What is a Biblical View of Climate Change: Non-negotiables (Part Two)

The problem of climate change is complex and difficult. No single solution supplies the full answer. Sound bites and headlines are unable to address the intricacies of this issue. A Christian response to global warming must begin with the Bible’s commands. Two commands stand above all the rest as most important for our response to climate change.

Jesus Himself declares which commands are supreme above all other considerations. He said in Matthew 22:37-39, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” The Christian must respond to climate change by loving God supremely and loving others selflessly.

Love for God must trump all other loves. Caring for the earth is not most important because the earth is not most important. God is. All care for the earth must be subservient to and an expression of one’s love for God.

The earth is not divine. Though we may refer to her as Mother Earth, she is in fact not a goddess. Only one deity exists, the God of the Bible. Anything which elevates the earth, or any other created thing, to a god-like status is a failure to love God supremely. Worship of the earth loves the creature more than the creator.

Because God is the One who the Christian must love most, then no response to climate change should displeas Him by disobeying His commands. The Christian who speaks always of stopping climate change but never tells the gospel is disobeying God (Mark 16:15) and failing to love Him most. No one should blaspheme, steal, cheat, swindle, embezzle, lie, slander, or gossip in their efforts to slow global warming. The destruction of another person’s private property is never justified by the goal of reducing greenhouse gases. If we love God more than the planet, sinful means will never be employed in the fight against climate change.

Love for others is the inevitable result of a proper love for God. Every human is created in the image of God. Therefore, those who love God will love all those who bear His reflection. The love enjoined in the Bible is a selfless devotion to doing what is best for others. Selfless love will do nothing which brings harm to others. (Romans 13:10)

A refusal to harm others will have significant impact on the Christian’s response to this issue. Anything which directly or indirectly harms others must be rejected. Actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions must not increase suffering in any part of the world. A developing country must not be forced to stop using fossil fuels without also supplying the country adequate with power and resources to prevent its people from being unable to protect themselves from the elements, from acquiring proper clothing, and from having sufficient food. The acquisition of materials for use in clean energy must not exploit or harm people. The by-products from the extraction of fossil fuels must not be allowed to pollute local water supplies and poison people. Any solutions to climate change which would cause harm, directly or indirectly, to humans must be rejected.

Because the command to love others is most important, all environmental views which treat the earth or the creatures on it as more important than human beings must be rejected. Disregard of the well being of the planet is never Biblically justifiable. However, in situations where one must choose between the well being of a person and the well being of an animal or the preservation of nature, human life must be prioritized. The human cost of shutting down or relocating an industry to protect an endangered species must be weighed. If the protection of a species will result in the death of humans through malnutrition, inadequate access to medical assistance, or insufficient ability to access heat and shelter, then another means must be found to protect that species. Any solutions to environmental concerns which devalue a human being must be rejected.

The most extreme response to global warming offers a case study of the potential impact of proposed solutions on the well being of people. A sudden and complete cessation of all use of fossil fuels would move humanity into a pre-industrial condition. Such a state would inevitably result in much loss of life. For example, the ability of medicine to preserve human life has not advanced through the increase of knowledge alone. Medical advancement has gone hand in hand with technological advancement. Much of present medical technology (e.g., all the plastics in medical machinery) would become unavailable without access to fossil fuels. The large scale production and delivery of medical machinery would become prohibitively difficult without access to fossil fuels. Many antibiotics, pain relievers, and synthetic prescription drugs are made using petroleum. These life saving and life improving medications would no longer be available without access to fossil fuels. As an another example, improved technology in weather prediction and building materials, both heavily dependent on petroleum products, has contributed to a substantial reduction of death from natural disasters in the last one hundred years.

The undeniable fact is the technological development which is blamed for global warming has also protected human life, extended life spans, and improved the quality of life. The complete cessation of all fossil fuels would shorten life and make life much harder for billions of people. This is an extreme example, but it highlights the real scope of the discussion. If we love God and others, then efforts to slow global warming must weigh their impact on human beings.

