Are you saying that in order to accept any conclusion made by someone, you must accept all conclusions made by that person? That does not make any sense. Please explain.
I too have strong reservations about global warming theories. But at the same time I encourage anyone who does believe in global warming to take actions that match the level of seriousness they assign to global warming.
And I have to admit, one of my greatest reservations regarding global warming is the disconnect between the words of the people who say they believe in it, and their personal actions.
There is no inherent virtue in poverty; and there is no inherent vice in wealth. Too often the official stance of the institutional church implies that there is.
I propose 2 main reasons that we don't see Jesus proclaimed boldly at inter-faith events such as the one you discuss:
1) "Thou shalt not offend" has become one of the great commandments of Western culture. This goes hand-in-hand with wanting to fit in. Thus we see many evangelical denominations, including the CRC, focusing more on social justice than the Gospel. Being a "climate witness" is not offensive to the world. In fact, you get praised for it by people of all faiths! But being a witness of the Gospel is offensive. You said the Christian leader who spoke focused on solidarity and justice. These are the things being emphasized to leaders in evangelical denominations, as part of their training & education. Thus when a "leader" is invited, you end up getting a totally different message than if the event organizers invited a non-leader, "lay-person" like me to the event.
2) In the rare case where the event organizers happen to invite a Christian who (unlike the "leaders" mentioned above) IS willing to boldly proclaim the message of the Gospel of Jesus, that person is pretty much guaranteed to be a one-hit wonder. They will never be invited to speak at an inter-faith solidarity event ever again. It would be wonderful if someone stood in front of an event like this and said "Christians mourn with those who mourn...but let me tell you about the One who can turn your mourning into dancing...the risen Christ!" Yeah, that person would not be invited to the next event. The event organizers would scratch that person's name off their list and go back to inviting the "social justice" Christian for the next event.
Herb, "good" is a bit of a stretch, as far as tens of thousands of CRC members are concerned. A quick survey of the Council members at my church would reveal that none of them support a tax on CO2.
Even if we give OSJ the benefit of the doubt on their Synodical mandate from 2012, wouldn't it be more unifying and more effective to encourage individual CRC members who believe in climate change to voluntarily commit to paying their own climate tax?
Every utility company (where I live it is Consumers Power and DTE Energy) offers a green energy program where people can voluntarily pay more for their energy, to support wind & solar. You who believe in global warming should do that! Individual church congregations who have signed up as Climate Witness partners should do that too! And OSJ should give both individual members and church congregations the ability to "sign their names" to a public document saying they have done so.
There are other things you can do too...most airlines and travel agencies give people the chance to purchase Carbon Offsets when they book their travel. Or better yet, sign a public pledge not to use air travel at all. What kind of message would it send if the CRC ended the policy of paying for air travel for employees, but instead required all employees to travel by bus or train?
Hi Tom. I'm a CRC member from Jenison, Michigan. I'm currently attending the Cooler/Smarter events being sponsored by OSJ and the Climate Witness project. I'm trying to learn as much as I can on the subject, so I find this discussion fascinating and productive.
After the 1st Cooler/Smarter session that I attended (at CRC world headquarters), the leader of the session loaned me a book by Katherine Hayhoe called "Climate for Change." It was published in 2009, so it was probably written in 2008 or even 2007. This 10 to 12 year difference from the current day makes some of Hayhoe's predictions very interesting.
You said global warming scientists' predictions have held up very well. In this book that was loaned to me, Hayhoe says that scientists predict the Arctic will be free of summer sea ice by 2015, and that there is no way to stop it. That prediction was totally incorrect.
Another way to approach the issue is to ask the question: What effect are CRC employees having in their political lobbying?
I can reference a specific example, a "personal story", if you will (I'm told that personal stories are powerful). It is not related to climate change, but the illustration holds.
You may recall that early in his presidency, Donald Trump instituted a travel ban from about half a dozen countries that were identified as terrorism hot spots. Employees of the CRC at the Office of Social Justice responded by calling on members of the CRC to call their "elected representatives" to say that "Christians do not support Donald Trump's immigration ban."
