Environmentalism is "deadly." It is "one of the greatest deceptions of our day," "striving to put America and the world under its destructive control" and "seducing your children." It is a dangerous "cult."
At least that's according to the publicity for a new 12-part DVD series, Resisting The Green Dragon. The series is sponsored by the Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation, a network of Christian leaders that claims to bring "a balanced biblical view of stewardship to the critical issues of environment and development."
Actually, their views are anything but balanced. A YouTube video with clips from the DVD includes statements from Christian leaders who say the environmental movement is based on "false assertions," "pessimistic fears" and "exaggerations and myths," rather than "any good science."
The DVD website states five ways "the multifaceted environmentalist movement" threatens society and the church:
A press release from the Cornwall Alliance says this is "a critical moment in the global environmental debate." That much is true. This is a critical moment, not because environmentalism is deadly to humans, but because humans increasingly behave in ways that harm the environment.
The DVD likens environmentalism to a green dragon -- the fearsome, fire-breathing serpent-like creature of folklore. But our role as followers of Jesus isn't to scare people. We choose hope over fear.
The Green Dragon video promotes false dichotomies such as religion vs. science, care for creation vs. care for the poor, the way of Jesus vs. environmentalism. None of these actually are enemies. While neither science nor faith can answer every question, it's a perversion of the Gospel to pit them against each other -- an insult to environmentalists motivated by faith to care for God's Earth.
People with different perspectives on science and faith can find a common foundation, suggests Luke Gascho, director of the Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center at Goshen (Ind.) College. "People are seeking a message of hope, and the hope within our environmental dilemma comes when you can engage people in working together in a peaceful way," Gascho once said.
In the end, Christians, scientists and Christian scientists all should pursue truth -- and do it together. As followers of Jesus who value God's creation, global citizenship and justice for the poor, we have a unique role: to love our neighbors, to be faithful stewards of God's provision and to be advocates for actions that honor God and the Earth.
When we damage the environment, the poorest among us, who contribute the least to its degradation, are disproportionately affected and least equipped to deal with the changes. Jesus said, "Just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me" (Matt. 25:40).
As followers of Jesus, it's our responsibility to change our lifestyles to lessen harm to God's creation and the least of these. It's one way of making peace on Earth as it is in heaven. If that's a cult, it's one all Christians should join.
Rev. Fletcher Harper: God is My Rock: How the Earth Reveals the Divine
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This implies and is a threat to certain Christians that their worldview, their precious immortality and their version of God is suspect or false.
We should be all bringing nature to our back yards and even our businesses in some cases.
...because it is inevitable that we will lose much of our nature.
Nature has to be put above us to one degree or another.
Environmentalism doesn't put nature ahead of people...however certain ENVIRONMENTALISTS are guilty of doing so in their well-intentioned, but misguided zeal.
...and sadly there are people whom I simply refer to as Eco-terrorists. The people who booby-trap trees on land being logged, and burn SUVs on car dealership lots in the middle of the night.
Part of human nature is the tendency to take a good idea....divorce it from the circumstances in which it was developed...then apply it to an irrational extreme. The notion that Nature must always take precidence over human needs is as misguided as the notion that Humans have "dominion" over Nature, and are therefore free to do whatever they want to it without regards to consequences.
Most environmentalists that I am familiar with speak of "sustainability". Which is about meeting human needs, but doing so in a way that works WITH Nature...rather than simply bulldozing it into submission...and extinction.
If you don't agree, don't participate.
I propose we call the destroyers of Mother Earth . The Third Rider or The Black Horse of Greed and Famine. The Church Faction is the Black Horse and thier evil rider is BigWorldBiz.
This is good news, The Church's masters must be really afraid.
What we should always foreground in such conversations is that the word "cult" as been reformatted to express contempt. Any time I hear the word used, such as when the Corwall Alliance uses it to describe evironmentalism, I think we can all take it for granted that they are merely casting stones at topics they do not understand.
In a spirit of personal disclosure, my great-grandparents were Amish and I grew up in a Mennonite context. I practice Zen Buddhism now and I really like the expression "Green Dragon" even though it is intended as an expression of condemnation. But dragons are friendly critters in Buddhist mythology who bring rain and other good things. Green dragon is a wonderful description of the joys of responsible evironmentalism. I think we should thank the Corwall Alliance cult ( ! ) for the idea for a really nice logo..
We, sprung from Mother Earth, flourish as a parasite on her surface.
Now, if we are not to become a malignancy that threatens the health, the greenness of our host, we must bring an end to digging further into Hades realm.
All believers were pagans prior to the advent of monotheism. What are the barriers that prevent you from aligning your secular beliefs with polytheism's more Gaea friendly teaching?
Obama campaigned on and won many votes by recocgnizing the "fierce urgency of time'. We are headed full speed in the wrong direction if Gaea's health and well-being is the measure. Time is running out.
What particularly amazes me is that I am a believer in environmentalism and could come up with some reasonable sounding 'proofs' that it's dangerous; let's be honest no matter how good the cause there are extremists that can be pointed too. But this group hasn't even used that particular strawman argument; can someone please tell me / send me a link to explain this?
Their argument is strange, distorted and ultimately unconvincing because it really is such a stretch to make this even close to any kind of viable religious defense, as the writer points out so well.
You just have to understand how the Conservative coalition operates politically.
The purpose---as you alluded to---is to protect the economic interests of the reactionary wealthy...and those (fossil fuel) narrow-interests who would "lose" in a "Green" economy fueled by environmentalism.
The problem is that there are not enough people in these groups to actually win electoral majorities at the polls....or move the needle of public opinion with regards to legislation.
That's where the religious conservatives come in. They are the footsoldiers in the Conservative Army. These economic interests meet their political goals by (in part) convincing these religious fundamentalists that it is their religious duty to support political policies that serve the interests of the economic elite.
...and (as you see here) is usually done by insisting that their "values" are being assualted in some way, and that to "defend" those values they have to side (as always) with the plutocracy. Which they do, dutifully....and then are cast aside until their "help" is needed again.
What sad to see, is that you are dealing with people who are so unsophisticated (as a group) that the con-job never seems to get old. It's like a procedural TV show. Its always the same forumula, only the details change.
An evangelical group says environmentalism is a spiritual danger to Christianity. What is your view?
Protecting the earth is a biblical directive 43%
Environmentalism is a danger to Christianity 4%
Environmentalism has nothing to do with religion 44%
Other 8%
Total Votes: 690
http://www.tennessean.com/article/20110104/NEWS01/110104007