ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, July 20, 1996 TAG: 9607220020
SECTION: RELIGION PAGE: C-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOY THOMPSON KNIGHT-RIDDER/TRIBUNE
I once had a roommate who was a little lax when it came to cleaning her hamsters' cages. Since we shared a room, I was more than a bit perturbed about this problem. So when subtle hints and threats failed, I pulled out the Good Book.
Days earlier, I actually came across a Bible verse regarding the care of animals. Proverbs 12:10 reads, ``A righteous man cares for the needs of his animals, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.'' She got the message; the cages started to look and smell much better. I and the hamsters were grateful.
In recent years, some evangelical Christians ministers have taken the concept of a righteous person caring for animals and turned it into a political statement. They are members of the Evangelical Environmental Network. And they have caused quite a stir among political conservatives.
Started three years ago by about 1,000 Christian congregations nationwide, the EEN has been labeled the ``Noah Movement.'' Simply put, the group believes that nature magnifies the experience of God, and Christians must be responsible stewards of God's creation. Their idea is not to worship nature as some religions do, but to respect and, to a degree, protect it.
Recently, the organization has been crusading to save the Endangered Species Act. Conservatives in Congress have proposed weakening the act's provisions that protect the habitats of endangered animals and reducing the number of species on the endangered list. So far, the movement has garnered the support of Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt and the EEN has been put in the media limelight.
For example, one recent segment of the Jim Lehrer News Hour showed the Rev. Peter Illyn of Oregon leading a group of church pastors on a woodland hike. God gave human beings dominion over the earth, he explained. He described EEN's ministry as one of environmental stewardship.
Some have criticized the EEN's views as extreme or radical. Two years ago, Robert Dugan, head of the Washington office of the National Association of Evangelicals, refused to sign the organization's declaration and resigned from its advisory council. The threat to the environment and species is overblown, he said. Political opposition is mounting as well. Many conservatives are concerned that over-regulation can stifle economic growth, and that maintaining a healthy economy is more important than maintaining the environment.
The EEN's stand is definitely a unique one. ``Save the earth and the animals'' is a rallying cry one would expect to hear from New Agers and paganists, not evangelical Christians. However, the message is being preached in some evangelical congregations and before representatives in Congress. And, perhaps, it's just the message that needs to be heard in order to keep careless and greed-driven economic growth in check.
As I mentioned in last week's column, I, too, believe nature reflects God. The Bible is full of lessons drawn from plants, animals and natural wonders and forces. It would be a shame if one day we end up having to use an encyclopedia to study the Bible, looking up references to creatures and natural wonders, because they no longer exist. However, that is unlikely.
Some claims by environmentalists, indeed, are overblown. The need for recycling, for example, has been attacked in recent news stories. It seems that our Earth is still more than equipped to provide its inhabitants with the resources we need to survive and thrive. So while it may not be all that critical to make a political or theological issue about our natural resources, it is good to know that there are Christians out there who care about more than material wealth. They prefer to enjoy the riches of God's glory instead.
For more information about the Evangelical Environmental Network, call (800) 261-7741, or write 10 E. Lancaster Ave., Wynnewood, Pa. 19096.
Joy Thompson is an editorial writer for the Long Beach (Calif.) Press-Telegram.
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