Dear Christians: It's ok to care about the earth. Actually, we SHOULD.
Today is Earth Day.
I know conservative people tend to roll their eyes at there even BEING an Earth Day, but I think this needs to stop.
And I think conservation and recycling and reduction of consumption need to stop being such taboo topics in the church.
Things are changing for the better (yay!), and more Christians are open to caring about the earth, but we've still got a long way to go.
Here are a few reasons Christians give for not being eco-friendly and why I think they don't hold water.
Tree-Huggers are crazy
Ok, there definitely are some people in the eco-friendly movement who are a little out there.
And I'm surely not going to defend people who basically think we'd all be doing the earth a favor if we died and left the planet to the animals and plants.
But why throw the baby out with the bathwater? There are some nutso people in Christendom too, but that doesn't mean we should give Christianity up.
Global Warming is a Myth
Ok, fine.
I don't think you even have to believe climate change is a thing in order to care about the earth.
Regardless of what you think about climate change, the truth is that we live on a planet with limited resources and limited space.
And because of that, we can't reasonably expect to consume resources at our current unprecedented rate and still leave a decent planet for future generations.
So forget about global warming for a second, and just consider where all of our trash is going to go. When we throw things away, they don't vanish, and eventually, it does seem we will run out of room to store our discarded stuff.
That should be enough motivation for us even without climate change.
God made the earth for us to use.
I do believe God made the earth and its resources for people.
(This is why I don't think it's morally necessary to be a vegetarian. Responsible, kind use of animals is not reprehensible in my book.)
But a planet decimated by wasteful living and irresponsible behavior is NOT good for people. Using the planet is one thing, and abusing it is another.
All that said, here are few positive reason I think we Christians should care about the earth and should reduce our resource consumption.
We should take care of the gift of creation.
If we believe that God ultimately owns everything, then we should behave as stewards of what we've been given. Good stewards take care of what they're responsible for.
We should care about people.
If we care about people, we should care about things like polluted water and polluted air.
Also, the sort of consumption we tend to have in first-world countries is pretty selfish. We hog a lot of the world's resources, and often, we expect people in third-world countries to suffer to provide us with the things we want.
Care about people by caring about the earth.
We should care about future generations.
The planet isn't currently overrun by trash. The air is still quite clean in a lot of places. There's still a lot of healthy vegetation, and unspoiled nature.
But in the grand scheme of things, we haven't been living such consumerist lives for all that long, and just because we're sort of ok now doesn't mean things will still be all right for our great grandchildren.
We wouldn't think of purposely hurting our descendants, but when we fail to take care of the earth we'll hand down to them, we're inadvertently hurting them.
Please know that I'm not saying it's a sin to buy anything in plastic, or that you should rend your garments because you don't/can't compost. You could drive yourself nuts trying to live a perfectly eco-friendly life.
What I AM saying is that we should care.
And that we should try (many small changes make a big difference.)
And that in our churches and communities, we should foster a culture that cares about the earth.
Let's love people by loving the earth we've been given.
____________
P.S. Based on the discussion in the comments, I wrote a post with a few clarifications. You can find that right here.
My first grader's cheap minion backpack just fell apart. I know that he would like to get a new backpack every year with some fun characters on it, but I decided it was time to learn a lesson about buying things that will last, so we don't have to waste a lot of resources on things that will fall apart. So we bought him a high-quality backpack with a leather bottom in a boring navy blue that won't go out of style. It cost about $50 instead of $15 or $20, but I think it was worth it, and I hope he gets in the habit of buying things that last, and won't go out of style.
Jansport backpacks regularly last 30+ years with little evidence of wear. And they don't cost more than average, either. A win in my book!
This is good to know, as Sonia has a rolling Tinkerbell backpack (from Goodwill) that she feels she's outgrown, and I've been unsure of what to replace it with. I'll give Jansport stuff a peek, and hopefully I can buy one that will last her well into adulthood.
LLBean backpacks last forever and they will replace them if they break. They cost a bit more too, but worth is, in my opinion.
Oh, that's another good idea. Thank you!
Second the LL Bean backpacks. They handle the large binders and heavier books well. We save even more by getting them at the outlet store in Freeport where we buy the monogramed returns. About 15 minutes with my seam ripper and we are good to go!
