God's country

Another excellent post from Griper Blade, this one about a group of Southern Baptist leaders, including the president of the SBC, signing a declaration stating that their denomination has not been doing enough to support environmental issues.

Read the post here. I'll give you a minute.

Done? Good. I love news like this. I'm not about to go join up with a Southern Baptist church over it, but it's a refreshingly positive sign. It's also a movement that's gaining steam throughout a lot of Christian denominations. Frankly, it seems a bit overdue. There are several passages in the Bible where humanity is told to be stewards of the Earth, to take care of the place, etc. The cries about global warming being a liberal ruse always seemed strange to me. Being good to our home always seemed like a nonpartisan no-brainer to me, and, as someone who grew up in the church, something that went hand-in-hand with Christianity (or any religion, for that matter).

A good example of the steps some Christian groups are taking toward positive environmental impact can be found via the Daily Mitzvah, and her following of the Tear Fund's Carbon Fast for Lent. I was giddy when their efforts were pointed out to me. This is the kind of good work I'd always looked for in the church: alleviating poverty, caring for the sick, and looking after our environment.

I never understood why things like homosexuality, which harms no one, and evolution were so divisive and heavily focused on by (some) Christians and other religious folk. Wouldn't it make more sense to follow the positive teachings found in their holy texts? To try to leave this world in better shape than what we found it in? Maybe that's the ex-Girl Scout in me talking, but it seems like the right thing to do. Matthew 5:44-45 would be a good place to start.