The Demonization of Environmentalists

I got quite a start one day as I was reading a novel of fiction by conservative Christian writer, Larry Burkett. The novel was given to me as a Christmas gift. The giver genuinely thought I would enjoy reading it. What caught me off guard was the way it demonized environmentalists.

Whoa! When did this happen that environmentalists were regarded as the tools of Satan? It didn't make sense. It certainly did not square with my understanding of the Bible. But it provoked me to do a little probing.

In recent times, many in the evangelical Christian community (a.k.a. Christian right) have become more politically active. So what? Good citizenship is encouraged in Christian teaching. However, largely due to the efforts of the late Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, and others, most of these Christian political activists have aligned themselves with the most conservative wing of the Republican party.

What my probing revealed was that many of these right wing Christians had been just as influenced by the party as they were able to influence the party for their causes. For example, in the same way these right wing Christians had pushed their agendas of Right to Life and intolerance of homosexuality onto right wing Republicans, the right wing Republicans had swayed many of these right wing Christians to embrace the other issues such as hostility toward environmentalists as their own. When this is put in a God versus the devil context in the minds of these right wing Christians, that must mean environmentalists are being used by the devil to thwart the purposes of God.

I couldn't believe people bought into that sort of nonsense. But, apparently, many have. I am reminded of the serpent telling Eve how good the forbidden fruit was for making them wise and godlike.

Quite the opposite of what anti-environmentalists might want Christians to believe, God gave mankind dominion over the earth to take care of it, not to destroy it. What greater evidence that God was concerned with the survival of the different species could we have than the narrative of Noah preserving numerous animals from the devastation of the flood? Jesus said that God cares about every sparrow that falls and even the lilies of the field. How can a Christian ignore the environment? Good stewardship of God's creation should be intrinsic to any sort of Christian political activism. Any other position is a lie from the devil, and it is time it was exposed.

That's my two cents.

Wade Houston
September 9, 2007