We used to have an L.L. Bean outlet store nearby and I loved using the seam ripper to rescue monogrammed clothing! Such a great deal.
I'm sad it's gone now.
I believe Jansport backpacks come with a lifetime guarantee. My kids have them, they are great.
Yes they do and I used it once about 10 years ago. Just send in the pack and they fix or replace it. Love Jansport.
Tough Traveler makes backpacks in Schenectady, NY. I still have mine from High School!
I still have a blue Jansport backpack that I purchased for my freshman year of high school. I used it daily in high school and college. It's over 15 years old and looks brand new. Jansport all the way!!
Well said! 🙂
Thank
That.
The Earth itself is why I feel so blessed to be attached to agriculture. The stewardship is so rewarding.
It's good to teach our children (and always remember ourselves) that when we throw things "away", there really is no "away". Recycle! Reuse!
Dear Kristen--thank you for posting this today. You and I have very different backgrounds and lives, but I love that we can all come together as stewards of the world, whether that's working on food waste, being thoughtful about where our clothing comes from, or ensuring there's a planet for future generations. Thank you for your focus on where we as humanity can come together and do good--I know it's hard sometimes where we spend a lot of time emphasizing differences. Best regards and keep on writing! You are an inspiration.
Sorry, I accidentally hit "post comment" prematurely. I totally agree that some Christians "throw out the baby with the bathwater" as a response to some secularists who make environmentalism an idol. When a more appropriate response would be to be good stewards of the resources we have been blessed with.
Well, the problem with Earth Day is that it was founded by some less than noble people. One of the key people (though the Earth Day people seem to have done a good job scrubbing his name out of the official records) was Ira Einhorn: a man who brutally murdered his girlfriend and fled the country. Thankfully he's finally behind bars.
Well, many of the Founding Fathers were slaveholders; does that mean we shouldn't celebrate Independence Day?
I agree with this sentiment. No one is perfect (although murder is vastly more than "not perfect"). If we required our leaders and our inspirational figures to be perfect, we'd have none at all.
I'm also willing to appropriate a good idea that was proposed for bad reasons. For example, the anti-sexual discrimination langauge in Title IX was proposed by a southern Senator for the specific and overt purpose of killing the Title entirely - IOW, he didn't want the anti-racial discrimination language to become law.
To be fair, I'd be surprised if many people's objections to Earth Day stem from this (I doubt most people have heard of Einhorn). Certainly not condoning what he did, but I was just addressing people who think eco-friendliness is a ridiculous idea for hippies and liberals. 😉
...and some hippies and liberals are also Christians! 😉
Yep! So true.
Thank you for your wise words.
Kristen, thank you so much for posting this! I have felt this way for years and you managed to convey most of my thoughts and feelings in one nice post. 🙂 I have never understood why we as believers don't take seriously that God placed us as stewards over the earth and its resources! I appreciate how mindful amd aware you are. It reminds me in my own daily life. Thanks x a million!
Well said! When I was growing up (50+ years ago) my parents were of that mindset that anything "earthy" was for "those crazy hippies". I never could understand why we still wouldn't want to be good stewards of the earth regardless. After all, God expects us to be good stewards of everything else he gives us - why not the earth too?
This is very well stated, put, said. Thank you for such a thoughtful post on this day of awareness for our Earth and it's many resources. Thank you.
Great post! I worked at a church summer camp for years and was lucky to have the support of many priests to share environmental knowledge with kids. I believe that God wants us to take care of the Earth. It's sad that being a Christian is so closely tied with being a strict conservative. The two aren't mutually exclusive. I love that posts like this are out there today! Thanks for sharing!
Love this message!!! Thanks Kristen! 🙂
Very well said! Caring for the earth, animals, people etc. should never get neglected no matter what the excuse!
Calmly and rationally well-said. For me the most effective way to care about the planet today and with an eye to the future is to live frugally. It's green for me financially and environmentally. Stepping down from my recycled soapbox now.
