Toulmin Model Argument about the Environment: What specific action(s) should Christians take regarding the environment and its preservation or restoration?
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As the environmental crisis has been reached a considerable scale and raising apocalyptic concerns in the Christian community, the issue of being environmental and adopting an acceptable approach towards our planet becomes increasingly relevant in ethical and theological discourses. The biblical underpinning for co-called creation care drives Christians at the question of whether they should try to influence the condition of the global environment and, if yes, what action they could take for the preservation or restoration of the environment. The stewardship ethics of Christian environmentalism purports that we as the special creatures of God living in the world created by and belonging to Him have an obligation to take care of creation, i.e., everything God has created for us. Given the belief that God created everything in the world by his transcendent wisdom so that the human can observe His glory, Christians should be caring stewards of creation and protect and restore it as an expression of God’s eternal wisdom and glory. Yet, although multiple passages from the Scripture hint at the need to engage in creation stewardship mission, there are no direct mentions of the right actions Christians should take in order to protect and restore creation, i.e. environment.
Thereby, the argument is that, as God’s people, Christians should embrace the fellowship with Jesus and God and become the pioneers in the mission of healing or protecting the environment. That is, Christians should take actions towards environment preservation on the personal level and encourage others to join them in this mission. If we as Christians believe that our planet is God’s creation, as we the people are, we should not participate in the destruction of it. Although God bequeathed us to use all the planet’s resources for performing our duties and caring for our families, we should maintain sustainability of these resources in any instance of use.
A surge of industrialization, globalization and consumerism which occurred in the recent centuries and especially beginning with the twentieth century became a primary reason of the dramatic increase in resources use and environmental pollution, with many societies exceeding the scale of resources use and consumption to the point which is so far beyond the extent of satisfying primary needs and supporting proper functioning. At the same time, is a commonly accepted historical fact that the aforementioned phenomena – industrial revolution, technological progress, increase of production, globalization and the rise of consumerism – were formed in and spread beyond the borders of Western societies.
Demographic statistics, in turn, prove that the lion’s share of Western societies has been dominated by Christianity for at least two past centuries; and nowadays, as the researchers conclude, Christianity remains the largest religion worldwide, involving more than one-third of the global population and being distributed most evenly. Therefore, one could draw two important conclusions from such data: Christians are largely responsible for the environmental crisis and deterioration of God’s creation due to increasing appetites for comfort and materialism, and Christians are capable of making a change through joint efforts and active action.
Of course, many Christian communities would oppose the option of environmentalist activity and Christian community’s contribution to resources preservation, pollution reduction and environmental renovation, backing their position with the appeal to logic. Particularly, it could be argued that environmental activism undermines the authority of the Gospel: what is the sense of saving the planet if the promised return of Jesus would signify the major destruction of the world? However, a sufficient flow of such position is that it contradicts the grounding tenets of Christian doctrine. The evidence rebutting such attitude – and supporting the need to be pioneers in environmental activism- is found in the New Testament, in the Book of Titus: “In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness”. This fragment encourages Christians to set an example for others by doing good. Obviously, taking even a small action such as, say, sorting garbage and clearing parks from litter is good as it displays literally shepherdly care for the planet created by God.
Although there are concerns about all actions towards pollution reduction and environment preservation are doomed to be ineffective (“there is nothing Christians can do), Christian households and church communities, especially those living in metropolitan areas and big cities, can become ‘pilot plants’ of the creation preservation initiative and an example of goodness for others, as it is prescribed in the Scripture. Thereby, there are several rather nonintrusive and simple actions which are aimed at pollution reduction and resources preservation and can be taken by Christians to set a good example for other community members.
The first way protects environment and prevent exhaustion of resources is simply to recycle. While many statistical researches indicate enormous consumption of bottled milk, soda, juice and water, a lot of emptied containers could be recycled and reused in order to prevent dumping plastic which takes many years to decompose. At the same time, paper recycling makes a contribution to prevention of deforestation through reduction in wood for paper production. Although God gave humans all these resources, it would be not quite right and rather unreasonable for us to exhaust them waiting for the Lord to return them: it is we who were assigned with the task to “work on [our home] and take care of it” (Gen 2:15 NIV). Therefore, waste sorting and recycling are simple and completely available for every Christian. Otherwise, throwing waste away – either to the landfill or into the ocean – can potentially harm other creatures God made with His love and wisdom, too, and intended to provide a source of food. As Genesis teaches us, God gave “every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it” and “all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground” to humans so that they use it reasonably rather than abuse. Recycling is one of the primary strategies for wise resource use.
