From: George Murphy (gmurphy@raex.com)
Date: Sat Nov 08 2003 - 20:15:29 EST
Michael Roberts wrote:
>
> > This ties in with another topic we've discussed frequently here.
> Christian
> > opposition to environmentalism is often connected with rejection of
> evolution & YEC
> > views. When we talk (as we have here) about the dangers of those views we
> ought to take
> > their "environmental impact" into account. In some ways that poses a more
> immediate
> > threat than do theoretical ideas about evolution or ID.
> >
> A probable reason is that YECs tend to go a bundle on endtimes, Left Behind
> and all that. Thsoe who do tend to believe (contrary to Scripture) that the
> endtimes are imminent so if Jesus is going to return in the next 20 years it
> wont matter if oil is going to run out in 40.
The supposed imminence of the endtimes is one reason for lack of concern about
nature but there are others. In the usual anti-evolution scenario humanity is more or
less parachuted into a creation which has been fully prepared for it (even if lip
service is paid to Gen.2:7). Thus the connection between humanity and the natural world
is cut.
There are also bad theological reasons besides those directly connected with
evolution, though they're often a package deal. If our hope is "going to heaven when we
die" then earth doesn't really matter. Some fundamentalists imagine that there's
something intrinsically New Age about environmentalism, & equate it with nature worship.
(Of course there are varieties of this around.) & then there's a sort of global version
of the health & wealth or "prosperity" gospel - if we just have faith, God will make
sure that we have enough oil, clean water, &c.
Shalom,
George
George L. Murphy
gmurphy@raex.com
http://web.raex.com/~gmurphy/
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