...Christians and Stewardship of Their Environment 1. Introduction Our earthly habitat is not an unexpected occurrence of little worth, but rather, it is one to be highly valued and preserved. The biblical doctrine of creation helps the Christian to understand the true significance of the world in order to deal with the environmental crisis. The Bible says, “For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited…” (King James Version, Isaiah 45:18). In Christian teaching, God not only created Heavens and Earth, but expressed His delight in His creation. This creation meant, everything encompassing the trees, the rivers and all kinds of elements that go into preserving the environment (Genesis 1:31). Therefore, the destruction of the environment is against God’s will. The main problem in the stewardship model is the fall of mankind into a state of sin and depravity (Genesis 3). As a result of the fall, we are in rebellion against God. We no longer act as the stewards we ought to be regarding the earth and its resources. Therefore, we tend towards exploitation and abuse. In addition, the earth has been cursed as a result of the fall (Romans 8:20; Genesis 3:17-18). Action Institute expressed it this way; “Nature now produces floods, fires, earthquakes, weeds, and crop destroying insects (“A Biblical Perspective on Environmental Stewardship”). This...
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...A Christian View of the Environment Ray Bohlin V. The source of our ecological crisis lies in man's fallen nature and abuse of his dominion. 1. Man is a rebel who has set himself at the center of the universe. 1. Man has used his dominion wrongly. 2. Man has exploited created things as though they are nothing in themselves and as though he has an autonomous right to use them as he pleases. 2. Man's fallen nature has expressed itself with regard to the creation in his use of time and money. 3. Man's uncontrolled greed and haste have led to the deterioration of the environment. 4. We have been guided by the maxim that what we can do, we will do, particularly if it is the least time-consuming and least expensive alternative. V. The solution to the environmental crisis is the witness of the Christian community within the proper relationship between God, man, and nature. 1. We are called to exhibit our dominion rightly. 1. As Christians we must treat nature as having value in itself and exercise dominion without being destructive (Matt. 6:26, 10:29). 2. This requires both a human and economic cost. 3. There are numerous Old Testament examples of the care with which Israel was to treat the environment. 1. Israel was to care for the land (Lev. 25: 1–12). 2. Israel was to treat domesticated animals properly and respect wildlife (Deut. 25:4 and...
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...CHRISTIANS REPONSIBLITY OVER THE ENVIRONMENT ENGL 101 God’s involvement in creations is shown in all aspects of the creation in the Bible. With each aspect of creation, God expressed pleasure in what He created. God’s pleasure in his creation reveals the need for Christians to care for the environment. God shows man’s mandate given by God for creation in Genesis 2: 19-20. Since God gave the mandate to rule over the earth, man is also responsible for the environment. Global warming has affected the planet which is and has caused a climate change on earth. Natural disasters have increased due to the climate change. Christian’s responsibility for creation is to restore its landscape, agriculture, animal life, and human livelihood. Christians have a responsibility to preserve creation by recycling, proper disposal of hazardous waste, and create protection agencies for wild life. Christians have a responsibility to take care of creation, restore, preserve, and protect creation in all aspects which God has commanded man to do. God’s involvement in creation is understood for Christians in the Bible starting at Genesis 1. The Bible shows at the beginning God’s hand is expressed in all aspects of creation. The first day of creation God made space, time, earth, and light. On the second day, God created the atmosphere of the earth which then making it possible for life on earth. The third day, God made dry land and called it “earth.” God names the water “sea.” God also created...
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...What is the Christian role in managing the Environment? By JOHNSON OLAWUWO DEYI Environment is referred to as our surroundings, the conditions of our existence. It includes both living and non-living elements and provides resources to support life on Earth. Essential part of the environmental concept is establishing a relationship between living organisms and the natural habitat they live in. The connection between those two is built upon interdependency. The words ‘nature’ and ‘environment’ can be used as substitutes. Generally, it is believed that nature excludes everything made by man. So, there is man on one side of the equation and there is environment on the other. What should be found is balance between them, a way for them to be combined properly. And since we, as people, live in the surrounding environment, from our point of view, we are kind of in it but not exactly part of it. And because we look at the matter from the human perspective, we are not included. It can be concluded that environment is also everything that surrounds us, naturally existing but not manmade. This includes mountains, seas, forests, animals, other living organisms, natural forces. We are part of its environment. From our perspective, the ant is part of our environment. But both the ant and the man are excluded from their own environments when the matter is view through their eyes. Humans are given a very significant and...