Another simple action which can be taken by Christian communities in many areas is car-pooling, a practice which might help us reduce air pollution levels, prevent greenhouse gases from destroying the atmosphere and eventually save resources such as fuel. Nowadays, there are many single-passenger vehicles bought out of excess and for one person’s convenience. However, the rule cited in the Old Testament states: “If you find honey, eat just enough — too much of it, and you will vomit”. This means that every believer should take only as much as is needed for the reasonable satisfaction of needs. Car-pooling is therefore a practice which might not only reduce emissions and reduce resources consumption, but also prevent excess and save money. Furthermore, Christian community members could promote the practice of sharing in many other instances in order to reduce the anthropogenic impact on the environment.
Despite the statements of Christian skeptics about the pagan nature of environmental activism, it is also necessary to mention one general and yet important way of protecting the environment: as God never commanded us to abuse all resources He gave to us, we should begin our environmental activism with ourselves, that is, our personal transformation. Reducing consumerism and refraining from excess in all its manifestations is an example of goodness which Christians can share and promote on the way to environmental preservation and – what is important – to salvation.
As it has been illustrated in the present argument, Christian community members should take active actions such as reasonable resources consumption, car-pooling, recycling efforts and setting the example of goodness for others on the way to environmental protection. The Scripture commands us to do good and use all resources God gave to us reasonably, and the reasonable use of resources has been proved to be the way of reducing pollution and preventing environmental deterioration. Of course, Christianity does not teach us to affect our environment artificially, but it teaches us to preserve and protect what God gave to us under the condition of stewardship and prevention of His creation’s destruction.
Bibliography
Bullmore, Michael A. "The Four Most Important Biblical Passages for a Christian Environmentalism." Trinity Journal 19, no. 2 (September 1998): 139-162. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost (accessed July 5, 2016).
Kearns, Laurel. 1996. "Saving the Creation: Christian Environmentalism in the United States." Sociology of Religion, 1996. 55. JSTOR Journals, EBSCOhost (accessed July 5, 2016).
Pew Research Center. 2012. “The Global Religious Landscape.” http://www.pewforum.org/2012/12/18/global-religious-landscape-exec/
Ronan, Marian. "The stewardship model of Christian environmentalism." The Living Pulpit 15, no. 3 (July 2006): 18-19. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost (accessed July 5, 2016).
Wilkinson, Loren. "Myth 3: there is nothing Christians can do." Christianity Today, 1994., 31, World History in Context, EBSCOhost (accessed July 5, 2016).
Environmentalism has long been an issue of debate and controversy for Christianity, with multiple questions arising in relation to the appropriateness and acceptable initiatives Christians could take in order to preserve or heal environment. The argument here is that Christianity encourages us to be active stewards of God’s creation and use the diversity of resources given by Him with reason and care. Both personal and community initiatives acceptable for Christian environmentalists are originally rooted in the Christian teaching of doing good and sharing this example with others, while preservation of God’s creation cannot be other than good. The actions Christians could take should begin with their own personal initiatives and include recycling, car-pooling, refraining from excess in consumption and resources sharing.
Christians are God’s people and should enter the fellowship with Him in order to preserve his creation.
Christians are both responsible for the environmental crisis and are capable of making a change.
The Scripture teaches to do what is good, and preserving God’s creation cannot be other than good.
Christian communities can become pioneering strongholds of environmentalism and set a good example for others in protection of environment.
There are efficient and nonintrusive ways of healing environment:
People should recycle resources and materials to prevent pollution and resources shortage.
Car-pooling as a way to prevent excess and reduce CO2 emissions
Retreat from excessive consumerism as an action compliant with the general Christian teaching
Conclusion
