http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/13/john-shimkus-climate-change_n_782664.html were hymns about God's creative power. "For the Beauty of the Earth", "This Is My Father's World", "How Great Thou Art", "Morning Has Broken", "All Things Bright and Beautiful"... just the start of a list to which I'm sure you could add your favorites.
What I find stunning with the pervasive ignorance of those who regard climate change as not impacted by our profligate abuse of our environment and the overwhelming evidence supported by 98% of all scientific authority on the subject -- is they support the abuse of the environment by abusing scripture.
As the article noted Rep. Shimkus, likely to head a House Committee on Energy and Commerce, brings his considerable skills as a biblical interpreter to his legislative agenda: "I believe that's [the Bible] the infallible word of God, and that's the way it's going to be for his creation," Shimkus said.
Having concluded that the Bible doesn't allow for any destruction by Flood (see the covenant with Noah in Genesis 9) it will only be destroyed should God will it. I guess there is room for us to destroy it by nuclear weapons -- if it be God's will -- but basically we have little to say about how everything is going to end.
God must have been wasting breath when we were charged with being caretakers of the earth and everything in it -- see Genesis 1. While Rep. Shimkus might agree with the notion of Dominion Theology -- that the earth is ours to subdue and rule over as we see fit -- I would suggest that the declaration of God for us to be stewards of the environment comes ahead of that part of the story where we screw everything up.
Well ... Adam screws it up by listening to Eve who was duped by a wily serpent. A brilliant myth by the way, right!?! But you would think that the perfection of creation, having been ruined by the advent of selfishness and sin might have changed the game a bit. Prior to 'the Fall' humankind would have operated without sin and sought only the good of creation -- after 'the Fall' humankind suffered the decline of the earth's bounty and reaped a future that was harsh and aggressive. While God might have willed the sustaining beauty of the earth become the provenance of humankind, the flaw was letting us have free will. With that reality all bets are off -- as are the capacities of human beings to act without fail as God would wish.
Fundamentalism, with its faith-less reading of scripture, believes that the innerant 'Word of God' trumps everything -- reason, science, common-sense, observable reality by the most untutored of us. (Even the most ignorant have to wonder why glaciers are retreating at a pace unheard of in centuries -- more about this below) Conveniently this bizarre reading of the Bible links up closely with the Republican interest in unfettered capitalist exploitation of the resources the earth has to offer. In an immoral twist on being stewards the assumption is that if it's good for BP and DuPont it must comport with God's will -- I mean if God didn't want us to have cheap oil and defoliants God wouldn't have put those substances into the creation! By-products are the price we pay for driving comfort and insect repellent. Bad water, lung disease, spoiled landscapes and famine are the price we pay for listening to ignorant and selfish people who put profits above 'loving their neighbors as themselves'. (If they could only love everyone into the halls of power like they love themselves, what a different world it might be.)
Natural theology understands that God's purposes and presence can be found in the created order. And as we review the works of the Psalmists we can acknowledge that ancient articulations about God's blessings are inextricably linked with the power and beauty of creation. The reality that "rocks and trees and skies and seas, his hands the wonders wrought" finds its way into modern hymns is a testimony to our deep appreciation of God's handiwork.
Thankfully, it may be the impact of legislators like Mr. Shimkus that will begin to light a fire under some Americans who can see stupid when it rears its blockish head. With the rising number of evangelicals who are willing to acknowledge that good Biblical interpretation compels us to good stewardship we might have an ability for some conservatives to brunt the impact of bad policy drawn from bad hermeneutics. Hopefully some effective alliances can develop around core human rights and values that will bring progressive evangelicals and mainline Christians together.
To circle back to comments made above concerning the retreat of glaciers those who like to debunk climate change -- consider Nobel Prize winning scientist Sen. James Inhofe of Oklahoma -- who thinks global warming is a hoax. While it is true that a study of ancient climates see change as a recurring phenomena throughout unrecorded and recorded history -- for those who follow Bishop Usher's understanding of the creation occurring on Sunday, October 23, 4004 B.C. (or B.C.E. for ecumenical purists) as per Biblical inerrancy all those fossils and carbon dating are a nuisance of course. But it doesn't really matter. To equate 2010 with the Little Ice Age -- a period of cooling after a warm medieval age -- is absolutely bizarre. How does the 13th century compare in any way with the early 21st? Well -- there are people and horses and cats. Lots of things that appear to be the same. Except that in the year 1,200 A.D. (C.E. for ecumenical purists) the head counters estimate that the world contained roughly 450 million people. That is almost exactly the total combined population of the U.S. (310) and Russia (142) today. I wonder if population differences make any impact? Do you think that the Indian subcontinent, which had 125 million people in 1750 -- when they rode in carts and rowed and sailed their boats -- and now has 1.5 billion people driving cars without smog controls, burning diesel to travel by water, and consuming enormous amounts of natural resources might be making a difference in global weather conditions? Well ... duh!
I'm excited -- I hope you are -- with the election of people who will be guided by narrow interpretations of ancient texts that actually weren't intended to provide road-maps to public policy 20-30 centuries after their creation. What I do know is that scripture speaks to the deep faith expression that God gifted creation to creatures who have to take responsibility for its maintenance, protection, and sustaining. As the Psalmist says: 'we are fearfully and wonderfully made' (139:14) ... that doesn't mean we should be fearful of course. So I will pray that 'warmer' heads prevail as the climate discussion goes on. Thanks for reading this and letting me grind my teeth in your direction!
Meanwhile I'll sing familiar hymns and trust in God: verse 3 of a favorite hymn:
This is my Father's world. O let me ne'er forget that though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet. This is my Father's world: why should my heart be sad? The Lord is King; let the heavens ring! God reigns; let the earth be glad!
-- and offer this as a gift for your listening pleasure -- it is a favorite group, Eden's Bridge, singing "Whole Earth":http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNCjgRn-Lw4. Check them out -- it's worth your time!
Have a blessed Sabbath!
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