I would hope that millenials, and all other age defined groups for that matter, predominantly serve outside of the institutional church. This is not to say they shouldn't serve within the institutional church as well, but it needs to be understood that we serve (or should serve) in all that we do, and that message ought to be a core message of the (preaching and teaching and encouraging) institutional church to all its members.
I think the more the institutional church effectively teaches this Calvinist/Reformed/Kuyperian message, the more members will be convicted that all they do should be service to their Creator, and the more they are so convicted, the more they will connect to, and serve in, their institutional church, even if most of their service to their their Lord is done outside the institutional church.
The changing of times actually happened quite a long time ago when consistory (elders only) became council (elders and deacons). To fully implement that long ago decision, deacons should have been allowed to be synodical delegates back then.
Were I to set the rules, I'd allow classes to delegate as they wish, elders and/or deacons, including anyone who previously served in either capacity. Doing that would help with the problem of finding folks to serve, and produce more delegates who wanted to be there (and weren't just willing). I'd also then lengthen the time of synod so that the body of synod would be making more decisions as opposed to those who 'set the table.'
But if your mandate was as you say, Linda, you also exceeded it in some ways. The report clearly condemns going to New Mexico in the first place, and establishing Rehoboth in the first place. It says, again quite clearly, that the CRC, the CRCNA, and all those who took part should simply not have done this, that it was a bad thing to do. It was not sinful, as this report claims, to go to Rehoboth. Going to Rehoboth was not, as this report claims, a DOD inspired effort of the CRC to make theirs that which belonged to others.
And then the report seems to support these conclusions, attempts to justify it's conclusions, to its readers, by relaying a concentrated brine of "bad things" in the life of an effort that happened over a century of time. To boot, the report provides no context. The word, "pagan," for example, was a perfectly good (descriptive) word decades ago, devoid of the overtones it has today. "Pagan" does not mean subhuman, nor did those from the CRC/CRCHM who put years and sometimes lives of effort into Rehoboth consider anyone in that community subhuman. That is the report's accusation, even if made a bit indirectly (by saying that is what the DOD said, which in turn was the influence that brought forth Rehoboth).
Perhaps even more troubling, to me at least, is that this reports essentially declares that the efforts of this community, 13 years ago, to deal with the sins of the past, were inadequate, and that those in charge of this report know better than the local community, including all sides of the local community.
This report clearly pronounces a few things about the century-plus work of the CRC/CRCHM at Rehoboth. First is that "it was wrong" for the CRC to even go there.
I take it that "wrong" in this case translates to "sinful." Does anyone here agree with that the CRC/CRCHM merely going to Rehoboth was wrong, or sinful?
Secondly, the report pronounces, even if a bit indirectly, that the CRC/CRCNA regarded the native peoples in the area to be less than human, that when CRC/CRCNA people referred to native people's as "pagan" or "heathen," they were thereby considering them as less than human.
Does anyone here really believe the CRC/CRCHM, including the individuals who worked in the Rehoboth area with the native peoples there, considered the native peoples to be less than human?
Third, the report pretty clearly accuses the CRC/CRCHM of intending to take from the native peoples that which belonged to them when establishing Rehoboth for the sake of the CRC/CRCHM.
I could not agree more. Our children, the "youth of our denomination," can be and will be more affected and guided, whether for good or bad or some of each, by their family, a critically important extension of which, especially in the CRC perhaps, is their local congregation.
Most CRC kids don't really know (feel) what it means to be part of the CRC denomination, but they do know (feel) what it means to be part of (or not part of if that is the case) their local congregation.
If government in fact exclusively wields the power of the sword (and that proposition finds biblical support), which I think fairly implies that it uniquely has the power of life and death, then I would think it can be reasonably concluded that government ought -- as a matter of justice, not mercy, based on its power over life and death -- provide the means by which the poor might live. The caveat to that is that this (justice) obligation is not to provide a comfortable life but rather the minimal means by which the poor will, essentially, avoid dying.
This is not a "wisdom" argument but a "justice" argument (I missed the argument from "last week" and can't find it).
