher and causing some experts to suggest that nature is losing its balance. WEATHER WILL BECOME DIFFICULT TO FORCAST. SUDDEN STORMS WILL APPEAR WITHOUT WARNING. Southernmost regions will be gripped by record cold waves and northern areas will experience record heat waves."

Now I stopped quoting here because I wanted to give my opinion regarding all these disasters. I do not believe that these weather changes are a result of pollution, but rather that God is behind it all.

Continue quoting David Wilkerson. "Discerning people will have within them innate knowledge that God is behind these strange events and is unleashing the fury of nature to force men into a mood of concern about eternal values. These violent reactions of nature will clearly be orchestrated by God to warn mankind........mankind will yearn for a return to normal conditions........"

 2006/2/8 17:57









 Re: I am not a chili pepper,

I am not saying that I am red hot, no siree, I don't know who is to tell you the truth. I know that I love the LORD with all that I know to love Him with what knowledge or wisdom that I may have, but I do not love Him will all my heart soul mind and strength, because I don't know what still in my heart until He brings it to the light.

Am I pepper hot? no I am not. Am I at least seasoned? I hope so.

But as regarding this move to "Save the Earth", they are wasting thier time and money. There is a church in the world that needs thier attention and they spend it on the Earth. This only tells me that these evangelicals have either been hugging trees or licking frogs.

So I go back to the same verse that I quoted earlier:

Proverbs 16:5 Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.

 2006/2/8 18:13









 Re:

Dear LS, I hope you understand my reaction.

Now that you've explained, I somewhat understand, but when we disagree with another's opinion, we should address the opinion and be careful we don't make it appear that we're going for "the heart" of another.

We can agree to disagree.

My opinion will stand, but I would hope that you would not judge my heart.

My opinion has been posted on this Forum before and I have never met with any rudeness from any of the members regarding it.
Disagreeing maybe, yes, but that's as far as it went.

I believe that God is involved in that HE has taken His Hands off of us, and left us to our own devices ... when I say "us", I mean mankind and this sinful nation and any other sinful nations.

Technology is at the point now, where it is only comparable to Babel. "Nothing shall be impossible unto them" and causing global warming through weather modification is Big Business. That is all that runs the world any more ... Big Industries, Big Money.
You were very right to say "Greed".

The Word speaks of "the rich men of this earth" acting up in the last days and if you watch the parallels between Babel and the last days Babylon, you may see something in that.

I think if you do the research on what technology is capable of and follow the money trail, you may change your view on "who's doing what" in the last days.

God's word is all I care about, and not what any man says. Their 'vision's have been off before.
When God takes His Hand off of a nation or any "people", they are left to their own devices, so, can we say, "God is doing it ?" ... yes and no.

I appreciate your come back and understand better where your thinking is now.
It's always best in electronic communicating to be as specific as possible.
It is so easy to be misunderstood here.

Thanks !
Annie

 2006/2/8 18:23





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