How to be a Christian environmentalist
For the past days, I’ve been writing about the evils of modern environmentalism — in short, modern environmentalism does not value humans and seeks to bring us down to the level of animals. On the other hand, the Biblical version of environmentalism that has been practiced around the world for millennia, recognizes that God has given nature to humans to rule, and sees animals as intended to serve us.
Biblical environmentalism promotes sustainability: the idea that we should avoid actions that harm nature while not benefitting us.
In Leviticus 25:1-7, God commands Moses to promote sustainability among the people, by utilizing crop rotation: “The Lord spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai, saying, ‘Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you come into the land that I give you, the land shall keep a Sabbath to the Lord. For six years you shall sow your field, and for six years you shall prune your vineyard and gather in its fruits, but in the seventh year there shall be a Sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a Sabbath to the Lord. You shall not sow your field or prune your vineyard. You shall not reap what grows of itself in your harvest, or gather the grapes of your undressed vine. It shall be a year of solemn rest for the land. …’”
Human experience has shown that crop rotation benefits the land being farmed, and thereby benefits the farmers. This is an example of sustainability.
As rulers of creation, it is proper for humans to practice sustainability, so that we may enrich our own lives though preserving the gifts of nature.
Next time you go to the grocery store, check what you buy to see if it is marked “Cruelty-Free”, or if it is marked “Sustainably Farmed”. If you respect your position as ruler of Creation, you would be wise to buy things that are Sustainably Farmed: sustainability enriches mankind and nature together.
On the other hand, when a good is Cruelty-Free, that implies that the production of the good did not exploit animals, regardless of the fact that the animals could have been exploited sustainably in order to make a better good. Cruelty-Freeness disregards and disrespects mankind’s position as rulers of Creation, and participates in the pulling of man down to the rank of animals.
If you’re a self-respecting Christian, don’t buy Cruelty-Free! Buy sustainable. Everyone will be better off.