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...Stephen R. Mink Christians and the Environment Liberty University Abstract: The environment is degrading mostly due to human causes. Christians have contributed to the problem, whether they realize it or not, and must become part of the solution. Awareness should be raised among people and in the church about environmental problems and things that can be done prevent further damage. Many small steps can be taken daily, such as recycling and saving power, which add up as more people do them. Causes, like the Evangelical Environmental Initiative, can be joined where Christians can volunteer their time and support. There are many things that cause problems and the sooner we rally support for environmental protection the sooner these problems can be remedied. This generation is paying for pollution but future generations, especially the poor, will suffer far worse if nothing is done. Christians should tend to the earth God created and have hearts of service which give a testimony for Christ. Paper: God gave mankind dominion over the earth He created. Over the past few generations humanity has failed in caring for the environment and many lack the initiative to make a change. Issues such as pollution, wastefulness, and attitudes of indifference must be addressed in hopes of reversing and preventing further environmental damage. Many Christians volunteer their time and support to combat these problems but there are those who bear a stigma against environmentalism or...
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...book is to explore the claims and the strains, “given the historical animosity of some psychologists toward religion and some Christians toward psychology” (p.217), that arise from the intertwining of psychological and Christian theological views, in order to help us understand and appreciate humanity better than viewing from either perspective individually. “The closer one gets to considering psychotherapeutic and pastoral concerns, the greater the common ground and the greater possibility for conflict” (p. 36). The book’s focus is on integrative approaches in a well comprehended Christian worldview by which “we can evaluate our beliefs and behavior in light of the biblical message (p. 63), and “form a body of theories from which all prejudice, bias, and unjustifiable conjecture have been eliminated” (p. 199). The historical opposition and advocacy of the integration of the two views, along with the current integration research and application, is presented with the help of multiple psychological researchers. Entwistle’s view is that integration is possible if the proper cautions are taken; that “human nature can be mapped from two directions” (p. 198), if the disciplines participate in a productive interchange of complimentary findings. He seeks to treat the total patient - mind and spirit through integration, noting that ethical teachings of Christian faith are integral to psychology, not merely parallel to it. Entwistle takes the position that if we keep the books of God...
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...have, the purpose of the Lord will always stand (Proverbs 19:21). Ruddell describes these views as Christ the Transformer of Business Culture, Christ Above Business Culture, and Christ Against the Business Culture. Each of these views portrays a different choice that each of us can make as we take part in our place of business. As we make our decisions, we should always remember that as much as we can I believe that as Christians we should all be Christ the Transformers of Business Culture. By choosing to be a transformer, we stand firm against the worldly theory of ‘business is business,’ which is often portrayed by those with the Christ of Business Culture View. In order to transform others, we need to believe in sharing our faith by example, and not falling into worldly beliefs and activities of those around us. The Christ the transformer of Business Culture view tells us that we should hold high to our standards in the workplace, for them not to be lost, and to make ethical business decisions in regards to our Christian beliefs. This model portrays Christians as people who work hard, treat others well, show wisdom, show fairness, and follow the intent of the law, all while being a leader who changes others (Ruddell, pg. 40). A leader who is focused on transforming their workplace is not deceptive; they are real and...
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...On 23rd April, a lot of people celebrate St Georges day. Though I never understood why and who is exactly St George? There is a lot written about St George, some of it is fact but some is fiction. Let's start with what is believed to be facts. George was an excellent soldier and was chosen to protect the Emperor, Diocletian. Emperor Diocletian was not a Christian, in fact he hated Christians! He order that any Christians within the Roman army should be killed! George disagreed with the emperor and told him that he was himself, a Christian. The emperor didn't want to lose one of his best soldiers and tried to convince George to stop being a Christian. He even offered him land and money! Time and time again, George refused the emperor's offers, saying that his Christian faith was too important to him. Eventually Diocletian lost patience and had George beheaded on 23rd April 303. Christians were so proud of George's bravery that he made a saint. They built churches in his honour and George's story was used to demonstrate the power of faith and to convince others to become Christians. So those were the facts. Now for the fiction. Long ago in Turkey lived a solider called George. He sailed across the sea to a land called Libya. When he got there a man told him that his village was being terrorised by a dragon. Each day they had to feed a maiden to the dragon, and now only the king's daughter was left. He threw his spear at the dragon, but it hit his...
