Christian Perspective On Global Warming

FIRST-PERSON: Global warming propaganda from Scholastic?

WASHINGTON (BP)--Tens, even scores, of millions of adult Americans will remember warmly the weekly papers we received in school from Scholastic. They were geared for specific age ranges, Kindergarten through 12th grade, and covered many subjects.

They're still around today, many are as useful, and unobjectionable, as they were 40 years ago.

But not all.

A few days ago the Cornwall Alliance received an anonymous email from a Kindergarten teacher at a Christian school. She had been surprised when her school principal told her not to use "The Magic School Bus and the Climate Challenge," a book and Webcast video from Scholastic.com designed for Kindergartners through third graders, to acquaint them with the serious danger of global warming and how we can "go Green" to "help save the planet" by resorting to wind, solar, and other alternative energy sources.

"Can you tell me why the ... program would be a bad thing?" she asked.

Her question is a good one and deserved a careful answer. Here, condensed and revised somewhat, is my reply:

You've said the only reason your principal gave you for not teaching the children about global warming is that "it is not a Christian worldview." Although few have thought the issue through at that depth, he's going right to the root of the matter.

It's certainly not impossible, in this post-Fall world in which all people are sinners (Romans 3:20) and Earth itself is under God's curse because of our sin (Genesis 3:17-19; Romans 8:18-23), for us to harm the Earth, and we as Christians should pursue God's instruction to multiply, fill the Earth, subdue it and rule over it (Genesis 1:28) in a godly way that glorifies Him and serves our neighbors by enhancing its fruitfulness and beauty and guarding against abuse (Genesis 2:15).

However, the widespread belief that human emission of carbon dioxide is causing dangerous global warming rests on an assumption that goes well beyond this. It is the assumption -- common in environmentalism -- that Earth and its natural systems are extremely fragile, subject to catastrophic harm even by comparatively tiny influences.

Global warming, carbon tax, interfaith and Aston Martin « For the ...

Grant Swart

I have always had a huge appreciation for well written, well told or clever jokes. There have been times when I have literally laughed so much and deeply from the heart, that were it not for my partially overwhelmed sensibilities, I could have caused myself some “seriously hysterical” injury. Sheepishly I admit that this does happen at times, and fortunately there are those who understand these things. I must emphasize most clearly, that at those times I was nowhere near Toronto, and the laughter certainly wasn’t their kind of (un)holy laughter, either.

Now, before I get to the gist of that which I wish to share in this article, I must bring just a little biblical perspective to the subjects of humour and laughter. While we must be thankful, wholehearted and honest in our utilization of these gifts and abilities to enjoy refreshing humour in our lives, we must also constantly keep in perspective our instruction to “soberness” of Christian character.  The book of Titus and Chapter 2 explains clearly what we should strive for in our actions in this regard.

Furthermore it is clear that, God having created us in His own image (likeness), and we have the ability to express and perceive humour, that God certainly does have a sense of humour.

Humour, or as our American friends prefer to incorrectly spell it, humor, has always played an enormously important part of the friendships I have formed with others through most of my life. I’m sure that is the case with many of you as well. Sometimes the silliest of things can be really very funny to some while seeming absolutely ridiculous or even tragic to others. As they say, whatever rocks your boat…  although that is not always a good measure.

Somehow it seems that people with a sense of humour or an appreciation for the funnier side of things, are often easier to connect or get along with. Sharing a good laugh or a lighter point of view is usually a great “ice-breaker” and tends to assist in building trust in someone and can be a pointer on the way to mutual understanding. Not only is it a way to build trust, but it certainly can provide the means to determine who cannot be trusted, just as effectively. Very often, the bulk of what was a serious discussion with someone is almost entirely forgotten, but the joke which was told during that discussion remains in ones memory. Maybe not the exact wording or punchline, but the fact that a joke was made, nevertheless.

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