More Religious Groups Turning Environmental

This is at least the 2nd time this year I've read news of religious groups promoting a cleaner environment and taking a stand to reduce global warming and protect the environment.

With a new documentary titled "The Great Warming" as their chief campaign tool, a coalition of religious leaders, environmentalists and businesses are spreading copies of the film into churches around the country. Voter guides and themed sermons are also part of the plan.

But guess who is NOT climbing aboard:

The Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Protestant denomination in the country, adopted a resolution in June denouncing environmental activism and warning that it was "threatening to become a wedge issue to divide the evangelical community."

Focus on the Family leader James Dobson admonished evangelicals to remain focused on stopping abortion and gay marriage.

Here's a motto for them: Pollute the World for Christ.

They don't mind wedge issues as long as they are the ones driving the wedge deep into the heart of America, but when a wedge suddenly appears to be a threat to their solidarity, they are quick to denounce it. And of course it's not surprising to see Dobson and the Southern Baptist Convention stubbornly maintaining their ground on abortion and gay marriage -- at the expense of our environment.

Of course the evangelicals are putting their own little personal spin on their support of environment causes:

The movement by faith communities to become more active on environmental issues has been growing over the last several years with many undertaking energy-saving and energy-education projects that they describe as "creation care."

I don't care what they want to call it. The fact that they are getting involved is a positive step.

Related NY Times article from 2/8/06.

Here's something entertaining from One Big JackGoff regarding some Christians still going the other direction.