The church always has the potential to be a powerful motivator for social action, but on the issue of climate change it has been something of a sleeping giant. This is a pity, particularly in the US, where religious conviction and politics are so entwined. The church’s slow response to environmental crisis is all the more mystifying when you consider the Bible’s teaching on the subject. It really should be a major pillar of Christian discipleship. Even atheists can see this, as conservationist E.O. Wilson points out in his book The Creation:
“I am puzzled that so many religious leaders… have hesitated to make protection of the Creation an important part of their magisterium. Do they believe that human-centred ethics and preparation for the afterlife are the only things that matter?”
My essay The Bible, the Church, and the end of the World continues on Celsias, if anyone wants to take a look.
The Earthbound Report 