I very much appreciate your efforts to promote good stewardship of the wonderful world our Lord created. I am blessed I suppose as in my own life experience it is the Christians who are practicing stewardship and the non believers and the "I believe in God but will do my own thing" folks that I have seen behave selfishly and wastefully. Because of that, I feel like this post was a little judgemental. I don't believe that was your intent but it did strike a nerve to be lumped into a "Christians don't care about the earth" group. That's as unreasonable as Christians who say that all non Christians who do care are hippies. We've come to a point where everyone needs to pitch in before it's too late. Again, thank you for your advocacy and efforts and for hearing me out. I appreciate your blog very much and check in daily.
Oh, I totally understand that there are Christians who care. I'm one of them! This post is addressed to Christians who roll their eyes at ecofriendliness.
If you already care, then great! As they say, if the shoe fits, wear it, and the shoe doesn't fit you. 🙂
Beautiful post, Kristen!
Amen sister!
If everyone could just change one thing, even 1x per week what a change could happen.
-lose a juice box and opt for a reusable bottle
-wash and reuse a ziplock
-wear your pants more than once before washing
-scrape, don't rinse tableware
Anything is better than zero.
Man, you are spot ON this week! Love it!
A few thoughts: at different times in my life I've lived among Christians and hippies, and I have to say, the hippies are by and large more pleasant to be around. Not saying that's always true, but I do think there is something attractive about being peaceful and enjoying nature (not worshiping it) - I see that often in your Instagram posts and on your blog. So good job! I think we all can work on being "happy warriors".
As a child I was taught that God gave Adam control over the Earth as a lesson in STEWARDSHIP: not exploitation, not "mastery", not wastefulness; and I think your post demonstrates this really well. Along those lines: I think we really need to teach our children that throwing things "away" is a misnomer. A powerful lesson in my childhood was when I visited a third-world dump, where people were LIVING. We are so blessed in America to have opportunities (and problems) unique to a wealthy society. We need to remember the importance of our choices. And living with less waste (ie less stuff) makes me a more peaceful person, which I think God smiles about.
Awesome post!
Thank you for this! My grandfather was a Methodist minister and he taught me about the beauty of God's earth, care for nature, and conservation. To respect the earth and not waste anything. My father was raised that way and passed it onto me and my sisters. I can't even fathom how anyone, Christian or not, would not care about the planet and conservation of our most precious resources. Of course we all act selfishly and take the easy way out, but being made aware of the need to conserve and respect the planet should make anyone think twice about their choices.
And everyone says Amen!
I've always been confused about why some Christians don't see the importance of caring for the earth -- it was one of the first commands God gave to Adam!
I love your balanced approach, thanks.
Yes! 🙂 My Christian faith is the reason I became an environmental engineer and it breaks my heart when I see these two groups pitted as diametric opposites. Thanks for the beautifully articulated post.
I'm sure your post is well-intended, but please consider that by saying Christians should care about the earth, you are implying that most Christians (if not all) do not care. Having no concern about the environment is the antithesis of Christ's message of loving God and loving our neighbors.
I am a Christian and I care about all of God's creation. I "reduce, reuse, recycle, and resist." It seems highly prejudicial to suggest that Christ's followers are anti-environment.
Mm, that was definitely not my intent. I'm delighted that some Christians DO care, and I acknowledged that things are improving on that front in the church.
However, there remains a strong contingent in Christendom (and conservatism) that thinks eco-friendliness is for the birds, and that's what I'm addressing.
Although I am not of your faith, I believe what you wrote applies to us all. Thank you for such a beautiful and inspiring post.
God wants us to take care of everything that He made for us to enjoy. People, animals and the earth. Not sure I need a day to celebrate it but all people, Christians included, should take care of it.
We don't share the same faith (I'm a Mormon), but I struggle with seeing the same attitude in my own religion. We are very specifically taught that we are supposed to be stewards of the earth. It's hard for me to understand that there might be a way of interpreting that sentiment that DOESN'T involve the mantra reduce, reuse, recycle. I also think that good care of the environment falls right into line with frugality, which is another thing that church members are encouraged to do. In fact, the first place I heard, "use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without" was over the pulpit. I am far from perfect at good stewardship and frugality, but it's something I've really begun to take to heart in the way I consume the limited resources around me.
I have really appreciated getting to "know" you through your blog because we view so many of the things in the world in the same way. It's so nice to know I'm not alone in being practical about my frugality and stewardship of the earth.
