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<\/p>\nChurch of the Brethren Newsline
\nJune\u00a02,\u00a02017<\/b><\/p>\n
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As early as 1991, the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference adopted a statement titled\u00a0\u201cCreation: Called to Care\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0(\u00a0www.brethren.org\/ac\/statements\/1991creationcalledtocare.html<\/a>\u00a0).<\/p>\n \u201cWhy should Christians care about the environment?\u201d the statement reads, in part. \u201cSimply because we learn in Genesis that God has promised to fulfill all of creation, not just humanity, and has made humans the stewards of it. More importantly, God sent Christ into the very midst of creation to be \u2018God with us\u2019 and to fulfill the promise to save humankind and nature. God\u2019s redemption makes the creation whole, the place where God\u2019s will is being done on earth as it is in heaven….<\/p>\n \u201cPlanet earth is in danger,\u201d the statement continues. \u201cThe ecological crisis that threatens the survival of life on earth is evident now not only to professional biologists, botanists, environmental scientists, but to all. Awareness grows that humanity is facing a global crisis….<\/p>\n A section of the statement on \u201cThe Church\u2019s Challenge\u201d reads, in part: \u201c…Since industrialism\u2019s ravenous appetite daily diminishes the health and life of the ecosystem, the conflict is between us and our children: our lifestyle versus their future…. Can a culture repent and take steps to halt its deterioration? There are some signs of hope but there are also signs that the lesson is not yet learned; that comfort and convenience are more important than care of the environment. The environment will no doubt survive. The question is \u2018will our kind remain?\u2019 As Christians, we can reform our theology and contribute to society a new appreciation for the sacredness of all creation. Individually and collectively, we can change the way we live so that instead of destroying the earth, we help it to thrive, today and for future generations to come….\u201d<\/p>\n In 2001, the General Board of the Church of the Brethren adopted a\u00a0\u201cResolution on Global Warming\/Climate Change\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0(\u00a0www.brethren.org\/about\/statements\/2001-global-warming.pdf<\/a>\u00a0).<\/p>\n \u201cOur vastly increased use of fossil fuels has the potential to bring about irreversible changes in the climate and immense suffering for the poor and for people living in the coastal areas around the world,\u201d the resolution states, in part. It resolves that the United States should, \u201cmove beyond its dependence on high carbon fossil fuels that produce emissions leading to climate change.\u201d<\/p>\n