Evolution, Creation, and the Environment

Ever since "An Inconvenient Truth" won its two Oscars(tm), I've been giving a great deal of thought about the significance of that event.  I've been frustrated by the attempts to swiftboat Al Gore by the "Tennessee Center for Policy Research."  On another website I visit, I had a short but spirited  guestbook exchange with someone calling themself "Nicky Cage from Hollywood" about the validity of climate change ("Nicky" couldn't refute any of the statements I made, but simply referred to me as a "global warming fanatic").  

But the Oscar(tm) win led me to start thinking about how that might help bring the issue to an even wider audience.  I know, I know--to all of us it seems ridiculous to think that such a critical issue as climate change isn't in front of everyone every day, but I really don't think that's the case.

I belong to an ELCA Lutheran church and sing in the choir.  We're an extremely liberal outpost in the more-moderate-than-I'd-like Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, so these sorts of issues are addressed daily within our faith community.  Our choir director asks for a member of the choir to provide a short devotion at the close of rehearsal each Wednesday night, and last night was my turn.  Since I'd been thinking about this issue, I decided that it would be my topic.  I wrote the following, and though I might share it with this community for feedback:  

An important event occurred Sunday evening, during the Oscars™ telecast.  As I’m sure you all know, "An Inconvenient Truth" was named Best Documentary Feature for 2006.  Presidential aspirations aside, this was an big development.  By receiving prominent placement in one of the largest media events of the year, and the subsequent media coverage, the issue of climate change, and in a larger sense, our stewardship of the Earth, was plopped squarely in the laps of the large segment of the human population who thrive only on pop culture and mass media and never give a second thought to what human beings are doing to our planet.  People who reject the notion of the human impact of climate change are not only choosing to ignore scientific reality, but given the fact that a certain percentage of them self-identify as part of the religious right, they are also ignoring the will of God.  

This is from the second chapter of Genesis:

Genesis 2
5-7 At the time GOD made Earth and Heaven, before any grasses or shrubs had sprouted from the ground, GOD formed Man out of dirt from the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life. The Man came alive—a living soul!

8-9 Then GOD planted a garden in Eden, in the east. He put the Man he had just made in it. GOD made all kinds of trees grow from the ground, trees beautiful to look at and good to eat.

 15 GOD took the Man and set him down in the Garden of Eden to work the ground and keep it in order.

"And keep it in order."  That’s what we’re supposed to do.  It says so right there.  Now, of course, the Genesis account of creation is certainly allegorical (and I, personally, have no problem reconciling theology with evolution—what we call "evolution" is simply the physical process by which creation occurs), but the intent of God in placing humans on the earth is clearly to care for it and "keep it in order."  By ignoring that, we place everything we know in jeopardy.  We need to take the warnings seriously and work now to ensure that there even is an Earth to "keep in order."

Let us pray.

Creator God, instill in all humankind a deep and abiding respect for all of your creation, and help us do what is right to ensure its continued health and well-being for ourselves and all generations to come.  Hear our prayer in the name of your son, Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Any thoughts?  Does anyone else think that the Oscar(tm) win will help?

(Note--this is my very first diary.)

•  very nice!

  post a tip jar! and keep writing!

  by condoleaser on Thu Mar 01, 2007 at 08:01:14 AM PDT

  •  Thanks

    I'll keep trying!

    by peterj911 on Thu Mar 01, 2007 at 08:30:00 AM PDT

•  Tip Jar!

  I forgot about that!

  by peterj911 on Thu Mar 01, 2007 at 08:06:58 AM PDT

  •  Have a tip and welcome to the kiddie pool

    while I personally think we are better off focusing on the science involved rather than asking people to look to old tales for answers, I also understand that for many people, they will listen more to this book then all the studies ever published, and we can use all the help we can get.

    by ETinKC on Thu Mar 01, 2007 at 08:12:22 AM PDT

•  That is wonderful

  When we can get the faithful to see our "dominion" of the earth as a call to "stewardship" and recognize we have a truly beautiful place in all the enormity of the universe that we have a responsility to care for - perhaps they will finally become truly protective of our fragile environment.

  As it is, we've been more like careless children that break all their toys before the birthday celebration is even over.

