The Environment -- We didn't listen to the Bible, will we listen to science

Robert Parham's piece on Ethic's Daily is a powerful statement to the Christian Community about our failure to heed the warnings of scripture about care of the environment. He wonders if we will now listen to the overwhelming voice of science on global warming.

In a litany that calls for confession Parham writes:

The Bible spoke first about humans guarding garden Earth from harm, but Bible listeners did not hear.

The Bible said God entrusted us with the assignment to be responsible for the earth, but Bible interpreters did not act.

The Bible said human beings were the crowning glory of creation, but Bible believers decided we
were the only jewel in the crown.

The Bible said the "earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof," but Bible readers figured the earth was ours, and we could do whatever we wanted to everything in it.

That is because our fidelity to the Bible is secondary to our anthropocentrism, our hyper-individualism, our materialism without limits and our need for immediate gratification.

Now science has spoken. Leading scientists, experts and government officials have issued a report saying the garden is in trouble due to harmful human activity.

And then in a word of rebuke for self-centeredness he writes:

That means the rest of the Christian community must do some heavy lifting. In a church ethos where spiritual escapism encourages congregants to avoid rigorous intellectual engagement and social activism, change is hard. Being proactive is always more difficult than being reactive. Shifting America from an idolatrous relationship with short-term gain to long-term good is tough work.

And so what will we do? What will I do? Thank you for this challenge!