Preserving Eden

Is the modern (post-1800’s) conservation movement consistent with Christian and/or Seventh-day Adventist principals and theology? We will explore this over the next few issues.  Protection of God’s creatures has been a part of the Seventh-day Adventist movement since it’s inception. Cpt. Joseph Bates, one of the four principle founders of the denomination advocated compassion for living creatures. In 1848 he published a tract about the Sabbath truth. In it he pointed out that the Sabbath rest was not only for man, but also a protection for animals and all of creation. It is our duty to let our animals rest on the Sabbath because they cannot speak for themselves. “He has also given this day of rest to the beasts of burden, and makes man accountable for causing them to violate his day.”1 Bates took his beliefs of protecting animals further by becoming vegetarian.  Elliot J. Waggoner was another renowned evangelist early in the history of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. He wrot...

Is the modern conservation movement consistent with Christian and/or Seventh-day Adventist principals and theology? We will explore this over the next few issues. Let’s look at the leaders of the conservation movement and what influenced their ideas. The conservation movement has developed alongside technology and industrialization since the 1600’s. Many great thinkers have contributed to the discussion, but one person is widely considered the originator of the modern conservation movement in the West.  George Perkins Marsh and his momentous work Man and Nature defined the problem of environmental degradation due to overuse of the earth’s resources. He also laid out solutions to help correct this. He was one of the early heads of the U.S. Forest Service and contributed much to the science of forest management. Where did he get his ideas about preserving nature? He was raised by Calvinist parents and his father was an amateur naturalist. He seems to have continued in the faith of hi...

Is the modern (since mid-1800’s) conservation movement consistent with Christian and/or Seventh-day Adventist principals and theology? We will explore this over the next few issues. To begin let’s look at some prominent Christians who influenced the conservation movement either indirectly or directly. Charles H. Spurgeon was a powerhouse evangelist and writer in the 19th century who is still read widely today. He frequently used nature imagery and metaphor in his teaching with the astuteness of an accomplished artist. This resonated with his city audiences who were enthralled with the outdoors during the back-to-nature movement of the later 19th century. He encouraged his hearers to see God’s lessons in nature just as Jesus did. Many at that time under the influence of manifest destiny saw nature as something to be completely conquered by man. The 19th century view that nature was simply a machine led people to regard it as solely for human use. For Spurgeon, nature was not there just ...

The holiday season is my favorite time of year. It’s all about family, friends, good food, lots of fun, and most importantly, faith. The abundant food and thankful spirit of Thanksgiving work to remind us of all the bountiful blessings that God gives us. The songs, stories and decorations of Christmas typically brings to the imagination the reason for our faith. Despite the emphasis placed on Jesus it is quite easy to miss the reason for the season. All too often we make the mistake of Martha and focus on what needs to be done instead of imitating Mary and spending our time at the feet of Jesus. It is also easy to get distracted by the material things. Unsurprisingly we often focus too much on the material things. Make this holiday season different. Set a goal for you and your family to put Jesus first in every aspect of what you do. One great way to do this is by how you spend your money. It is easy to ask Jesus to bless your meal, or to think about him during holiday programs at chur...

Water is the essence of life. Imagery of water as a representation of our spiritual longing is all throughout scripture. Water is one of the most basic human necessities both physically and spiritually (John 4:14). It is necessary for nearly every aspect of life. Look around you right now. Water was used in the making of everything you see. Wood and cotton need water to grow. Water is used in the production of all plastic goods. The human body is 60% water. Water is the source of life, water is life. Yet we often treat it with disregard. Some places in the world seem to have an abundance of water and it’s easy to excuse wasting it. Only 2.5% of all the water on earth is fresh, the rest is saltwater. Of that 2.5% only 1% is easily accessible. And, most of that 1% is trapped too deep in the ground or permanently frozen. Only 0.007% of the water on earth is readily useable. Sadly, as pollution continues to contaminate our freshwater sources, filtering it becomes more expensive. As more pe...

Is it only we humans that have rights before God? The rights of humans are well established in scripture. These rights are well known in modern society thanks to the work of many Christians over centuries. Are we the only living things with rights? What does the Bible teach about fundamental rights for non-humans? The Bible indeed promotes the rights of all living things in creation. Humans are presented as having the highest order of rights as image-bearers of God. The rest of creation is also protected by natural God-given rights. Creation was not made solely for our own use and pleasure. Creation is not all about us. It also exists for the glory of God (Ps 66:4). Here I would like to present 3 basic rights that are held by all living creation. I encourage you to study and pray about this topic, so you may gain an understanding beyond what is presented here for this is a broad and complex topic. Here are three basic rights of nature: 1) The right to exist 2) The right to minimal...

I recently read an article that asked a very intriguing question. The book of Revelation informs us with vivid language that this earth is going to be consumed by fire in the end, so why, the article asked, should we bother trying to take care of nature? On the surface the answer may seem simple, we don’t need to bother. A deeper analysis shows that we are tenets living on God’s land (Job 41:11, Psalm 24:1). We do have to look after its upkeep after all. The earth is wearing out (Isaiah 51:6) and God will eventually destroy it with fire (2 Peter 3:10-12). But he has not abandoned it yet. One of the biggest issues God’s creation is now facing is the proliferation of plastic waste. It has accumulated around the globe and poses a significant issue with no clear solutions. A 2017 joint study by the University of California, Santa Barbara, and the University of Georgia, found that of the 9.1 billion tons of plastic produced since 1950, approximately 5.5 billion tons litter Earth’s lan...

Summer is one of the best times of year to enjoy the outdoors. It is a fantastic season to spend quality family time outside making memories. It’s a chance to be a living example to our children teaching them about respecting and appreciating Creation. We need to take our own words seriously by living out the principles of care and stewardship for all of Creation or we can hardly expect our children and grandchildren to. Summertime affords many opportunities to do some fun activities that will teach the principles of Creation stewardship. Here are some ideas from the book 50 Simple Things Kids Can Do To Save The Earth by The EarthWorks Group. 1) When you hike, visit a park, or even walk down your street, take a plastic bag for each person. Have a contest to see who can pick up the most pieces of trash. The winner gets an ice cream cone. 2) Use daylight to light your house. Turn off the lights and leave them off while it’s daylight. Open all the curtains and blinds to let as much lig...

Is living abundantly while preserving the planet possible? When talk of living sustainably begins questions of having to give up convenience or comfort inevitably arise. We usually equate an abundant life with an abundance of money or possessions. Increased wealth doesn't necessarily bring happiness. Increased wealth will make a person happier if they start from a position of poverty. Poverty comes with many stressors as poor individuals have a hard time meeting their basic needs. So as wealth increases and they are able to have their basic needs met. Major stressors like like meeting next months rent are removed and happiness increases. However, this trend follows a curve rather than a continually increasing slope. Beyond a certain amount of wealth, happiness does not continue increasing. Concerns about the stock market, property destruction, or theft often keep wealthy people awake at night. As new levels of wealth are achieved and a person associates with others of a higher soc...