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[I Still Have Hope]

Do you have a Christian perspective on climate change?

Has the climate change crisis challenged your faith? Strengthened it?

How do we reconcile climate change with God's perfect design?

Thanks.

[jimwalton]

> Do you have a Christian perspective on climate change?

Sure. We Christians were given charge of the planet, to take care of it like responsible stewards, to learn how to use its resources but not abuse them. We are responsible to be environmentally conscientious and principled. The Bible teaches that it's our responsibility as God-followers to take care of the Earth, both in terms of environmental responsibility and in terms of scientific inquiry.

In Genesis 1.28, humans are given responsibility to care for the planet as God would. In the days of the ancient Near East, what is expected of the king is responsibility care over that which he rules. The humans are here being mandated with the function of God's co-regents, not only ruling as He would rule, but also as stewards over the earth.

It's both a scientific mandate and an environmental one. We are to learn as much as we can of the natural world so we can intervene in and manage it. It implies a degree of control and direction over nature to regulate its natural forces to advance civilization while responsibly managing its beauty and resources. The Bible is clear that the Earth still belongs to God; we don't own it. In a sense we have it on loan, and are expected to manage it on behalf of its true owner as He Himself would manage it. We have a responsibility to manage the environment and to protect it. Abuse of nature for our comfort is not a right or an option. But neither are we just at the mercy of nature. We are expected to make wise decisions in finding the balance for beauty, protection, survival, and taming its potential for destruction to reduce suffering.

Do these thoughts appear anywhere else in the Bible? The same ideas appear in Ps. 8.6-8. Psalm 100 reminds us that the earth belongs to God. Matthew 6.26 speaks of God's watchful eye over creation. Genesis 2.15 suggest that we rule and subdue the earth by carefully tending it.

The Christian theology of nature is that nature has value in itself. It's not just a resource, a weapon, or a home. What God has made we, who are also his created beings, must not abuse and despise. Nature has intrinsic value because God made it, ordered to function as his temple and for our survival and beauty, and because it reveals God to us in its complexity, balance, order, purpose, beauty, and regularity.

Climate change is partially the normal ebb and flow of the planet (the climate is always in flux from time immemorial) and it is partially due to irresponsible abuse at the hands of humans.

> Has the climate change crisis challenged your faith? Strengthened it?

It has neither challenged nor strengthened my faith. Climate change is to be expected, and it's no surprise that humans are irresponsible. Both Jesus (Matt. 24) and the book of Revelation prophesy that as history progresses the environment will be less stable. OK, so we see that happening, but it's also true that, as far as the total history of the world is concerned (4.5 billion years), our scientific picture is a mere snapshot (seeing what's been going on the past several millennia, and the past century in particular).

> How do we reconcile climate change with God's perfect design?

The design of the Earth wasn't perfect. Instead, it's functional. When God said, "It is good," He is saying that it's functioning the way it was designed to function. The Bible teaches that the Earth is progressing towards an end, so we are to expect change, even evolution. Climate change doesn't have to be reconciled with God's design.