In terms of a "wisdom" argument, but also in terms of "what the role of government is" argument, I think government should/does have the authority to do that which benefits the citizenry as a whole (for the "common good"). Examples would be: (1) creating contract law so that the citizenry can better engage in economic relationships; (2) creating electricity creating dams on rivers to provide energy; (2) creating all sorts of civil laws (torts, property, etc), again so that the citizenry can engage in life, with others, in a more orderly way; (3) build needed roads, or mail systems, or other services that are helpful to the citizenry as a whole; (4) establishing anti-trust laws so that the government will not lose the "most powerful status" to any business or other organization (in which case the existence of government as government is threatened); (5) defining/recognizing institutional spheres and sphere boundaries in society (e.g., church, family, voluntary organizations, etc); (6) regulating behavior that significantly threatens the citizenry as a whole (e.g., possession of nuclear weapons, requiring banks and insurance companies to hold reserves, limiting use or harvest of commonly owned, natural resources that might otherwise go extinct or become unusable); (7) if the government is democratically elected, to ensure the voting population will be sufficiently educated so as to be capable of intelligently voting.
This isn't an exhaustive list of course, but the common thread in the examples is that government acts in these cases for the "common good," not as a means of deciding that some in the population should be nice (should mercy) to others. The power of the sword should never be used to force some citizens to be merciful to others.
Well, your lead post says, "It was pointed out that nowhere in scripture can you find support for the idea of government being obligated to care for the poor." I was merely pointing out that there IS scripture that "support[s] the idea of government being obligated to care for the poor."
Don't interpret what I say as suggesting government should try to keep people close to death, but rather that it is simply not the justice obligation of government to provide it citizenry a very comfortable living.
Let's look at it this way. Have you ever been motivated to really put in some extra effort because if you didn't, you and your family might be headed for some real financial trouble? That if you didn't really put out, your business would fail, or you wouldn't be able to send a child to a college of choice, or you couldn't afford your spouse's elective surgery that would be really nice, or you wouldn't be able to afford piano lessons for your child (etc etc etc etc)? If government's justice obligation is to give you a comfortable living, or if your justice right is to demand that government make you comfortable, what will you be tempted to do? Answer: not worry, not put in the extra effort. For that matter, why would you put in all that work to get the education you need to get to that next step? Live is guaranteed comfortable, not?
Sure, some people are self-motivated to the point that they will do what they should do (use and develop their gifts) regardless of external incentives/disincentives, regardless of a government guarantee of a comfortable living, but if you and I or anyone was asked, we must admit that many people do require the incentive of sheer WANT to the point of NEED to get them motivated to do what they should do to live more fully. Indeed, many people would be deprived of that incentive if they knew government would offer them a comfortable life if they did nothing.
Beyond that, consider that government is not the only societal institution that can and does provide truly needed help. My goodness, if we live or die based on government, what kind of society have we actually become?
Do you really think that Romans 13:4, "For he is God's servant to do you good," intends to suggest that government will provide materially for you? Consider the context. The Roman government provided economically for no one (except the political elite of course). If a subject was blind, he/she needed to beg. Doing good, in an NT biblical context, means maintain "law and order," I would suggest. That is, restrain thieves and murderers and others with the power to harm you. And that was a big deal -- and still is -- "... that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness."
I'm not sure how old you are, but I'm 61. When I was young, only women and children were eligible for any kind of welfare benefits. If males "needed help," except if they were disabled in some way (in which case medicaid type of benefits could kick in), then males needed to figure out how to help themselves, get help from parents, get help from friends, or something else. Did those maies die back in the 1960s when that was the case? Nope. Did NEED motivate them to do something? Yep. In fact, I would say adults today who grew up as children in households that were very financially challenged when they were young, who grew up as children having to work 20, 30, 40 or more hours a week, are now blessed as adults. Why? Because they know how to handle that stress, how to work even when it isn't fun or even pleasant, how to get themselves to do what it takes to "prosper" (in a good way), and how to take care or their families -- and then also their neighbors. And sometimes, they also learned what the true meaning of friendship is, of local community, of a church that is true family.
Do we really want Caesar to guarantee a comfortable life to all who need the nudge of economic motivation? I don't think so. And if the government does provide a true safety net, a subsistence that is uncomfortable, and someone really should have more than that, there still is family, friends, community, church. Indeed, I think too many people never become a part of community and church because they perceive they don't need to. If all else fails, the government will take care of them after all.
