I debated quite a while whether or not to make this post. Obviously, I decided to do so. I don't usually post either religious or political commentary but this topic made me think and I hope it does you, too.
The following is part of a
re-post of a friend on Facebook. The
title was “Why I cannot vote for Romney” and went on to ‘prove’ why a Christian
must vote to save the environment. I
copied all of the verses quoted and pasted them below along with her comments
followed by mine.
I was tempted to post this on
Facebook as a reply but (a) it is too long and (b) it isn't the kind of thing I
post on Facebook. (It isn't the kind of
thing I normally post on my blog, either!)
(Hers) Leviticus 26 -
Most of this chapter is devoted to God promising to bring natural prosperity
(using the land) to His people IF they follow His rules on cleanliness.
(Mine) This chapter has nothing to do
with rules of cleanliness. It doesn't even mention cleanliness. It is the
finishing chapter of the laws God has laid down for His people where He
describes the prosperity they will enjoy by walking in His statutes and keeping
His commandments and the desolation they will endure if they do not.
The previous chapter deals with
the year of Sabbath for the land and the year of Jubilee for the land and the
people.
This verse does not support the
idea that as Christians we must ‘save the Earth’.
(Hers) Deuteronomy
20:19,20 - God allowed the children of Israel to consume natural resources,
but not to waste them.
(Mine) This verse deals with what trees
may and may not be used to build bulwarks for an extended siege against a
city. Meat-bearing trees (fruit, nut,
etc.) may not be used but trees known not to be used for meat (fir, elm, cedar,
etc.) may be cut down.
Not sure where this person got
the idea that these verses tell the children of Israel that they may consume
natural resources but not waste them. I
know plenty of people who would think using trees to lay siege to a city would
be a terrible waste of natural resources.
This verse does not support the
idea that as Christians we must ‘save the Earth’.
(Hers) Jeremiah 2:7 -
"I brought you into a fertile land to eat its fruit and rich produce. But
you came and defiled my land and made my inheritance detestable." (NIV)
(Mine) This verse is a little more
involved. By cross-referencing the word
‘defiled’ to Leviticus 18:24-28, the meaning is very clear.
Lev 18:24 Defile not ye yourselves in any of these
things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you:
Lev
18:25 And the land is defiled:
therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth
out her inhabitants.
Lev 18:26 Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and my
judgments, and shall not commit any of
these abominations; neither any of your
own nation, nor any stranger that sojourneth among you:
Lev 18:27 (For all these abominations have the men of
the land done, which were before you,
and the land is defiled;)
Lev 18:28 That the land spue not you out also, when ye
defile it, as it spued out the nations that were
before you.
So the children of Israel defiled the land, not by
‘destroying’ it but by not keeping the commandments of God; specifically
turning to the other gods of the land.
That made the inheritance detestable because it had been corrupted and
changed into something that God had not given.
This verse does not support the
idea that as Christians we must ‘save the Earth’.
All of the above
verses come from the Old Testament. That
fact is crucial when you understand the difference between the Old and New
Testaments and their impact on our lives today.
The Old
Testament was and still is only for
the Israelites - the Jews - and it contains the rules by which they would have
their own natural country, live well in that land and prosper. The laws in the Old Testament were the
guarantee of a natural homeland for the Israelites and their descendants.
The New
Testament was and still is for everyone
(although an ethnic Jew must make a choice which law to follow – Old or New)
and it contains the rules by which we will have our own eternal homeland. Therefore,
the Old Testament laws are for the Christian’s guidance but are not the Christian's laws to
follow.
(Hers) Revelation
11:18 - "The nations were angry; and your wrath has come. The time has
come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants the prophets and
your saints and those who reverence your name, both small and great — and
for destroying those who destroy the earth." (On this, it
seems that many Christians believe it's impossible to destroy the earth.
But doesn't causing portions of the earth to be destroyed fall into this
category?)
(Revelation 11:18)
And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the
dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy
servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small
and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth. (KJV)
(Mine) This verse is really interesting. First, because it is in Revelation which is
full of metaphor, second, because of the multitude definitions of ‘destroy’, third,
because it is the only verse she quoted from the New Testament and, fourth, because
it comes the closest of these passages to support the idea that Christians have
a mandate to ‘save the Earth’.
There is a lot of metaphor in Revelation but the twenty-four
elders seem to be pretty straightforward in what is going to happen; nations
being angry, His wrath to come, the dead to be judged, reward to His servants,
and ‘destroy them which destroy the earth’.
At this point, I deleted about a page and a half of
dissertation. Well, I didn't really
delete it because I felt it was some pretty top-notch investigative writing but
I did remove it from this post. The
reason is because we don’t have to define words, look up meanings in the
original Greek or Hebrew, or see what others say about this passage.
The meaning is quite simple:
God will destroy them which corrupt, pervert, misuse, and misinterpret
His Word and lead others (the world as a people) astray to their spiritual destruction. This verse has nothing to do with people who
physically misuse the physical Earth.
How can I say that?
Because that verse cannot mean that God will destroy (send to Hell)
those who destroy (misuse) the Earth.
God has promise eternal life to those who love Him and believe in Him. There are no other qualifiers. God never added, “Oh, and by the way, you
must also protect all animals, attend church at least once a week, dress a
certain way, volunteer at least four hours each month, forward all emails and
re-post every truth about Me on Facebook.”
No.
(John 1:12)
But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of
God, even to them that believe on his
name:
(Acts 16:30)
And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
(Acts 16:31)
And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be
saved, and thy house.
God promised eternal life to those who believe on
Jesus. He cannot and will not break that
promise by adding on to it. Yes, there
is a lot we need to do to show our active faith and our active belief and to
show Him reverence and give Him thanks.
Not misusing what He has provided for us is one of them but we will not lose our salvation for abusing
the earth…although if we abuse the earth, we likely don’t have a reverence for
Him and our salvation may be in jeopardy because of lack of faith and belief.
