Still scratch my head sometimes over certain things.
For example, all this talk about "global warming" and "climate change".
Global warming has been so widely taught that most would probably be shocked if I confessed that I didn't believe it to be a problem.
But before we get into the details, let's clarify some things.
First, we need to recognize that "global warming" and "climate change" are two different things. Global warming means the Earth's average temperature is on an upward trend from year to year. Climate change just means the Earth's climate is changing, not necessarily equal to "global warming".
Second, we need to recognize that "global warming" and "climate change" may or may not be caused by human factors. Even if "global warming" or "climate change" was real and truly happening, they may not necessarily be caused by human actions. Some believe them to be naturally-occurring phenomena, others believe humans are causing or at least contributing to such changes.
The sticking point is this: environmentalists would have you believe that what
you are doing is contributing to the problem. Therefore
you need to stop or change whatever
you're doing in order to
save the Earth and give our children a
brighter future.
I find this notion baffling on multiple levels:
1. That humans can be so full of themselves as to think that:
a) they can cause significant or irreparable damage to the Earth as a whole, to the point where it's uninhabitable for themselves.
b) if (a) were true, they can stop themselves from causing such damage.
2. That humans (especially Christians) can care more about saving the environment than saving souls.
a) Yes, I understand that God, when He created man, said man shall rule over the Earth and all creatures. However, with sin and the corruption of the natural order, the fallen man no longer holds such authority over creation. In fact, the whole creation "has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time." (Romans 8:22)
b) I also understand that, according to the Book of Revelation, the end of days will see wars, famines, plagues, earthquakes; the sun will turn black, the moon red, stars will fall to the earth, mountains and islands removed from their places; lightning and thunder, hail and fire; a third of the earth utterly destroyed, the Abyss opened, the sky darkened, and locusts swarm the land; half of the earth's population is wiped out in less than 3 years; and at the end of it all, a new heaven and a new earth, a new Jerusalem, where "the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.". All this has been
prophesied in the Bible, and yet we still allow ourselves to be concerned with
saving this Earth?
3. That we are taught multiple ice ages took place in history and yet we should be concerned about "global warming" or "climate change".
a) If indeed there were one or more ice ages in history (and I'm not arguing that there weren't), then obviously we came
out of ice ages by "global warming", which would be a "climate change". Then, are "global warming" or "climate change" necessarily "bad"?
b) How are we certain that "global warming", even if it were truly taking place, would
continue irreversibly to the point where the Earth becomes uninhabitable?
c) How are we certain that "climate change", whether it is "global warming" or maybe "global cooling" leading to another ice age, can be stopped or even managed by humans?
d) How are we certain that human activities are causing or contributing to such changes, and that they're not simply naturally-occurring?
I'm not saying that we are justified in being reckless with the environment. I'm saying that there are lots of uncertainties in the supposed "science" on this subject. I'm saying that environmentalists are demanding a lot of resources and actions based on speculation. I'm saying that, given how little we actually know about the Earth, it sounds foolish to proclaim we're going to "preserve" it, much less
save it.
Most of all, I'm saying that there are more important things to worry about.