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...sermons to about 80 million people and millions more over radio or television. For about 3 million people, he helped by guiding them in their decisions to join Christ and has given confidence to countless more Christians. Billy Graham, as you may know, has helped at presidential inaugurations and presidential funerals. He has been comfort in times of need and even influenced Christians during the civil rights movement by stating his belief that all people of America should be treated equally, including black people. The most honorable characteristic of Billy Graham is the fact that he does all that he does simply because he believes it is the right, Christianly thing to do. He has definitely contributed a lot to the Christian society and it would probably be very different without him, seeing as he was a major factor of developing contemporary Christianity. Not only is the Christian community different, but possibly also the African American society. During the civic dispute about the rights and freedoms of black Americans, Graham invited Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. over to discuss the issue. He made it clear that he was in favor of equal rights. This set an example for Christians and could possibly have been a huge factor in many decisions. As a Christian, I am personally grateful to...
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...for the Course in Theology and Spirituality in Counseling PACO 507 D02 LUO 201240 December 2012 About the Author Dr. Lawrence (Larry) Crabb Jr. has a PhD. In Psychology and has been writing books for over 35 years. He is a popular conference and seminar speaker, teaches Bible classes, and is the founder and director of NewWay Ministries. Since 1996 he has been the scholar in residence at the Colorado Christian University and currently serves as the Spiritual Director for the American Association of Christian Counselors. He has a minor in speech therapy and philosophy of science from the University of Illinois where he obtained his PhD.. He and his wife, Rachel, live near Denver Colorado. Once Dr. Crabb suggested that should he ever write a book about himself, he will entitle it: “Sovereign Stumbling” as God has led him on a journey where he stumbled and God picked him up and carried him through with Sovereignty. Summary of Theory Dr. Larry Crabb is a very spiritual writer whom has integrated the psychological aspects of secular counseling with that of the Christian counselor in such a way that multitasking can be implemented by way of running everything past the Biblical principles presented in God’s Word. There are three types of counseling that are thought to be important with the third being the focus of this book. Although many believe that trained professional counselors are helpers who lead their clients to happiness; Crabb (1977, p. 29) maintains that the goal...
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...Learning to be a Christian Leader in Today’s World. There is more to running a Christian based business than hanging a Cross in your window. Gerald J. Zalecki Bluffton University Whether it is in business or our own personal life we all will face struggles in the choices we make. Many times we know the right thing to do but do the opposite because the outcome is more to our liking. It takes more than talking the good talk to really impress and change the world around us. We all need to let our actions and deeds speak the loudest for how we think. The common business ideology is growth and success often mean more then integrity, but what about the Christian in business? For a Christian to succeed in business they need to do more than push their beliefs on others, it means a style of doing business in your community. As we began our look at what it took to be a Christian in the business world we needed to first look at what God wanted from us. Looking into what God wants us to do and how he wants us to treat each other is as simple as opening the Bible. As I read the Sermon on the Mount, in Mathew 5, I heard how God wants us to treat each other fairly and nicely. We are not to make a show of the good things we do we are supposed to just do them. Again in Mathew 6:3 we read, “When you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.” In other words do not do good deeds for rewards do them because it is right. Too often we get caught up in...