  Great work!  

  by blue armadillo on Thu Mar 01, 2007 at 08:11:35 AM PDT

•  My fondest wish is that the Oscar makes

  a splash.  I doubt that is does, however.  One of conservatives favorite targets is 'liberal Hollywood'.  If anything, this entrenches their view of Gore as a liberal (read baby-killing, godless, welfare-loving whackadoo).

  by bherner on Thu Mar 01, 2007 at 08:15:26 AM PDT

•  Nice devotion

  I really don't think the Oscar will make much of a difference, though (you can skip the TM stuff, too, in future entries). I think what's waking people up are events like Katrina, like the warmest January on record, etc. I have very religious family who are farmers in Indiana, and they are beginning to accept that climate change is responsible for much of the weird crap they've observed over the past decade.

  I think Al Gore's work is important in that people can educate themselves about what is happening, but, unfortunately, many Americans prefer to be ostriches, and they won't wake up until the sand they've buried their heads in begins burning their skin.

  by zenbowl on Thu Mar 01, 2007 at 08:16:33 AM PDT

•  Diaries like this

  reflect what I believe may be the immediate future of the Democratic Party.  The GOP deplorably plays on "values" issues as if they have a monopoly on religious morality.  I hope that on the environment, as well as on a broad range of issues of social justice, human rights and international peace, the Democrats can truly tap into the enormous reserve of good-hearted religious Americans like peterj911 and get good things done.  The idea that Democratic ideals and religious faith are incompatible is one of the great PR lies that continue to get the GOP waaaay more votes than they should get.

  by Pegasus on Thu Mar 01, 2007 at 08:40:34 AM PDT

  •  Yes, Exactly

    Thanks for that comment.  I belive strongly, and I know it's been mentioned many times on DK, that right-wing thinking and doing runs so counter to not only Christian teaching, but also teaching of all faiths.  I've often said that the fundamentalist mantra, "What Would Jesus Do?" is actually a very good thing to ask.  What would Jesus do about the less fortunate?  What would Jesus do about the environment?  What would Jesus do about war?  What would Jesus do about income inequality?  In every case, the answer supports liberal thinking much more than it does conservative, or at least the "conservative" thinking in evidence today.

    by peterj911 on Thu Mar 01, 2007 at 08:47:00 AM PDT

    •  I've got a diary in the works

      on this, if I ever get around to finishing it.  Condensed version: just imagine how presidential electoral math would look if Christian voters break closer to 50-50 for Democrats.

      by Pegasus on Thu Mar 01, 2007 at 09:00:49 AM PDT

      •  I'll Look Forward to Reading It

        We'd be unstoppable.

        by peterj911 on Thu Mar 01, 2007 at 09:08:04 AM PDT

•  The God of Evolution Is More Beautiful

  A God that can create systems is far more beautiful than one that has to "poof" each individual species into existence one at a time...

  And you are right, a good understanding of evolution is a strong basis for environmentalism. The Right wing wants to argue that Earth's climate has changed before, and they are absolutely right. 2.5 billion years ago bacteria "invented" photosynthesis, pulling massive amounts of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. The Earth froze up, and over 90% of the species on Earth died off...Another die-off occurred just before the Cambrian.Perhaps 70 million years ago Earth cooled again, and sea levels rose...Again, there was a major die-off.

  Global warming won't kill life on Earth, it will only destroy those species who can't reproduce and evolve quickly enough...and that's not the human race. So a respect for the system and order in the universe is not only intelligent, it's ethical, and it's a great survival technique.

  by MrMichaelMT on Thu Mar 01, 2007 at 09:19:39 AM PDT

  •  Don't fear "the other."

    A lot of fundamentalist Christians are beginning to come around to environmentalism for pretty much the reason suggested by the diarist. Like you, I disagree with them about the origins of the earth and its life, but -- welcome a needed ally when you find one.

    I'm a non-fundamentalist Christian.

    by HeyMikey on Thu Mar 01, 2007 at 10:27:24 AM PDT

•  Might leave out ...

  the phrase "Presidential aspirations aside," since you are not really talking about Al Gore. [editorial hat off]

  by ohiolibrarian on Thu Mar 01, 2007 at 09:44:52 AM PDT

  •  Certainly

    That phrase was really for the intended audience, which was my choir.  When I delivered it at our rehearsal last night, I also included a reference to "preaching to the choir," which got a good laugh . . . .

    by peterj911 on Thu Mar 01, 2007 at 10:30:10 AM PDT