A Local Christian Environmental Organization?

A few weeks back I posted a piece entitled My Passion. It was about my sense of calling as a person and as a Christian to the protection, preservation, and wise-use of God’s green earth. I’ll admit I felt sorry for myself a little in that I poured out my guts and hardly anyone said “boo,” which I guess tells me my place in the scheme of things here.

But over time private feedback has been coming in, mainly as people find my site and read the piece as a result of my being mentioned in an interview by Bill Moyers. He didn’t really quote me correctly, but I appreciate the attention.

There are many people who otherwise are more conservative in terms of political philosophy, or who are in the stream known as “social conservatives,” who for the most part are either conservative disenchanted Democrats, independents like myself (non aligned), or Republicans, who do indeed have a passionate concern for environmental issues such as species protection, habitat preservation, protection of air and water quality, simpler lifestyles, less consumption and more reuse of resources, etc.

There are many conservative Christian folk like myself who find that neither party represents their public policy concerns that arise out of a desire to see policy reflect love of neighbor, protection of the weak and poor, empowerment of local government, protection of the citizenry through strong police and military, etc.

Life contains contradictions and no political philosophy at least as embodied by the major players quite does it for all of us, and certainly not for me.

And as one who in generally conservative I understand how my environmental sensitivities may seem inconsistent, since environmental protection depends on strong proactive legislative action.

So be it.

Many Christian people with whom I otherwise agree on a range of issues do not see the significance of a stronger environmental policy and how that contributes to the well being both of the earth which we believe was created by God, mankind who suffers the ravages and injustices of environmental degradation, and the glory of the Creator Himself, whose honor is diminished as His world is defaced.

I am a member of several environmental organizations, but I think there is a need and a place for a local (Triad? NC? Carolina? I am not sure how local) organization of conservative Christian, Catholic, and Orthodox men and women who share as a common passion the care of this great planet we have been commissioned to oversee for the glory of God.

I see a need for an articulate voice aimed toward conservative evangelicals, Catholics, and Orthodox, men and women, in churches, in schools, and in public office.

I see a need for an educational movement aimed at, and presented as a service to, political and social conservatives - perhaps evangelical Christians in particular since they are the weakest on this issue. I am unwilling to see the care for God’s good earth totally co-opted by political liberals and mother earth pagans and Gaia theorists, etc. I am grateful for the way their work contributes to the care of the planet I believe was created by the God of Genesis 1, and the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and I am willing to work with them, but…they are generally NOT going to make much headway with social and political conservatives or get into evangelical churches.

Because of the lack of Evangelical and Christian voice, and because conservatives have given this issue over to more left leanign folk, in the end, the environment suffers, mankind suffers, and God’s glory suffers.

So, I wonder, would anybody care to comment on the idea of a conservative Christian environmental organization and its potential value to the environmental good of our world? I’d like to hear other opinions.