My State of Environmentalism (Student Topic)

            In recent years since becoming a Christian, I have started to realize the large need for environmentalism. As a steward of God’s planet, I have to be a dutiful son and preserve my Father’s creation. I do take the eschatological position that this earth will be destroyed and a new one will be created in its place. This is in opposition with some Christian environmentalists who believe we will help bring in a new earth by taking care of the environment carefully and cleaning it up. I think this position is utterly indefensible, but I do appreciate what it has motivated them to do. Many who believe my position are careless with how they treat the environment because they think it does not matter. This position is also utterly indefensible. In Genesis 2, God commands Adam to “work” and “keep” the Garden of Eden. God’s plan was never for the garden to remain, but it was still his command for Adam to “keep” it. In Revelation 11, God says the time will come when he will destroy the destroyers of the earth. This is a very straight forward passage, saying that destroying the earth, no matter how small we think our action is, is wicked. In conclusion, Paul says in 1 Corinthians 10 that the earth is the Lord’s and everything in it. How, therefore, can we destroy what belong to our God, even if our part in destroying it was small?