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...University Christian Worldview and Contextualization HTH 655 Professor Robert Prescott-Ezickson October 09, 2013 Kingdoms and Cultures Oscillatory has exercised vast inspiration by what method we abstract the link among Christianity and philosophy. The situation has converted several societies’ circumstances to vision their culture of resistance to foremost characteristics of the common philosophies as rather of which to be humiliated, as well as rather that desires to remain rejected with the intention to convert traditionally liable. Niebuhr debates that Yoder’s forceful analysis of his book has not been offered the extensive revelation it justifies, particularly his reason that Niebuhr's situation is vitiated with a fragile Christology plus an abuse of the policy of the Triad. Niebuhr has initiated vast misperception into the argument by considering the Christ against Culture method as principle imperfect, while the subject remains his personal situation that advances from “Nicene orthodoxy” (Carter, 2003). Culture comprises of the traditions, knowledge, ability, conducts and community relationships that a culture develops. Culture is the contextual in which all individual predictably their daily existence (Atkinson, 1995). The delinquent of “Oscillatory” is generally engaged to define the connection concerning Christians and the fundamental culture in which we reside (GCU, lecture). On the other hand, this disguises a significant opinion: similar when Christians discard...
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...experiences. For Christians, worldview is formed by one’s faith. Even though some people might not recognize it, everyone has a worldview. It is especially imperative for believers to know their worldview so that they can apply it to their everyday lives. It is important for Christians to develop a worldview in order to be a witness for Christ, defend one’s faith, and discern what is good. Being a witness for Christ is one of a Christians primary purposes. Scriptures say that people were created for God’s glory and to proclaim his praises (1 Chronicles 16:23-25); therefore, a worldview is necessary in order to know exactly what to believe and teach it. A worldview is a person’s ultimate beliefs and assumptions about the universe. In order to be a witness for Christ, believers must follow the basic set of beliefs Christianity teaches. For example: there is a God, God is everything, we were created by God in his image, morality is grounded in Gods character, etc. Without these basic principles there is no basis for what is being taught and what the prophet believes. Jeremiah 1:7-8 says, “But the LORD said to me,’ Do not say I am too young, you must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you, Do not be afraid of them for I am with you and will rescue you declares the LORD.” The Bible teaches that Christians are expected to spread the Lord’s message no matter what the circumstances may be. In conclusion, in order to witness as the Bible instructs, Christians must develop...
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...Environment and Preservation Many grounds all over the world have been destroyed many ways starting from cleaning up the forest where animals live and survive in the forest. The forest is beauties of nature where the oxygen flows through the big trees and makes an atmosphere breathe the fresh air of that oxygen. Trees are being taken from the root of the ground, so it can no longer grow and replace that area with a business company or just plain empty. People ask themselves why is it that the grounds are being torned down but yet not being used. These and many related questions remain in silence of a major concern in the present day world. Christians try to find the ethics which relies on faith, tolerance, and care. The grounds in the forest where its peaceful and pleasant doesn’t ever seem that some company will one day come and tear the grounds and let it show empty. It says in Psalm 1:3; He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all he does, he prospers. (KJ VERSION). “Stop the Catastrophe.” Prentice Hall Reference Guide states Which in the opinion of Christians, yes, stop the catastrophe in tearing down so many trees and not let the oxygen continue to flow as it should. There are properties that are being invaded by City Departments where they want to expand the streets of all the subdivision. Make the streets into the business road and make more money to collect more taxes in the poor...
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...ABSTRACT : This paper will cover the Agnostic, Atheistic, Christian, and Pantheistic views on Evil and why bad things happen to righteous people. The above religious viewpoints will be looked at from a Christian world view to see the differences and rationale behind the thinking. The subject of if the Christian God is a loving God that wants us to be happy, why does he allow bad things to happen. (incomplete sentence as written, the end of it is phrased as a question, and to what degree is our happiness God’s primary desire?) As a Christian [comma] I look to the book of Job. The book of Job tells the story of a righteous man who was allowed to suffer. The theme and composition of the book is “Why are the righteous allowed to suffer?”. The answer to this come (form of word) in an interpretation of the story of Job. He was subjected to the most suffering allowed sans (?) him dying and he remained a devout follower of God. This showed the Devil who had made a bet with God that Job would be a follower with or without God’s blessings. After the Devil admitted defeat, God showered Job with blessings as reward for his patience and belief that God was looking after him. This shows that God rewards those who trust him in times of trials and tribulations. God wants us to choose him in my world view, free will based, and this fits with why he allows us to experience hard ships (one word) because it teaches his followers patience and also...
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