What Does the Bible Have to say About Climate Change?
By Tori Harris
“In polar regions, the warming global temperatures associated with climate change have meant ice sheets and glaciers are melting at an accelerated rate from season to season. This contributes to sea levels rising in different regions of the planet. Together with expanding ocean waters due to rising temperatures, the resulting rise in sea level has begun to damage coastlines as a result of increased flooding and erosion,” (National Geographic).
How many times have you heard or read something similar to this quote from politicians, the majority of the scientific community, or the myriad of other sources that teach this? Climate change is something that environmentalists have been raising concerns about for decades now, claiming that the earth’s temperature is rising, and that this planet will no longer be able to sustain life if things continue progressing in this manner. This trend is spreading, and now many people, even some Christians, live in fear that we are destroying our planet. But is climate change really a major problem like many people believe, or has it been exaggerated drastically?
Starting from the basics, what is climate change? “Climate change is a long-term shift in global or regional climate patterns,” (National Geographic). It is perfectly normal for the climate of the earth to change gradually over time. For example, the earth completely changed after the flood recorded in the book of Genesis. There is evidence of at least one ice age happening as well. As you examine what atheists have to say about climate change, keep this in mind: the earth has changed before, and it will change again if time continues.
The popular opinion about climate change is that it is destroying our planet. As the human population continues to grow, we have been burning fossil fuels, which are nonrenewable resources such as coal and natural gases that take millions of years to form. This releases mass amounts of carbon dioxide into the air, which amplifies the greenhouse effect, causing heat to be trapped in the atmosphere. In addition to this, we have been chopping down trees at an alarming rate, destroying entire forests and rainforests to make room for buildings. This means that there are less trees left to absorb carbon dioxide, contributing to the large amount that now remains in the atmosphere. This has been coined as “The human footprint on greenhouse gases,” (United Nations). Global temperatures are rising, and the poles are warming, causing the sea ice to melt. “In 2012, Arctic summer sea ice shrank to the lowest extent on record,” (NASA). If things do not change, we are going to destroy this planet, killing ourselves and the wildlife. Thus the reason for recycling, and living green, in an attempt to stop this from happening.
That is a rather bleak view of what is going on. Now we will turn to the Bible to see what it has to say on this matter. Genesis 8:12 states, “While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, Cold and heat, Winter and summer, And day and night Shall not cease.” This says quite the opposite of what climate change alarmists are claiming. “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up,” (2 Peter 3:10). There are no mentions of the earth being destroyed by climate change in this passage. “The world will last for just as long as God intends- regardless of how much environmental damage humans inflict on the planet,” (Miller).
Some people in the world say that in order to save the earth from destruction, we need to reduce the human population, and support abortion! This is not right. Climate change alarmists have absolutely no right to murder the innocent unborn because they fear the lies they have been hearing. Abortion is a horrible thing, and should be stopped, not encouraged.
Christians cannot afford to get bogged down in the complicated web of the issue of climate change that has been spun with lies and exaggerations. The only source people need is the Bible, which has the answers for everything needed for life. Climate change has been exaggerated and blown up out of proportion, but studying God’s inspired Word quickly shows the truth. Humans do not have the power to destroy earth. Only God has that ability, and He has plainly said that the earth will remain as it is until He returns, and then it will be “burned up,” (2 Peter 3:10). It is still good to take care of the environment, because this is a beautiful world God created for us to live in, but there is no need to be obsessed with it, convinced that humans will be their own downfall.
References
“Christians Believe In Global Warming.” Apologetics Press.
“Climate Change.” United Nations.
“Climate Change: Vital Signs of the Planet.” NASA.
“Climate Change.” National Geographic Society.