SBC gets into politics, environment... again

[sgrizzle]

quote:Southern Baptists approved a resolution on global warming Wednesday that questions the prevailing scientific belief that humans are largely to blame for the phenomenon and also warns that increased regulation of greenhouse gases will hurt the poor.

I have NEVER been able to grasp how political issues like regulating CO2 emissions effect the church or why any church should be involved.

I mean, technically there are a lot of people on TV spewing hot air (CO2) and asking for donations but I really don't think that is an important source of CO2. If it was, we could just nuke DC and take care of most of the hot air emissions.

I'm a long-time Southern Baptist but this just makes me scratch my head. Of course I'm also republican so my head scratching is about to cause hair loss.

http://tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?articleID=070614_1_A8_spanc15632

[MichaelC]

You're a Southern Baptist aren't you?

It's not new really, the concept is generally that humans can't destroy the world, because God has plans already drawn up for Earth's destruction.  God can make missiles fly and kill us all, God can make the earth warmer and kill us all, God can throw an asteroid at us and kill us all; but it's inconsistant with doctrine to blame humans.  

It would be far more consistent with Southern Baptist doctrine to blame God and sin for Global Warming.  It's the same concept as Falwell's message that God sent those planes into WTC because of homosexuality.  It's just on a general scale, it's perfectly consistent with Southen Baptist doctrine to deny human involvement.

[NellieBly]

There is a group of baptists in Texas that are fighting the state's plans to build 18 coal fired plants. I guess they are all going to H-E-double hockey sticks.

[rwarn17588]

Based on the thread title, I initially thought it was going to be about Southwestern Bell.

[sgrizzle]

quote:Originally posted by MichaelC

You're a Southern Baptist aren't you?

I said that in the first post.

[Conan71]

quote:Originally posted by rwarn17588

Based on the thread title, I initially thought it was going to be about Southwestern Bell.

[}:)][}:)] My thoughts exactly, though I thought: "Wait they are the 'New AT&T' now".

[MichaelC]

quote:Originally posted by sgrizzle

I said that in the first post.

Well I'll be, you sure did.  []

They are consistent I think, on this issue.  The SBC could go either way depending on what they focus on, but it doesn't surprise me much.  In your more "orthodox" type protestant denominations, that concept that God is responsible for everything in the world, and that humans can't really effect it, is common.  So is the concept that God constructed this Earth so that humans could lord over it, and do with it what they want.  The SBC could come out anti-recycling, and say "we don't have to care about the Earth, God will take care of it."  The SBC could come out anti-endangered species on the concept that "God placed the animals here for us to do what we will."

The SBC has a tendency to be somewhat hard-lined about things.  And obviously, there are some Republicans that would like to slow down this concept of human responsibility for global warming.  Not saying there's a political connection, but it's a good fit for the two.

[sgrizzle]

Well as fark would say "Baptists in arms over global warming, still no cure for cancer."

Our baptist church recycles, so that is like thing #832 we might be in trouble for.

[rhymnrzn]

quote:Originally posted by sgrizzle

quote:Southern Baptists approved a resolution on global warming Wednesday that questions the prevailing scientific belief that humans are largely to blame for the phenomenon and also warns that increased regulation of greenhouse gases will hurt the poor.

I have NEVER been able to grasp how political issues like regulating CO2 emissions effect the church or why any church should be involved.

That's strange.  There are many areas in the authoritive Scripture that allude and refer to man's destroying and devouring of the earth, historically and prophetically.  If efficiency (as opposed to wastefullness) were by the grace of God among many people who are informed, then we might also reap a clean and peaceful environment (as opposed to being spued out of it), where the church welcomed more and more.

[MichaelC]

I think it's a hangover from centuries of "the earth is static".  Unchanging, and immovable.  It goes back to Geocentrism; the Earth is the center of the Universe placed here by God to house humans.  Where weather, earthquakes, volcanos, and such were simply "acts of God".

If God placed this Earth in this position for a purpose, and has a plan for it's destruction, and controls the factors around the Earth's survival or destruction, humans can't effect that plan and can't change the Earth's purpose.

I'm not saying the Southern Baptist believe the Earth is the immovable center of the Universe, but some concepts take a long time to die.  Geocentrism, you can find people that believe in it if you look hard enough.  I've known one.

[RecycleMichael]

quote:Originally posted by sgrizzle

Well as fark would say "Baptists in arms over global warming, still no cure for cancer."

Our baptist church recycles, so that is like thing #832 we might be in trouble for.

I will donate recycling bins to any church that is serious about recycling.

Send me a private message.

[mr.jaynes]

Personally, I like to think God gave us this planet the way a friend or neighbor may enlist the aid of another to house-sit for him. He gave us a good planet, and He may want us to take care of it, just the way one would take care of the house of a friend. May sound childlike, but I like to think it nonetheless.