Posted by

Dave

Posted on

August 11, 2026

Posted under

Christian living, Current Events, Genesis

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What is a Biblical Response to Global Warming? (Part One)

Heat waves in Europe during the summer of 2026 renewed concerns about global warming. Headlines announced, “Climate change tripled the death toll” of the heat wave. Those working to reduce climate change are concerned global warming will lead to more extreme weather events which will destroy communities and lives, to increased ocean levels which will flood major cities, and to hotter summer temperatures which will cause more heat-related deaths. Since the 1860’s eyewitness observers have tracked atmospheric temperatures across the globe. Their observations indicate the last fifty years have experienced a genuine increase in average, global atmospheric temperatures. Glaciers are shrinking. Arctic ice is thinning. Summers are hotter.

Failure to address climate change portends unthinkable disaster for future generations. Efforts to slow global warming have the potential to profoundly disrupt industry, travel, medicine, farming, and communication. Questions about the severity of global warming and the best response to it trouble many. Christians must consider an additional question. How does the Bible’s teachings shape the Christian’s understanding of the problem of climate change and the proposed solutions to the problem?

The cause of global warming is at least partly attributable to human actions– anthropogenic global warming. That man is a contributor to the warming of the atmosphere seems to be a logical and unavoidable conclusion. The presence of 8 billion people who need to keep themselves warm, grow food, and cook meals is going to have an impact on the environment. The development of technology to make better housing, mass produce materials, improve transportation, and speed communication must inevitably impact the world around us.

Many question the reality or severity of global warming. However, a Christian response to this issue is largely unaffected by one’s understanding of the nature of the problem. In other words, how Christians should relate to the rest of the created order remains essentially the same even if global warming is untrue. Questioning the fact of recent global warming is unnecessary and unwarranted. If global warming is true and if the most recent warming is attributable to human activity, how should the individual Christian respond to those facts? The issue and its answers are overwhelmingly complex. To propose adequate and workable solutions requires a team of specialists. Despite the complexity of the problem, the Bible provides clear guidance which directs and limits the Christian’s response.

Contrary to some extreme environmentalists, the Bible does not treat mankind as a virus whose presence on the earth is unnecessary and destructive. Genesis 1 places man at the pinnacle of creation. God specially and purposefully created man to fill the earth and to exercise dominion over the world. (Genesis 1:26-28) Man has not abdicated or lost that dominion. He retains rule over all the earth and all the creatures on it. (Psalm 8:6)

The Bible does not treat all alteration of the environment as inherently wrong. Man was put in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. (Genesis 2:15) The Old Testament often uses the word “tend” for tilling the ground. Tilling necessarily requires changing nature. God instructed man to alter the original environment of the Garden of Eden by tending and keeping it. The law of Moses assumed man would till, plant, harvest, and build. At no point does the Bible suggest man errs by altering his environment. Man was intentionally created by God to exercise dominion over the earth by changing his environment.

The Bible explicitly treats man as more important than animals. Only man is created in the image of God. (Genesis 1:27) Animals are given to mankind for food (Genesis 9:3; 1 Timothy 4:4). The penalties given in the law of Moses for causing injury or death to another person’s livestock were far less than the penalties of causing injury or death to another person. Animal life is not as important as human life, but animal life is not unimportant. Humanity’s responsibility to tend and keep the earth involves proper care for creation which leads to its flourishing and fructifying. This care seeks to protect creation from harm and unnecessary damage. “A righteous man regards the life of his animal.” (Proverbs 12:10)

The Bible is the only proper foundation of a Christian response to climate change. The Bible teaches man was intentionally created by God in His own image. God gave man rule over the earth as a blessing to man and for the good of the world. The stewardship of man’s God given dominion requires people use creation according to its God intended design. Man’s elevated status does not justify predatory or wasteful practices. Man must steward God’s creation for the glory of God, the good of himself, and the good of creation. The God given supremacy and rule of mankind makes global warming a problem humanity must solve. Before a proper response to climate change can begin to be formulated, two supreme, non-negotiable principles must be discussed. They will be the subject of the next article.