I agree. We should care for the earth because God gave it to us. He would have us be good stewards of His gifts and not wasteful and careless. Thanks for a great article!
As a fairly passionate liberal, a Buddhist, and a bit of a bohemian, if not a true hippie, I know that I sit at the opposite end of the cultural divide from you, Kristen, as well as most of the readers of this blog. Strangely enough, that's one of the reasons I enjoy reading your blog - it's one of the few places I've found where I can get an un-politicized glimpse into the thinking of a conservative Christian. I'm continually surprised to find out that we really seem to have much more in common than I ever would have imagined.
I guess it just seems that politics has divided our world into a crazy disjointed series of us vs. them battles, where people pick sides on issues simply based on the fact that it separates them from the other side, rather than really looking at the issue itself. And both sides do it. It's almost like football fans supporting one team over another. And while that approach may help politicians to get elected, I don't think it helps us as a society.
Anyhow, I just wanted to offer a shout our for your willingness to step beyond the us vs. them mentality and take on one an issue that's become so very divisive these days.
"Strangely enough, that’s one of the reasons I enjoy reading your blog – it’s one of the few places I’ve found where I can get an un-politicized glimpse into the thinking of a conservative Christian. I’m continually surprised to find out that we really seem to have much more in common than I ever would have imagined."
Yes!!! I'm not a Buddhist (I have Christian-ish beliefs, don't go to church currently but will probably start going to a UU or liberal Quaker meeting when I have kids) but otherwise probably pretty similar to you and I looooove Kristen's blog for the same reasons. (and the frugality and general cheerfulness, of course!)
Girl, preach.
I wish every Christian would read this. I care about the environment because of my Christian faith, not in spite of it. Devotion to our Creator should lead to proper care of the rest of creation.
Dear Kristen,
What you're saying makes perfect sense to me.
Just wondering: might a Christianity that claims 'ecofriendliness is for the birds' be very much an American thing? Over here (I live in the Netherlands) it often seems that it's religious people that care most about our earth. Though the ultra-conservative wing doesn't seem to care at all (luckily, they are not a huge political/demographic factor). Are you refering to said ultra-conservative churches, or 'mainstream' Christianity (if such a thing even exists)?
Kind regards,
Carolina
It may very well be! I've never lived outside the U.S., so my perspective is limited to my own country.
Here, there's a pretty big liberal/conservative divide on environmental issues, and since a lot of Christians fall into the conservative camp, a lot of Christians tend to think environmentalism isn't all that fabulous.
Good point, Carolina. I do tend to think it's often more of a cultural thing than just religious. People can use their religion to make excuses for all sorts of less than great behavior, I'd say, when it's really just them not wanting to change or being anti- whatever for other reasons.
(not to say that ALL Christians do, mind you 🙂 )
Dear Kristen, Emily M and Lori,
Thank you for your answers/comments. Lots of food for thought here.
Kind regards,
Carolina
Kind of piggy-backing off of Carolina, I wonder when taking an anti-environmentalist position became something Christians did, and if it's uniquely (or mostly) American? I don't know nearly enough about views about nature/the environment in Christian theology historically, but there's certainly plenty of early Christians who seem to take a high view of nature and hymns that do, as well. So I wonder how much of rejection of the idea that Christians are to care about the state they leave the earth in comes from dispensationalist theology in general and 1970s/80s/90s popularizations of dispensationalist theology in particular. Because it just doesn't seem to be a very historically-grounded view, and most historical denominations have some sort of teaching about care for creation.
It would be interesting to know the history of it. When and why did this become so politicized?
It became political with the description of conservatives rolling their eyes. Not exactly a true statement.
Oh, I meant when did the issue in the world at large become politicized, not when did this post become politicized!
I've personally experienced Christian/conservative anti-environmentalism myself (being a Christian with passion about the environment feels pretty lonely sometimes!), and I know it exists in conservatism at large as well. Not every Christian/conservative thinks this way, but there are enough for people to be surprised when a Christian or conservative DOES actively care about the earth.
I don't think Earth day is just for hippies at all. LOL. However I do get really concerned and squeemish when people worship creation instead of the Creator. That is where I draw the line.
Thanks!