I waited a couple days, then I called Congressman Bill Huizinga's office in DC (he is my Congressman). Huizinga represents Michigan's 2nd Congressional District, which probably encompasses more members of the CRC than any other district in the entire United States. I spoke to one of Bill's staffers, and told her that employees of the Christian Reformed Church had urged me to call Bill. But instead of opposing the travel ban, I told Bill's staffer that I support it. Furthermore, I stated my belief that (contrary to OSJ's action alert) the travel ban was completely and totally compatible with Biblical principles. Finally, I asked Bill's staffer how many other CRC members had called, but had voiced opposition to the ban. Or maybe had not identified as a CRC member, but opposed the ban on moral or religious grounds.
Zero. Bill's staffer said they had not received a single call like that since the "action alert" was sent out.
So again..if the lobbying is not actually getting people to act, what is it accomplishing?
Other than, dividing members of the CRC...and providing jobs. But I'm open to other feedback; does anyone think the lobbying is having a great effect on public policy?
Steve, thanks for your comment about "refugees" (asylum seekers) and "immigrants." I'm glad you brought it up, as there is an unfortunate trend in conflating the two. Sometimes this is done intentionally, to add emotional power to pro-illegal immigration arguments. Other times the confusion between the 2 terms is totally unintentional. But the 2 are completely different situations.
If the US/Mexico border had no legal points of entry, and if the US had no embassies or consulates in Mexico, where refugees could seek asylum, you would have a valid point in saying that refugees are forced to attempt dangerous, often times deadly, illegal border crossings into the US. There certainly are places on earth where such crossings are the only option for refugees.
Thankfully, the southern border of the United States is not such a place! People seeking asylum are 100% able to do so safely and legally, rather than dangerously and illegally.
And as pointed out by others, there is growing evidence that people who are not refugees are being encouraged to give false information in order to claim they are. Encouraging false asylum claims lessens the ability of true refugees too seek asylum. That is an injustice to genuine refugees.
A secure border, including physical barriers where appropriate, is definitely part of comprehensive immigration reform, and immigration justice. Border security does not criminalize asylum seekers in any way. Rather, it protects them.
Hi Peter, thanks for your comments. To determine whether or not Jesus is a "rebel" or a "conformist," we first have to determine what is God's ORIGINAL design and created order. If Jesus is bringing things in line with the original design and created order, then He is conforming to that, correct?
Was Satan a rebel? Or a conformist? Nuff said...
Secondly, Scripture does indeed instruct us Christians to show care & concern for the material state of our neighbors. But why? Is it to earn our salvation? Or is it out of gratitude to God for saving us? And is care & concern for the material state of humanity the primary purpose for Jesus' mission on Earth?
Did Jesus have the power, when he was here on Earth, to eliminate all sickness, poverty, and "oppression"? Did He do so?
These are all things which the author of "The Rebel Jesus" misses. And I think the clear reason he misses them is because the Holy Spirit is absent in his life. He wishes to use Jesus to promote a certain political worldview. Thus he misses the Truth.
Good points, Jason. One of my goals in writing this was to demonstrate that open borders does not equal "justice" in this situation.
It would be helpful for CRC denominational staff, particularly at OSJ, to weigh in and clarify how they interpret Synod's instructions on immigration: 1) the US government does have the moral authority to place limits and deny entry even to people who are simply seeking a better life, or 2) Scripture requires that we welcome any and all who seek a better life
Thanks for the comment, Brett. I did not miss the message that Browne promotes in his song "The Rebel Jesus." I intellectually understand the worldview that he is trying to promote. It's just that Scripture does not agree with Browne.
Did Jesus have the power, when He was here on Earth, to end all material poverty, sickness, and political oppression?
Posted in: When a Muslim Studies Galatians What Does He See?
Akhtar gets one thing correct:
"Christians and Muslims are fighting a decisive battle for the true image of humanity."
Posted in: Should the CRCNA Lobby in Favor of Federal Carbon Tax Legislation?
Tom, your cherry-picking accusation is very odd.
Are you saying that in order to accept any conclusion made by someone, you must accept all conclusions made by that person? That does not make any sense. Please explain.
I too have strong reservations about global warming theories. But at the same time I encourage anyone who does believe in global warming to take actions that match the level of seriousness they assign to global warming.
And I have to admit, one of my greatest reservations regarding global warming is the disconnect between the words of the people who say they believe in it, and their personal actions.
