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[Sloth]

Do you think God telling Adam to subdue nature can be taken as a greenlight to destroy the environment?

This verse never sat well with me. Why would God want us to beat down his creation? I get weeding and trimming your yard, but I fear some corporate leaders might see it as "Gods will" to clearcut a forest. Any thoughts?

[jimwalton]

In Genesis 1.28, humans are given responsibility to care for the planet as God would (rule and subdue). In the days of the ancient Near East, what is expected of the king is responsibility care over that which he rules. The humans are here being mandated with the function of God's co-regents, not only ruling as He would rule, but also as stewards over the earth.

It's both a scientific mandate and an environmental one. We are to learn as much as we can of the natural world so we can intervene in and manage it. It implies a degree of control and direction over nature to regulate its natural forces to advance civilization while responsibly managing its beauty and resources. The Bible is clear that the Earth still belongs to God; we don't own it. In a sense we have it on loan, and are expected to manage it on behalf of its true owner as He Himself would manage it. We have a responsibility to manage the environment and to protect it. Abuse of nature for our comfort is not a right or an option. But neither are we just at the mercy of nature. We are expected to make wise decisions in finding the balance for beauty, protection, survival, and taming its potential for destruction to reduce suffering.

The same ideas appear in Ps. 8.6-8. Psalm 100 reminds us that the earth belongs to God. Matthew 6.26 speaks of God's watchful eye over creation. Genesis 2.15 suggest that we rule and subdue the earth by carefully tending it.

The Christian theology of nature is that nature has value in itself. It's not just a resource, a weapon, or a home. What God has made we, who are also his created beings, must not abuse and despise. Nature has intrinsic value because God made it, ordered to function as his temple and for our survival and beauty, and because it reveals God to us in its complexity, balance, order, purpose, beauty, and regularity.

[Sweaty]

Thanks for the reply! How's that going for your faith? What are some wise decisions in finding the balance for beauty, protection, survival, and taming you or your faith group have been making or planning to make? Does your church community have a long history of this, what has that looked like?

[jimwalton]

My view on environmentalism/ecology doesn't inform my faith. Instead, my faith informs my view on ecology. When you ask, "How's that going for your faith?", it doesn't affect my faith; my faith affects it.

> What are some wise decisions in finding the balance for beauty, protection, survival, and taming you or your faith group have been making or planning to make?

I always work to take care of our environment and to be responsible about its use. I don't litter or pollute. I endorse and approve efforts to reduce pollution, to be environmentally responsible rather than abusive, and to tame various entities who wish to abuse the environment for their own personal gain or because ecological responsibility would just be too expensive. In "Pollution and the Death of Man" by Francis Schaeffer, he writes, "It always costs more money and takes longer to treat the land properly."

> Does your church community have a long history of this, what has that looked like?

I live in a tiny community in a rural setting and attend a tiny church (40 people). It's not like we have any global impact. The point is that each of us shows responsible stewardship in the context where we have influence.

[Sweaty]

> I endorse and approve efforts to reduce pollution, to be environmentally responsible rather than abusive, and to tame various entities who wish to abuse the environment for their own personal gain or because ecological responsibility would just be too expensive.

Sounds like you live in a small area and are part of a small community that is independent of larger faith groups and organizations? Are there a lot of entities wishing to abuse your local environment? When you endorse and approve of efforts to reduce their abuse is that like voting in local politics?

Thanks for the Pollution and the Death of Man reference. I will look into the author.

> It's not like we have any global impact. The point is that each of us shows responsible stewardship in the context where we have influence.

Sure. What are some ecological abuses your community has influence over? Or is it mostly personal choices like not littering and polluting? And in my opinion it seems near impossible to not litter and pollute, but I live in a city. My trash goes to landfills, my recycling probably doesn't get recycled, the power I use generate pollution, my wastewater requires a lot of energy to treat, my vehicles sure aren't perfect. For me to live is for me to also pollute and litter as an individual and part of a system of polluting and littering. You have a different view of how you can avoid that in your rural area?

[jimwalton]

> Sounds like you live in a small area and are apart of a small community that is independent of larger faith groups and organizations?

Correct.

> Are there a lot of entities wishing to abuse your local environment? When you endorse and approve of efforts to reduce their abuse is that like voting in local politics?

I live in Vermont, a state that is high attuned to ecological responsibility. They have many laws and rules to govern recycling, pollution, and climate change.

We're having solar panels installed on the roof next month, we recycle, we comply with the laws about water, used paint, plastics, etc. We are actively managing the woodlands on our 15 acres. Etc.

What you asked for was a theology of Christian ecology, and I try to live by those tenets of ecology and responsibility.

[Sweaty]

Thanks for sharing how living your faith intersects with ecology.