In my opinion it gets politcal when people or businesses are forced into doing something by either local, state or national governments, in hopes of saving the earth. Like where we live, they want to build a huge highway dividing our town simply because some kind of animal lives in a stream where the original plans were drawn up. Or like my inhaler for example. I had a wonderful inhaler for my asthma. But the formulation changed because of birds. I kid you not. So my breathing, which I have to do to live, is not as important as some birds. I think that is why it gets such heated discussions. I could be wrong but I think it plays a big part of it.
Amen, sister! I couldn't agree with you more!
Very well said. As a conservative Christian, I am happy to say that my church emphasizes taking care of others and the earth as God's stewards. I think like you do, Kristen, and I don't think you are painting all conservatives with the same brush, far from it.
My husband and I are conservative politically and attend a conservative church, so people are sometimes surprised to find he worked for years for a company that recycled as its main business, and that we love people, wilderness, our soil, water and sky, protecting animals, and giving to organizations that fight poverty, sex trafficking, abuse and hunger. We reduce, reuse, and recycle all the time. It shouldn't be a surprise, though. It should be: if we love God, we love his children and what he has given to us!
Thanks for the post!
I love your reply JD!!! Ditto
Thanks, that's very kind of you!
Thank you....very well said!
Although Lee Atwater was successful in enshrining Conservative Christians as a key catered-to constituency of the Republican Party, and the majority of environmental pooh-poohing comes from the right, it's erroneous to equate "conservative" to "Christian" as you seem to be doing here (even if it's not your intent). I know a number of conservatives who happen to be agnostic or atheist and who are also environmentally-conscious, as well as a number of Christians who are as well. I'm not going to say how I fit in here, but things are not as monolithic as they seem, despite the way the two major parties dominate and the media portrays them.
Yeah, I didn't mean to equate the two. I mean, if you did a Venn diagram of Christians and conservatives, I think there would be quite a bit of overlap, but not everyone would overlap.
I felt that you were very concise and accurate in your assessment of how some Christians, just as how some other people of other groups behave toward this planet. God created this world for people and we seem to be as a whole intent on destroying it. Christians have an additional responsibility of stewardship as you pointed out so well. Thank you for your commentary today. I really enjoyed reading it. Amen and Amen
Heartily agree! Thanks for posting.
Regarding the correlation of political conservatism, religious belief and concern for the environment, I think that the ideas about what seems to "go together" depends on your life experience and who you spend your time with. I am a politically liberal Christian who is very active in a mainline protestant denomination. I am proud of my church's record of social activism and environmental care. In fact, it was interesting and surprising to learn Kristen's perspective because I don't know many conservative Christians very well. But the truth is she worships with a different set of people and norms for opinions are very different from group to group. I think it is a complete fallacy to think that you know what any given person believes and acts upon without asking them or observing their behavior. I think that caring for the earth is a belief that most people can share, regardless of any other affiliation that they have.
And most of my experience is within relatively conservative Christian denominations. You'd probably never be inspired to write a post like this! But I'm writing out of my lifetime experience, and it's a little lonely to care about the earth in these types of circles.
Hopefully that'll change, though!
Beautifully said, and it's awesome of you to say something out loud that may not always be popular but is still important!
As a note - I believe this became a political issue because of how larger business has often been affected by environmental laws. Environmental regulations tend to impact those corporations financially and I don't think anyone can deny that large corporations in America have the power to impact our political climate, and they tend to largely favor conservative politics. That thinking of us vs. them seems to have trickled down to some conservative religous groups as well. I don't have the answers but I would love to see honest compromise for the better on both sides.
Yes. On the one hand, I think big business has too much power, but on the other hand, I think the government does tend to over-regulate things sometimes.
I think of the problems that the Greek yogurt industry is causing, with the dumping of all that whey, though, and I think something should be done to put a stop to that. Who will do that but the government?
But you know, we can all get behind the idea that grassroots efforts matter, and that our individual life choices do add up to something significant collectively. And we don't need to wait for the government to make laws in order for us to make more eco-friendly choices!