Posted in: Should the CRC Endorse and Lobby for Making UNDRIP Federal Canadian Law?
Have any Canadian CRC leaders been asked about giving CRC church or denomination lands back to indigenous peoples? As in, are they willing to do so?
Posted in: How Does the Church Minister to the Wealthy?
Good words, Keith. Thank you.
There is no inherent virtue in poverty; and there is no inherent vice in wealth. Too often the official stance of the institutional church implies that there is.
Posted in: Where Are the Evangelicals?
Thanks for raising an important discussion, Greg.
I propose 2 main reasons that we don't see Jesus proclaimed boldly at inter-faith events such as the one you discuss:
1) "Thou shalt not offend" has become one of the great commandments of Western culture. This goes hand-in-hand with wanting to fit in. Thus we see many evangelical denominations, including the CRC, focusing more on social justice than the Gospel. Being a "climate witness" is not offensive to the world. In fact, you get praised for it by people of all faiths! But being a witness of the Gospel is offensive. You said the Christian leader who spoke focused on solidarity and justice. These are the things being emphasized to leaders in evangelical denominations, as part of their training & education. Thus when a "leader" is invited, you end up getting a totally different message than if the event organizers invited a non-leader, "lay-person" like me to the event.
2) In the rare case where the event organizers happen to invite a Christian who (unlike the "leaders" mentioned above) IS willing to boldly proclaim the message of the Gospel of Jesus, that person is pretty much guaranteed to be a one-hit wonder. They will never be invited to speak at an inter-faith solidarity event ever again. It would be wonderful if someone stood in front of an event like this and said "Christians mourn with those who mourn...but let me tell you about the One who can turn your mourning into dancing...the risen Christ!" Yeah, that person would not be invited to the next event. The event organizers would scratch that person's name off their list and go back to inviting the "social justice" Christian for the next event.
Posted in: Should the CRCNA Lobby in Favor of Federal Carbon Tax Legislation?
Herb, "good" is a bit of a stretch, as far as tens of thousands of CRC members are concerned. A quick survey of the Council members at my church would reveal that none of them support a tax on CO2.
Even if we give OSJ the benefit of the doubt on their Synodical mandate from 2012, wouldn't it be more unifying and more effective to encourage individual CRC members who believe in climate change to voluntarily commit to paying their own climate tax?
Every utility company (where I live it is Consumers Power and DTE Energy) offers a green energy program where people can voluntarily pay more for their energy, to support wind & solar. You who believe in global warming should do that! Individual church congregations who have signed up as Climate Witness partners should do that too! And OSJ should give both individual members and church congregations the ability to "sign their names" to a public document saying they have done so.
There are other things you can do too...most airlines and travel agencies give people the chance to purchase Carbon Offsets when they book their travel. Or better yet, sign a public pledge not to use air travel at all. What kind of message would it send if the CRC ended the policy of paying for air travel for employees, but instead required all employees to travel by bus or train?
Posted in: Should the CRCNA Lobby in Favor of Federal Carbon Tax Legislation?
Hi Tom. I'm a CRC member from Jenison, Michigan. I'm currently attending the Cooler/Smarter events being sponsored by OSJ and the Climate Witness project. I'm trying to learn as much as I can on the subject, so I find this discussion fascinating and productive.
After the 1st Cooler/Smarter session that I attended (at CRC world headquarters), the leader of the session loaned me a book by Katherine Hayhoe called "Climate for Change." It was published in 2009, so it was probably written in 2008 or even 2007. This 10 to 12 year difference from the current day makes some of Hayhoe's predictions very interesting.
You said global warming scientists' predictions have held up very well. In this book that was loaned to me, Hayhoe says that scientists predict the Arctic will be free of summer sea ice by 2015, and that there is no way to stop it. That prediction was totally incorrect.
Posted in: Should the CRCNA Lobby in Favor of Federal Carbon Tax Legislation?
Another way to approach the issue is to ask the question: What effect are CRC employees having in their political lobbying?
I can reference a specific example, a "personal story", if you will (I'm told that personal stories are powerful). It is not related to climate change, but the illustration holds.