"With liberty and justice for all" says nothing about government owing anyone a comfortable life. That idea would be considered absurd to the founding fathers, probably to all early church Christians and Jews living then as well. Liberty means the right to live without an oppressive government or other force, and justice roughly the same. Neither suggests a right to not struggle to provide for yourself.
Thanks for the exchange. I think this is a critically important area of concern for us today.
There's not much in this article I agree with. Here's the other side.
The author begins by declaring a "disconnect" between "Christians and climate change," by which is meant that if you are Christian, you should be on board with the climate change related positions and suggestions this author articles is about to take and make. But maybe, just maybe, there is a "connect" between "Christians and climate change," except that Christians should be taking a position opposite of that taken by this author. Here's the case for that.
First, no one believes human activity doesn't affect climate. No one. Whether it's burning fuels that release CO2 or raising cattle that pass methane gas or growing rice that does much the same as cattle, human activity affects the land, sea and atmosphere. But that's not really the important question. The important questions are: (1) how much does human activity affect climate, (2) in what ways does human activity affect climate, (3) what are the effects of the effect humans have on climate, (4) what should we do, if anything, to mitigate the effects of the effects humans have on climate.
Second, contrary to what our president says (the same president who said he'd put a comprehensive plan for immigration reform in front of Congress within 90 days of being elected, the same president who said debates about health care would be done in the open and carried by C-SPAN, and the same president who promised everyone could keep their insurance plan and doctor, and that insurance costs would go down, under Obamacare) is simply incorrect (or misrepresenting again) when he claims "... if anybody still wants to dispute the science around climate change, have at it. You’ll be pretty lonely ...." Many, not just a couple, not just a few, world class climatologists, and thousands of other supporting non-climatologist scientists, vigorously disagree. Take, for example, world class climatologist John Christy (Distinguished Professor of Atmospheric Science and Director of the Earth System Science Center at the University of Alabama in Huntsville) and his climate science working partner, Roy Spencer. Together, these men, both of whom are brothers in Christ, developed our nation's satellite based temperature measuring/tracking system. Both have impeccable, untarnished credentials. Neither are funded by the evil fossil fuel industry. And both vigorously disagree with today's "climate alarmist" community. And Christy and Spencer are by no means the end of the list. I'll decline to list more here, but I certainly am able.
There is one point made in this article that I agree with, that being "Climate change is an exceedingly technical issue...." Indeed it is. Which is why I'm a bit surprised that the author of this article would, as this article does, equate being on one side of the issue with being Christian. For that matter is it remarkable that the CRC, an insitution devoid of even a single world class climatologist, would take a position about this "exceedingly technical issue." The implication of course, from this article and the CRC's taken position, is that "being on the other side: means "not being Christian." In contrast, I regard persons on both sides of the issue as quite capable of being Christians.
There is another point made in this article that I agree with, that being "Climate change is ... also a deeply moral issue." But while the author of this article believes that means we should support Barak Obama's and the United Nation's position, I believe otherwise. Indeed, I and many world class economists believe that following the Paris Agreement may result in that which is immoral. Limiting the amount of energy people can use, especially in undeveloped countries, comes at a price that is extracted in terms of human life sometimes, and always in terms of human prosperity (or said more fashionably, human flourishing).
But there is a way through this impasse, this disagreement about the science, and the effect of the effect of humans on the climate. What if we would develop a lot more non-CO2 emitting energy resources? OK, but how do we do that?
James Hansen, the "climate alarmist" who started this all, the guy who "climate alarmists" hold in near god-like status, had said, over and over and over and over (go Google it), that solar, wind, geothermal and other similar renewable energy sources are good, but clearly and certainly not robust enough to fill the energy need gap that will be created if we reduce fossil fuel consumption to the extent needed to avoid his prediction of CO2 Armageddon. And while John Christy and many others would disagree about the CO2 Armageddon part, they too would support dramatically increasing nuclear energy. So it would seem there is a middle ground, a solution that both James Hanson and John Christy and Roy Spencer would agree to: nuclear engergy. James Hanson has been saying, again over and over and over (again, go Google it) that nuclear energy is clean, safe, CO2 free, efficient, and sufficiently abundant to "fill the gap" that fossil fuel reductions would leave. Christy and Spencer would agree.
