Global climate change is one of the most talked about issues of the 21st century. It is considered to be a developing situation that may cause catastrophic changes to our world, as we know it. Climate experts claim that the increasing temperatures, could bring about a climate in which we cannot exist. Many of the leading experts in this field are very concerned; however, Bible-believing Christians are not. In fact, many Christians are opposed to the idea of global warming. Why? After all, if we recognize the possibility of global climate change, also called man-made climate change, we could change the course of this world by simply altering our lifestyles. Right?
As Christians, our worldview and our view on climate change differ significantly from that of an atheist. Psalm 24:1 states that "The earth is the Lord's and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it." Everything on earth belongs to God and he uses all things for his purposes. The idea that mankind is able to manipulate the climate, especially unintentionally, suggests that the world is not so much under the control of God, but under the control of mortal beings. For those who do not believe in God, the idea of man-made climate change is complimentary to their worldview.
In Genesis 1:28, God creates mankind and states, "Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth." Atheists believe that mankind's use/abuse of the world's resources has led to worldwide climate change; however, Genesis 1:28 states that mankind was meant to subdue the earth. This means that mankind was supposed to master its resources and use them for the good of the human race.
Genesis teaches us that mankind is to have dominion over the animals of the earth. Atheists believe that humans and animals are essentially the same in value. The only difference, to atheists, is that mankind is more evolved than the animals. This secular view of life puts animal life at the same level as human life. Christians care much for wild life and all of God's creation, but God cares for mankind above all. Humans were created in His image. Thus, mankind's first priority should be the livelihood of the human race.
The Bible commands us to be fruitful and multiply. This point is another in which atheists and Christians disagree, in relation to global climate change. Atheists believe that a large part of the climate crisis is due to the overpopulation of our planet. They believe that it was millions of years ago that overpopulation of the earth lead to the killing off of the dinosaurs. Before the idea of man-made climate change, they had difficulty explaining the disappearance of the dinosaurs. Now, it is common for atheists to teach that overpopulation led to global climate change, which led to dinosaurs becoming extinct, and other creatures emerging. Going back to the Christian perspective, let's ask ourselves, "What was God's plan?" God's plan was and is for mankind to be fruitful, multiply, and to subdue the earth that He created for them.
Christians believe that humanity will exist until the end of time because God has a special plan and a purpose for His most important creation. Atheists seem to believe that mankind will go extinct. Whether it is through evolution or some global catastrophe, atheists are prone to believe that mankind will go the way of the dinosaurs. We do not have such control. It is in God's hands, and He will bring all his good work to fulfillment according to His glory and in his time. The world and all that is in it is in God's hands, not our own.
God created a global catastrophe in the past that wiped out the majority of the human race, but he preserved a small number of people who survived so that his plan could reach its fulfillment. Since that catastrophe, he has promised never to flood the entire world again and destroy all of life on earth. Ironically, such a flood would have had an enormous impact on the global climate. But, humanity survived the effects.
From a Christian perspective, the earth is a strong and adaptable system that cannot be destroyed by mankind. From the atheists point of view, the earth exists in a delicate balance. If the slightest change occurs within an environment, it could lead to catastrophic global consequences. The difference is like night and day. Do you believe it is man or it is God that maintains the balance in this world, in which we live? If you believe it is man, then you may find it is quite an impossible task.
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