A biblical view of climate change and the death of Jerry Falwell

Quoting some scripture

Posted by Ken Ward (Guest Contributor) at 9:42 AM on 16 May 2007

Read more about: green living | religion and spirituality | environmental movement | climate

It seems appropriate that we consider the death of Jerry Falwell in the spirit by which he lived -- on a "higher level ... the Biblical perspective" -- and take a peek into what the Bible has to say about climate change as well.

Reverend Falwell retained an unshakable faith in Biblical inerrancy, while demonstrating a remarkably supple ability to revise his own interpretation of presumably self-evident, literal truths.

Falwell applied the theology of Biblical one-liners to buttress a view of the world and Christianity wholly uncontemplated and incomprehensible to Biblical authors and redactors -- whether or not one believes they labored under the guidance of Providence.

In his February 25th sermon on climate change, Rev. Falwell asked, "What does the Bible say about a global warming catastrophe ...?" The answer, said Falwell, is that "God has it all under control."

The correct answer, of course, is that the Bible is silent on anthropocentric climate change.

Falwell found his theological grounds in just two sentences of text (Psalm 24:1-2 and Genesis 8:22). Both references, read in the fullness of the passages, are more troublesome then Falwell's radical surgery gives hint.

Psalm 24: 1-2 (KJ) reads, "1. The earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. 2. For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods."

Straightforward enough, though it's difficult to find in this simple statement of ownership any pertinent conclusion regarding the present day. Indeed, the next lines of the Psalm (3-4) make plain what is important to the world builder: "3. Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place? 4. He that hath clean hands and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul into vanity ..."

Falwell also quotes Genesis 8:22, "While the earth remainith, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease." and weaves its language throughout his sermon and press release.

Setting aside the troublesome problem of relying too heavily on any perpetual promise of the Lord -- this being merely the first in a litany of broken vows -- the unbounded language of Genesis 8:22 is almost immediately conditioned in Genesis 9: 8-11.

8. And God spake unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying, 9. And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you; 10. And with every living creature that is with you. of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every beast of the earth with you; from all that go out of the ark, to every beast of the earth. 11. And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of the flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth.

Well, we've broken the covenant between God, the generations after Noah, and "every beast of the earth" that "came out of the ark." For thousands of years we have methodically wiped species off the face of the earth, and we are accelerating toward a final holocaust. Isn't it reasonable to assume that God, if he is paying attention, might be thinking of Flood 11?

So what does the Bible say about the death of Jerry Falwell?

The answer can be found in Proverbs 8, a "Wisdom" text.

27. When he prepared the heavens, I [Wisdom] was there; when he set a compass upon the face of the depths; 28. When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the foundations of the deep. 29. When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment; when he appointed the foundations of the earth ... "32. Now therefore, hearken unto me, O ye children: for blessed are they that keep my ways. 33. Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not ... 35. For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favor of the Lord. 36. But he that sinneth against me, wrongeth his own soul; all they that hate me love death.

For story: A biblical view of climate change and the death of Jerry Falwell
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Not entirely silent

Although the Bible does not address climate change specifically, it does have this to say about those who destroy the earth:

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.

Revelations 11:18

by VeJenn at 1:42 PM on 16 May 2007

Dominition

We have dominion over the Earth and its Beasts.

Let's rock!

Enjoy Global Warming...!!!

Hot Fun In Da Summer Time
Hot Fun In Da Summer Time

by jabailo at 1:44 PM on 16 May 2007

bibliolatry

Good post, Ken. And good text, VeJenn. (But notice that the title of that final book of the Bible is "Revelation," singular.)

It is still not clear to me, though, how much political considerations influenced Falwell's preaching. The legal passages of the Bible have very little to say about abortion and homosexuality, on the one hand, but they have a great deal to say about social justice and carving for the poor and vulnerable, on the other hand; and we see very clearly which subjects the religious right choose to emphasize. Because preachers such as Falwell know which subjects play on the prejudices of the Republican base?

Also, one ought always to remind fundamentalists that the legal section of the Bible clearly outlaws usury, the foundation of capitalism, and just as clearly accepts the existence of slavery.

Same inconsistency with climate change. Of course there is nothing in the Bible of direct relevance. But Falwell had got into bed early on with George W. Bush, and he understood that the Bushies wanted climate change to be dismissed as a non-issue. For reasons of his own, probably having to do with maintaining himself in a position of influence among conservative Christians, all along he did his best to keep Bush in power. Therefore, of course he "discovered" this biblical "doctrine" which Ken describes.

