by Michael Mcculley

Created on: May 03, 2009

Environmentalism is both a cultural and a political movement. As a cultural movement, environmentalism teaches that our personal and business practices must take into account the needs of the natural world. This occasionally means that we must forego wealth for the sake of plants and animals. As I will demonstrate below, Scripture not only permits this conclusion, but demands it.

From the vantage point of politics, environmentalism is best described as a regulatory movement. Specifically, environmentalists seek to use the coercive power of the state to put an end to practices that are alleged to be contrary to the health, welfare, and morals of the people as well as the health and welfare of plants and animals. In that regard, environmentalism is similar to any other regulatory movement, including Christian conservatism.

Like any political movement, environmentalism encompasses a range of viewpoints from the moderate to the extreme. Some extreme environmentalists denigrate human interests or even regard human beings as inherent menaces to the planet. This is also a grave error. On the other hand, nothing is more common in politics today than to attempt to tar an entire political movement with the views of its most extreme supporters.

As always, we start with the Word of God. The first mistake many Christians make is to assume that the Bible is silent on some issue of importance. Not so! There is absolutely, positively no significant issue on which the Bible is silent. (2 Timothy 3:16-17.) There may not always be a specific precept or rule (i.e. a "Thou shalt not") dealing with a particular issue, but Scripture also contains many general principles, at least one of which will bear on the question.

The following Biblical principles are relevant to the environmental movement:

First, when God created man, He gave man dominion, or authority, over the earth and its plant and animal life. (Genesis 1:26-31.) With this dominion came the responsibility to "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it...." (Genesis 1:28.) Additionally, there came the responsibility to "work" and "keep" the land. (Genesis 2:15.) The Reformation Study Bible's commentary states that the Hebrew term translated as "keep" in Genesis 2:15 is the same term translated as "guard" in Genesis 3:24. Therefore, we are not only the masters of the earth, we are also its protectors and nurturers.

Second, all human authority is limited by the principle of Servanthood. The Lord said, "You know that

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