So then, what's the problem? If both sides agree on the real solution (which is not the Paris Agreement), why can't we do that? Answer: because when James Hanson pitches nuclear energy, all of his otherwise supportive "climate alarmist" community goes silent. They don't like nuclear energy. Why? Hard to know for sure, but probably because of their irrational fears, or more likely perhaps of their political obstructionist positions taken in the past about nuclear energy.
But notice this: France produces 85% of its electricity via new nuclear plants. Scandinavian countries have gone nuclear (yes, Sweden and Norway). But these are countries that are ecologically sensitive, not? Exactly.
I would thus argue that if Christians -- or anyone else for that matter -- want to be Christian (or responsible), they might want to advocate not for the Paris Agreement but along with James Hanson (remember, the near-god representative of the "climate alarmist"), that the US should set aside irrational fears (and political history) about nuclear energy and implement a real solution that all sides, including those who may think we don't need a solution, agree on.
How is this not a sensible way foward? Why is this not the advocacy route that Christians should take? Why does the Christian Reformed Church continue to ignore James Hanson, the person who initiated the concerns about CO2 in the first place? Why does this author suggest that to be Christian, one has to advocate for a solution that James Hansen and John Christy and Roy Spencer all say is not the answer?
I'll repeat the argument made above. Government is given, as Scripture indicates (Rom 13:4, but also the clear tradition of the OT), the power of the sword, which can fairly be interpreted to mean the authority in society over whether someone lives or dies. That being the case, it would follow that if poverty existed in a particular nation that is life-threatening, government, the holder of the power over life and death, should exercise that power in a way that prevents that death -- that is, death from poverty, which could result specifically from of lack of food, lack of clothing, lack of housing, lack of health care, etc.
Peter: I'm a bit surprised at your response here. You say we need "Places where it is safe to name, discuss, agree, and disagree on critical issues that God and we deeply care about." You are the director of OSJ, which involves itself in just these sorts of subjects, and yet all of OSJ's "online publications," like DoJustice, are intentionally one-way, that is, you disable the comment functions. The discussion and disagreement you here say is so important is missing when OSJ communicates.
Yes, you and I have had this discussion (about OSJ's one-way communications) by email before and you've concluded we just disagree, which was true, but now you seem to be saying discussion, including about disagreement, is needed after all.
Understand I'm on your side on this comment, but it appears to me you aren't on your own side when it comes to presenting your/OSJ's perspective on these kinds of issues -- then/there you reject discussion. Help me out here in understanding what I perceive to be a disconnect.
Posted in: Are Millennials Looking Outside the Church to Serve?
I would hope that millenials, and all other age defined groups for that matter, predominantly serve outside of the institutional church. This is not to say they shouldn't serve within the institutional church as well, but it needs to be understood that we serve (or should serve) in all that we do, and that message ought to be a core message of the (preaching and teaching and encouraging) institutional church to all its members.
I think the more the institutional church effectively teaches this Calvinist/Reformed/Kuyperian message, the more members will be convicted that all they do should be service to their Creator, and the more they are so convicted, the more they will connect to, and serve in, their institutional church, even if most of their service to their their Lord is done outside the institutional church.
Posted in: How Will Deacon Delegates Change Synod?
The changing of times actually happened quite a long time ago when consistory (elders only) became council (elders and deacons). To fully implement that long ago decision, deacons should have been allowed to be synodical delegates back then.
Were I to set the rules, I'd allow classes to delegate as they wish, elders and/or deacons, including anyone who previously served in either capacity. Doing that would help with the problem of finding folks to serve, and produce more delegates who wanted to be there (and weren't just willing). I'd also then lengthen the time of synod so that the body of synod would be making more decisions as opposed to those who 'set the table.'
Posted in: Why the Church Should Pay Attention to the DOD Task Force
But if your mandate was as you say, Linda, you also exceeded it in some ways. The report clearly condemns going to New Mexico in the first place, and establishing Rehoboth in the first place. It says, again quite clearly, that the CRC, the CRCNA, and all those who took part should simply not have done this, that it was a bad thing to do. It was not sinful, as this report claims, to go to Rehoboth. Going to Rehoboth was not, as this report claims, a DOD inspired effort of the CRC to make theirs that which belonged to others.
