Environmentalism is not just for lefties

I got to thinking today about the topic of environmentalism. I take it as the idea that we have been given an honor as being stewards of God's creation. With that honor comes a great responsibility. The main issue is that the most vocal proponents of care for Earth also have misplaced priorities. They seem to believe that human beings are even with, or even below the trees and animals.

Now, we as Christians know that this is dead wrong. God placed us in dominion above the creatures and the earth. But with that power comes great responsibility (to quote our friendly neighborhood Spiderman). We have brains enough to know not to be wasteful and do what we can. Now does this mean we should all starve to death because we need hundreds of acres of grassland? Certainly not. But we also know how to not be excessively wasteful, something that falls far short in our society today.

There should be a balance present in the discussion of environmentalism that is sorely lacking today. It should not be "limit the human population so earth can survive" - there is too much human innovation possible for that to be a valid concern. But it should also not be "We can do whatever we want - we're human!". That is lacking a balance of faith AND reason. God does take care of us, no matter what. And the world will end some day. But that doesn't mean we can do whatever because it is all going to end anyway. God still expects us to be responsible and respectful when it concerns His creation. Prudence is a virtue, indeed.