Churches have a role in climate change

From New York

Organized religion has seldom been on the cutting edge of needed change, but of late there is some encouraging news for the many unchurched activists who have waited long for the Christian Church or churches to weigh in on the high profile environmental (and social) issues of the times.

Major Protestant denominations are acknowledging the deleterious effects of fossil fuel combustion on the global climate, and many are consequently withdrawing their investments in the fossil fuel industry. This an indication that Lutherans, The United Church of Christ, Presbyterians, Methodists, and other mainstream congregations are paying more attention to their Earth stewardship obligations. And considering the indisputable fact that we humans are systematically trashing out the planet, this is a welcome if long overdue development.

The symbolic significance of their divestment decisions is extensive indeed, and out of proportion to the modest monetary investments that these communities of faith have in the oil, coal, and gas industries. Bill McKibben, himself a Methodist as well as the founder of 350ppm.org, characterizes divestment as a moral issue of the times. “If we're called to love our neighbor, we're not allowed to enrich ourselves by drowning our neighbors, making it hard for them to grow their crops, spreading sickness in their midst.” McKibben was referring to the fact that climate change has impacted the lives of third world peoples far more than those of more affluent societies, and until fairly recently, the U.S. led the world in greenhouse gas emissions.

More here-

http://auburnpub.com/news/opinion/mailbag/churches-have-a-role-in-climate-change/article_a27fdaf6-015a-5252-8110-61d90734fc19.html