I don't think environmentalism, at least how the discussion is framed and applied today, is in anyway consistent with Christianity. Environmentalism is all about preserving nature in it's natural form. It is all about wild forests, as few people living in nature as possible, so nature can be left to its own devices.
But the
Bible teaches us that we are to steward and subject nature, that is why humans
were made. The ideal environment for man and animal was not in a jungle, not in
a forest, not in a wilderness, but in a garden. What is a garden? It is a
natural space that has been tamed, manicured, or in other words subjected and
stewarded well. This means that our world was created to be managed, not left
to its own devices, and this is important to recognize.
I don't
think it is a coincidence that the animals that man has most subjected and
stewarded are not only not going extinct, but are plentiful on the earth.
Whereas every species that man has left to roam wild faces declining
numbers...unless drastic action has been taken to preserve their habitats.
I love
nature and want to see it last, and man's strategy of letting it go about its
own devices tends to cause it to atrophy and die. Unless man makes a monumental
effort, deserts will continue to grow. When man takes his flocks and manages
them right, then environments can be revitalized.
Man needs
nature to survive, but we have forgotten that God created a world where nature
needs man to survive. Unless environmentalism is changed from the inside out
with this biblical perspective, then many preservation efforts will continue to
fail. What is interesting is in some parts of Africa where they are doing paid
game hunting, lions and other animals are thriving, and so are the communities
that are funded by such activities.[i]
We all know what can happen in Australia if bush fuel loads are not maintained
at low numbers; badly conceived environmental policies have been claimed by experts to contribute to massive
flora and fauna in some of the most devastating fires in recent
history.[ii]
I think the
base desire of environmentalists to see species preserved and green spaces
flourish is noble and good. I also think that their whole philosophy of how to
achieve it is pagan, wrong, and nature-centric, rather than theo-centric, and
therefore doomed to continued failure.
What are
your thoughts?
For a more
detailed discussion of the problems with the environmentalist movement,
read here
List of
References
[i] Nuwer,
Rachel 2017, “Hunt Elephants to Save Them? Some Countries See No Other Choice” New
York Times, accessed on 8.06.2021, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/04/science/elephants-lions-africa-hunting.html
[ii] SBS
News 2013, updated 2019, “Fires not due to climate change: expert” SBSNEWS https://www.sbs.com.au/news/fires-not-due-to-climate-change-expert
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