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Climate Change. What’s the Christian View?

by | Thu, Sep 23 2021

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Climate change is certainly a divisive issue. The commonly held narrative is that humans are the main contributors to global warming. Some evangelicals argue that global warming is of little concern to the Biblical idea of last days.  If the world is warming, that would be evidence of what is revealed in the Bible. But what part does God play in the weather?   

For this 20Twenty conversation, John Mackay joined us to share his thoughts. John is known as ‘The Creation Guy’, and is also the founder of ‘Creation Research.’ 

It’s a fact that our impressions of climate change can be influenced by what the weather is doing on any given day. That is an interesting and important aspect. It is definitely the sort of thing people consider when making an assessment on whether climate change is a real concern. 

John believes that most people have a very limited local view. Many statements about climate change are generally specific to a particular area. Most places don’t even have 200 years of records. So when it’s reported on, care needs to be taken when we say things like ‘the hottest July ever’. There was a drought in Abraham’s day; in fact it was so hot and dry they had to leave and go to Egypt. We need a much bigger picture, and God’s Word supplies us with that, as does ancient history. 

“We need to wake up to the part the media plays as we’re listening to news,” says John. “People are far more interested in bad news. I have a theory that that’s because we’re sinners at heart and we really like bad news. The newspapers are certainly selling fear.”  

As we read through the Bible, God invents the weather. He sends the first climate change when He says to Noah, there’s going to be 40 days of rain. The Bible is emphatic that there was no rain until Noah’s flood. Then after the flood, the weather becomes more like what we’re used to. But lifespans drop and there were big droughts in Abraham’s day. God said from now until the end of time there will be summer and winter, there will seed time and harvest time. That’s the longest-term prophecy we’ve ever had about weather. 

John believes there are two sides we must consider. “One is that the whole of geological history was invented as a tool for understanding the earth based on the concept that God created the world. Then sin came in and the flood destroyed the planet. So you have your primary rocks, which are the ones from Creation. Your secondary rocks are the ones from the flood.” 

“Number two is that modern geology is based on a hatred of Noah’s flood. Look at the details.

The Bible’s not just a book of theological theory. It’s a book with critical facts in about mist, about rain, about how long people lived.

Adam and Eve were made stark naked. God didn’t give them raincoats, right? They didn’t need any. There are just wonderful descriptions up to Noah’s flood as to how good the weather was.” 

We need to learn the lesson that to understand tomorrow, we have to visit yesterday. When we look at God’s role in all of this, he tells us there will be heat. There will be cold. There will be Summer and Winter.

We have God’s Word, and it doesn’t lie. Christians have a confidence in God that should mitigate our fear.

 

“The Bible is full of all sorts of climate references. You’ve got Jesus on the boats, speaking to the storm and the storm ceases. God does impact the way we think about climate change.” 

“Lord, we need you to bless this country.” 

To listen to the rest of Neil’s discussion with John Mackay about Christians and climate change, click below.

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