Posted by

Dave

Posted on

July 31, 2026

Posted under

Life Questions, suffering

What is a Biblical View of Assisted Suicide?

Nations around the world continue to legalize and expand access to assisted suicide. In 2016 the Canadian Parliament passed legislation which allows adults to seek “medical assistance in dying.” In 2024 over 16,000 Canadians died through MAID. The Netherlands recently permitted the euthanization of a child under the age of twelve. The scope and extent of assisted suicide’s application troubles many people. Many who seek death in this way speak of “dying with dignity,” a desire to be free from inescapable pain, or a readiness to anticipate the inevitable outcome of a terminal illness. The physical and emotional pain of those suffering agonizing and incurable ailments cannot be dismissed. They deserve a compassionate response.

For Christians the command, “Love one another,” is primary. Compassion toward those enduring intense suffering demands serious consideration of means to lessen or end their suffering. In some situations death is the only hope for ending the agony. In such cases suicide under the careful guidance of a compassionate physician appears as a viable option. What does the Bible say?

The Bible contains no direct prohibition against taking one’s own life. Despite this, Christian teaching has been nearly unanimous in condemning suicide as a sin. The sixth commandment, “Thou shalt not kill,” forbids murder. Murder is the unjust ending of a human life. The Bible only authorizes governments to take a human life, and they are permitted to do so only in the execution of justice. Sickness is not a crime. Debilitating disease is not a capital offense. Consequently, the sixth command forbids suicide, with or without the assistance of medical professionals.

Anyone who has been involved with end of life care knows the wish or prayer for death to end the other’s suffering. However, the Bible never treats death as anything other than an enemy. God has not given governments, medical professionals, or close family members the authority to end life because it is painful. This form of compassion is not compassionate. Genuine compassion ministers to the afflicted, cares for the suffering, and stays without them until the end. Outside the legitimate expression of human justice, anything which intentionally terminates the life of a person is murder.

Assisted suicide devalues the intrinsic worth of every person. Mankind was created in God’s image. The Old Testament prescribed the death sentence for any who unjustly took the life of another person, “Because in the image of God He made man.” (Genesis 9:6) The unjust taking of a person’s life desecrates the image of God in that person. Assisted suicide destroys the life of an image bearer of God, moves the value of a person away from his God-given nature and worth, and shifts the value of the person to his functionality or comfort. People not valuable because of what one can do or because life is pleasant. A person is infinitely valuable because each is a reflection of God the Creator. Assisted suicide devalues the person by suggesting life is only valuable when it is good pleasant or useful.

The rejection of assisted suicide does not necessarily require a person use every available means to prolong life. The taking of active steps to shorten someone’s life is morally different from rejecting all available means to prolong life. The medical technology available today was unknown in Biblical times. Ancient medicine offered nothing beyond artificial resuscitation for those who could not breath. Hand feeding was the only way to provide food or drink to those who could not feed themselves. The ability to sustain someone’s life by means of machinery is recent. The Bible affirms the value of medical treatments. The law of Moses provided a means to care for skin diseases and to stop their spread in the community. Paul instructed Timothy to drink a little wine as a medicine to ease his stomach troubles. However, the Bible never presents an obligation to restore life. The apostles and prophets who raised the dead did not raise to life everyone who died. Those actions which restart basic functions of life, such as breathing or sustaining a heart beat, and those actions which artificially prolong life via machinery are not necessarily required by the Bible’s teachings about the value of human life. Advanced medical directives which include do not resuscitate orders are permissible. So is the use of all available means to prolong one’s life. What is not permitted is the taking of a human life because the person is in unbearable, incurable physical or emotional agony.

Posted by

Dave

Posted on

July 27, 2026

Posted under

Bible Overview, Radio Show