Setting the Record Straight
Quartz Mischaracterizes Capitol Ministries Bible Study on Environmentalism
In a July 9, 2019 story for the online publication Quartz, writer Heather Timmons mischaracterized the Capitol Ministries Bible study Coming to Grips with the Religion of Environmentalism.
In a story critical of what she called President Donald Trump’s “climate-change-denying presidency,” Ms. Timmons wrote:
“Even the pastor of the White House bible (sic) study group attended by many cabinet members preaches that environmentalism is radical and foolish, because God put natural resources on earth for his greatest creation, man, to use up.”
This is False.
The Bible study, Coming to Grips with the Religion of Environmentalism, does not teach that God intended man to “use up” natural resources.
In the study, Ralph Drollinger teaches that man is God’s appointed “steward” of the earth and has authority to take care of the earth’s resources as well as use them responsibly for their intended purpose – the good of mankind.
Drollinger quotes numerous Scripture to explain that man was given dominion over the earth, to show man’s position in creation and his role as caretaker or “steward.” Among Scripture is Genesis 1:29-30, and Psalm 115:16, below, respectively:
Then God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you; and to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to every thing that moves on the earth which has life, I have given every green plant for food”;
The heavens are the heavens of the Lord, But the earth he has given to the sons of men.
The Bible study teaches on page 5:
“The Creator has appointed man as the warden of His possession. Man is to fill the earth and oversee its operation as a stewardship responsibility. Note that the word “subdue” does not carry with it the idea of a bulldozer mentality…Mankind has inherent stewardship responsibilities before his Creator…”
Radical environmentalists greatly misunderstand Scripture in this regard because embedded in the thinking of radical environmentalism is that the creation, not the Creator, is preeminent.
Ms. Timmons also charged that President Trump has a “climate-change-denying presidency.”
This is false.
Christians believe in climate change. The climate has changed since the beginning of time. Christians just believe that it is God, not mankind, who is responsible for it.