YES, absolutely! 🙂
I am so glad you wrote this post! I am a fairly conservative christian who was raised in an ultra conservative household with a very "eco-friendliness is for the birds" attitude. Although now as a young adult (is 29 young adult? Because it feels like it should be!) with a young family I definitely see this view point changing. It seems to me that Christians of my parents generation still reflect this sentiment, more out of habit than anything I think. Logically I know most Christians realize we need to be good stewards of the resources we've been given, but making changes that would help seems daunting when you've been doing the same things for decades. I really do see a difference in attitude about the environment, regardless of religion or political party, in my generation though. I went to public school and reusing, recycling, and conserving was really pushed and emphasized, regardless of your views on climate change. Perhaps since it's an idea a lot of my generation heard on a regular basis it just comes as second nature, which is definitely a positive change!
I think that the reason Christians tend to shy away from Earth Day is because it seems to come from/be associated with the idea of Mother Earth as opposed to God as the Creator. I strongly feel that we as Christians need to focus on God's creation that is entrusted to our stewardship for His glory and the well-being of those around us, and lead the charge in practical ways. Just one little change at a time can make a difference in the long run. Thanks for this blog post to remind us of that!
A few things, and brava to your bravery for calling out the "Christian" community for sometimes acting unChristian.
1) Revelation 11:18 makes it clear that among those who will be judged and destroyed are those that willfully "ruin the earth". When I read this, I think of greedy corporations who ignore laws and dump waste into drinking water, among other groups.
2) When Jesus multiplied loaves and fishes to feed the multitudes, he **had the disciples gather up the leftovers**. Now here was a guy who could snap his fingers and miraculously provide food, yet he made sure none went to waste!
3) I wonder if some of the attitude of so-called Christians who don't believe we should treat the earth with care also believe it will be burned up and destroyed (so, what's the point in worrying about it?). But the Bible doesn't support that idea at all. Psalms 104:5, Eccl 1:4 and many other verses make it clear that the earth will endure forever (it's wicked mankind who will be judged, not the physical planet God made beautifully and perfect for humans).
Caring about the earth has a lot more to it than recycling, buying an occasional green product, and saying that you care.
It's been my experience that a lot of people do lip service for the earth, but aren't willing to be inconvenienced even the tiniest bit. I'd like to encourage all who have read this post to do a private self-check.
Do you buy organic? Health debate aside, the fertilizer and pesticide runoff is a critical reality. Living near the Great Lakes as I do, I see the damage from it very regularly.
Do you buy locally? Remember that buying foods that aren't local and buying them out of season means that a lot of petroleum was used to transport them to you.
Are you still using plastic bags? Really? Do you know that plastic bags, in addition to contributing to the giant trash mass in the oceans, is also the single leading factor in sea turtles being endangered, as they look similar in the water to the jellyfish they eat?
Have you installed a low flow showerhead and a low flow aerator on your kitchen sink? Clean water is becoming an increasing issue.
Do you turn lights off in rooms when no one is there? 22% of our energy use comes from our homes.
I could go on, but my point is... everyone... please check yourself. Add one thing each week if you can. People often say they care, but they care only when it doesn't inconvenience them at all. I assure you, the feeling of inconvenience doesn't last. It brings joy. And this is a process, for everyone.
Awesome, awesome post!!! Thank you for writing this 🙂
I've been a longtime reader of this blog, but I somehow missed this post last year, so I was looking forward to reading about a Christ-focused view of environmental stewardship.
I agree with most of your points, but I'm a little confused by the outright statement "global warming is a myth." Even if you don't believe in climate change, why include that statement in a post on environmentalism? The only thing it does is make your message confusing. I know you've posted about climate change before, but one reason that non-Christians have a hard time taking evangelical Christians seriously is their shaky track record on science. Nearly the entire world believes in climate change. The number one group that is skeptical of climate change is evangelical Christians, and I don't get it (http://www.patheos.com/blogs/unsystematictheology/2015/10/why-do-so-many-christians-still-deny-climate-change/). You're alienating a lot of readers who would probably get a lot out of your post, and for what? Pride? To make a political statement? I would never have pegged this blog as a political one, and I'm disappointed.
I think maybe you misunderstood the format of my post. I was listing off things I hear Christians say, as a way of avoiding environmentalism. I don't think all tree-huggers are crazy either! It's just a list of objections, with my rebuttals following. 🙂