As United States President Donald Trump takes the bold step to withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Accord, many are wondering what the Christian opinion should be on the effects of climate change. Well, simply put, it is extremely polarized, with many believing it is the biggest threat facing our planet today, and other Christians asserting that it is a complete hoax.
“Today, our planet suffered. It’s more important than ever to take action,” wrote famed climate change campaigner and actor Leonardo DiCaprio. “Climate change is an existential threat to our future—staying in #ParisAgreement is the best way to protect our children & global leadership,” wrote ex-Vice President Joe Biden.
Then you have the other end of the spectrum. “As a Christian, I believe that there is a creator in God who is much bigger than us,” Rep. Tim Walberg (R-Mich.) told constituents last week at a town hall in Coldwater, Mich. “And I’m confident that, if there’s a real problem, he can take care of it.”
It is not uncommon for evangelicals to reject the claims of the science behind climate change in favor of an all-powerful God. “Nearly all evangelicals — 88 percent, according to the Pew Research Center on Religion & Public Life — believe in miracles, suggesting a faith in a proactive God. And only 28 percent of evangelicals believe human activity is causing climate change,” reports Washington Post.
“Confidence that God will intervene to prevent people from destroying the world is one of the strongest barriers to gaining conservative evangelical support for environmental pacts like the Paris agreement.”