You may recall that early in his presidency, Donald Trump instituted a travel ban from about half a dozen countries that were identified as terrorism hot spots. Employees of the CRC at the Office of Social Justice responded by calling on members of the CRC to call their "elected representatives" to say that "Christians do not support Donald Trump's immigration ban."
I waited a couple days, then I called Congressman Bill Huizinga's office in DC (he is my Congressman). Huizinga represents Michigan's 2nd Congressional District, which probably encompasses more members of the CRC than any other district in the entire United States. I spoke to one of Bill's staffers, and told her that employees of the Christian Reformed Church had urged me to call Bill. But instead of opposing the travel ban, I told Bill's staffer that I support it. Furthermore, I stated my belief that (contrary to OSJ's action alert) the travel ban was completely and totally compatible with Biblical principles. Finally, I asked Bill's staffer how many other CRC members had called, but had voiced opposition to the ban. Or maybe had not identified as a CRC member, but opposed the ban on moral or religious grounds.
Zero. Bill's staffer said they had not received a single call like that since the "action alert" was sent out.
So again..if the lobbying is not actually getting people to act, what is it accomplishing?
Other than, dividing members of the CRC...and providing jobs. But I'm open to other feedback; does anyone think the lobbying is having a great effect on public policy?
Posted in: Immigration Justice Requires Border Security
Steve, thanks for your comment about "refugees" (asylum seekers) and "immigrants." I'm glad you brought it up, as there is an unfortunate trend in conflating the two. Sometimes this is done intentionally, to add emotional power to pro-illegal immigration arguments. Other times the confusion between the 2 terms is totally unintentional. But the 2 are completely different situations.
If the US/Mexico border had no legal points of entry, and if the US had no embassies or consulates in Mexico, where refugees could seek asylum, you would have a valid point in saying that refugees are forced to attempt dangerous, often times deadly, illegal border crossings into the US. There certainly are places on earth where such crossings are the only option for refugees.
Thankfully, the southern border of the United States is not such a place! People seeking asylum are 100% able to do so safely and legally, rather than dangerously and illegally.
And as pointed out by others, there is growing evidence that people who are not refugees are being encouraged to give false information in order to claim they are. Encouraging false asylum claims lessens the ability of true refugees too seek asylum. That is an injustice to genuine refugees.
A secure border, including physical barriers where appropriate, is definitely part of comprehensive immigration reform, and immigration justice. Border security does not criminalize asylum seekers in any way. Rather, it protects them.
Posted in: "The Rebel Jesus" - Worst Christmas Song Ever?
Hi Peter, thanks for your comments. To determine whether or not Jesus is a "rebel" or a "conformist," we first have to determine what is God's ORIGINAL design and created order. If Jesus is bringing things in line with the original design and created order, then He is conforming to that, correct?
Was Satan a rebel? Or a conformist? Nuff said...
Secondly, Scripture does indeed instruct us Christians to show care & concern for the material state of our neighbors. But why? Is it to earn our salvation? Or is it out of gratitude to God for saving us? And is care & concern for the material state of humanity the primary purpose for Jesus' mission on Earth?
Did Jesus have the power, when he was here on Earth, to eliminate all sickness, poverty, and "oppression"? Did He do so?
These are all things which the author of "The Rebel Jesus" misses. And I think the clear reason he misses them is because the Holy Spirit is absent in his life. He wishes to use Jesus to promote a certain political worldview. Thus he misses the Truth.
- Dan W -
Posted in: Immigration Justice Requires Border Security
Good points, Jason. One of my goals in writing this was to demonstrate that open borders does not equal "justice" in this situation.
It would be helpful for CRC denominational staff, particularly at OSJ, to weigh in and clarify how they interpret Synod's instructions on immigration: 1) the US government does have the moral authority to place limits and deny entry even to people who are simply seeking a better life, or 2) Scripture requires that we welcome any and all who seek a better life
Posted in: "The Rebel Jesus" - Worst Christmas Song Ever?
Thanks for the comment, Brett. I did not miss the message that Browne promotes in his song "The Rebel Jesus." I intellectually understand the worldview that he is trying to promote. It's just that Scripture does not agree with Browne.
Did Jesus have the power, when He was here on Earth, to end all material poverty, sickness, and political oppression?
- Dan W -