Is Believing in Climate Change an Insult to God?

Climate Change, Anthropocene, & Associated Issues

Date posted: 08/29/14

David H. Bailey and Jonathan M. Borwein report that with movements such as young-earth creationism, we certainly have seen examples of religion being shanghaied into the service of anti-science. But some recent rhetoric in opposition to environmentalism and climate change science takes the cake. For example, E. Calvin Beisner, leader of the Cornwall Alliance - a consortium of evangelical clergy - has declared that environmental movement is deadly to the gospel of Jesus Christ, and that believing in climate change is an insult to God. On November 30, 2012, in a televised discussion with his colleague Bryan Fischer, Beisner further argued that it is an affront to God to not utilize the abundant, inexpensive and effective - fossil - fuel sources that God has provided. He elaborated that God buried those treasures there because he loves to see us find them and put them to use. Fischer compared those who would curtail the deployment of these resources to the wicked and lazy servant in the Jesus parable of the talents - Matt. 25-14-30. Many of the groups opposed to the scientific consensus on climate change are also adamantly opposed to evolution, and the two movements - creationism and climate change denial - have, in several cases, joined forces to advance their respective causes in the political arena. For example, in 2010, legislators in Kentucky introduced a bill that would encourage teaching of advantages and disadvantages of evolution and global warming, among other topics. In February 2012, the Oklahoma House of Representatives passed a bill declaring that some scientific subjects, including biological evolution and global warming, can cause controversy, so that teachers shall be permitted to help students critique and review in an objective manner the scientific strengths and weaknesses of such theories.