Chickens deserve our true friendship! So do fish! So do other sentient beings! Let us learn to be kind.

by caniscandida at 1:32 PM on 17 May 2007

A True Fundamentalist Revival

Thanks, Cani (and i like VeJann's text as well). As you point out, literalists pick through to find passages that support positions and politlcal strategies already decided upon, and the biggest fraud, in so doing, is that the emphatic words of Christ are given short shrift. If God is in fact a nit-picking legalist, as literalists claim, then Fallwell and anyone foolish enough to follow him are surely consigned to a very warm place.

This fundamental skewing away from true "fundamentalist" Christian belief and practice is the Achilles heel of the religious right. It is important to emphasize - particularly for those outside communities of faith - that every wave of political progress and expansion of liberty and justice in US history won in the political sphere was accompanied by a fundamentalist Protestant revival.

It's tough to use such language without wincing because the terms are so indelibly stamped by mean spirited bigots, apologists of wealth and modern Pharisees.

As we focus on what conditions will permit rapid social-political change on the scale and speed necessary to put America at the head of a last ditch global drive to head off collapse, a resurgence of true Christian spirit (and willingness to toss money changers out of the temple) is going to be important.

An effective challenge to the power of legalist leaders who have hijacked American Christiantiy can only come up from the pews. Just as American democracy is refreshed by unearthing the founding Priciples of the Republic, so are revivals nourished when Protestants remember their doctrine and start reading their Bibles, open to what is written there. That Falwell apparently felt completely secure in premising a major sermon on the shoddiest of Biblical scholarship is convincing evidence that while there is a lot of page turning going on, there isn't much reading.

Ken Ward ken[at]brightlines.org

by Ken Ward at 4:18 PM on 17 May 2007
[ Parent ]

Gnostics for Gaia?

Ken wrote:

"As we focus on what conditions will permit rapid social-political change on the scale and speed necessary to put America at the head of a last ditch global drive to head off collapse, a resurgence of true Christian spirit (and willingness to toss money changers out of the temple) is going to be important."

Could someone tell us what the Gnostic Gospels -- and other early Christian texts omitted from the Bible -- have to say about caring for Creation?

Peace

by wiscidea at 8:35 AM on 18 May 2007

oh no, the Gnostics!

That is an interesting question, WiscIdea. I ought to know the answer, but I am afraid I do not.

There were several traditions or groups of Gnostics in the first Christian centuries, and it is not easy to summarize them. But they all seem to have emphasized as their goal the re-discovery of their true selves as spiritual beings distinct from their present bodily existence, which re-discovery happens through some sort of mental discipline or enlightenment referred to as "gnosis" (one way to say "knowledge" in Greek). They do not strike me as Gaia-lovers, but I could be wrong.

Since their own writings -- mostly the collection known as the Nag Hammadi library, from the place in Upper Egypt where those texts were found not long after WWII -- are very difficult to interpret, and other ancient sources about them are written by people who disliked them and sought to discredit them -- not only orthodox Church Fathers such as Irenaeus, but also the great Neo-Platonic philosopher Plotinus -- , it is hard to get a clear idea of how they lived. Regarding sexuality, we hear that some Gnostics were hedonists, while others were ascetics. They seem to have had a high regard for women (the New Testament figure of Mary Magdalene, for example, is prominent); but was that because they truly respected femininity in itself, or because they believed women to be the same as men on the spiritual level, the bodies being irrelevant?

One tradition which I find very interesting overturns biblical theology radically. The God of the Hebrew Bible, who creates the heavens and the earth, is not the same as the True God, who is the Father of Jesus. In fact, the God who created the universe is an imperfect blunderer, which is why his creation is so disappointing. The serpent in the Garden of Eden is not at all to be identified with Satan or anything else that is evil, but is in fact a heroic figure, who tries to rescue Adam and Eve from the tyranny of the creator-God. And Jesus later on completes that rescue.

It sounds to me like the Gnostics who belonged to that tradition did not have a high regard for Gaia, and could not be bothered to do much to care for her.

Unfortunately, there have been many Christians throughout history, and still today, from many traditions, who are so preoccupied with spiritual matters, which they distinguish from earthly cares, that in a way similar to those Gnostics, they tend to undervalue the creation, and dismiss their responsibility to be good stewards of it.

Chickens deserve our true friendship! So do fish! So do other sentient beings! Let us learn to be kind.

by caniscandida at 11:23 AM on 18 May 2007

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