And then the report seems to support these conclusions, attempts to justify it's conclusions, to its readers, by relaying a concentrated brine of "bad things" in the life of an effort that happened over a century of time. To boot, the report provides no context. The word, "pagan," for example, was a perfectly good (descriptive) word decades ago, devoid of the overtones it has today. "Pagan" does not mean subhuman, nor did those from the CRC/CRCHM who put years and sometimes lives of effort into Rehoboth consider anyone in that community subhuman. That is the report's accusation, even if made a bit indirectly (by saying that is what the DOD said, which in turn was the influence that brought forth Rehoboth).
Perhaps even more troubling, to me at least, is that this reports essentially declares that the efforts of this community, 13 years ago, to deal with the sins of the past, were inadequate, and that those in charge of this report know better than the local community, including all sides of the local community.
Posted in: Why the Church Should Pay Attention to the DOD Task Force
This report clearly pronounces a few things about the century-plus work of the CRC/CRCHM at Rehoboth. First is that "it was wrong" for the CRC to even go there.
I take it that "wrong" in this case translates to "sinful." Does anyone here agree with that the CRC/CRCHM merely going to Rehoboth was wrong, or sinful?
Secondly, the report pronounces, even if a bit indirectly, that the CRC/CRCNA regarded the native peoples in the area to be less than human, that when CRC/CRCNA people referred to native people's as "pagan" or "heathen," they were thereby considering them as less than human.
Does anyone here really believe the CRC/CRCHM, including the individuals who worked in the Rehoboth area with the native peoples there, considered the native peoples to be less than human?
Third, the report pretty clearly accuses the CRC/CRCHM of intending to take from the native peoples that which belonged to them when establishing Rehoboth for the sake of the CRC/CRCHM.
Does anyone here believe that?
Posted in: Time for Non-Compete Clauses for Clergy?
Assuming this is not a joke, no we should not have pastors sign non-compete agreements. This from a lawyer.
If we did, I doubt the courts of many (any) states would enforce them anyway, non-competes being disfavored by courts even in the business context.
Posted in: My Father’s I Corinthians 13
Thanks for posting Mark. Were all marriages reflective of this perspective, divorce wouldn't happen.
Posted in: The Safest Place in the World
I could not agree more. Our children, the "youth of our denomination," can be and will be more affected and guided, whether for good or bad or some of each, by their family, a critically important extension of which, especially in the CRC perhaps, is their local congregation.
Most CRC kids don't really know (feel) what it means to be part of the CRC denomination, but they do know (feel) what it means to be part of (or not part of if that is the case) their local congregation.
Thanks Syd.
Posted in: A Question of Governance and Scripture Teaching
If government in fact exclusively wields the power of the sword (and that proposition finds biblical support), which I think fairly implies that it uniquely has the power of life and death, then I would think it can be reasonably concluded that government ought -- as a matter of justice, not mercy, based on its power over life and death -- provide the means by which the poor might live. The caveat to that is that this (justice) obligation is not to provide a comfortable life but rather the minimal means by which the poor will, essentially, avoid dying.
This is not a "wisdom" argument but a "justice" argument (I missed the argument from "last week" and can't find it).
In terms of a "wisdom" argument, but also in terms of "what the role of government is" argument, I think government should/does have the authority to do that which benefits the citizenry as a whole (for the "common good"). Examples would be: (1) creating contract law so that the citizenry can better engage in economic relationships; (2) creating electricity creating dams on rivers to provide energy; (2) creating all sorts of civil laws (torts, property, etc), again so that the citizenry can engage in life, with others, in a more orderly way; (3) build needed roads, or mail systems, or other services that are helpful to the citizenry as a whole; (4) establishing anti-trust laws so that the government will not lose the "most powerful status" to any business or other organization (in which case the existence of government as government is threatened); (5) defining/recognizing institutional spheres and sphere boundaries in society (e.g., church, family, voluntary organizations, etc); (6) regulating behavior that significantly threatens the citizenry as a whole (e.g., possession of nuclear weapons, requiring banks and insurance companies to hold reserves, limiting use or harvest of commonly owned, natural resources that might otherwise go extinct or become unusable); (7) if the government is democratically elected, to ensure the voting population will be sufficiently educated so as to be capable of intelligently voting.
This isn't an exhaustive list of course, but the common thread in the examples is that government acts in these cases for the "common good," not as a means of deciding that some in the population should be nice (should mercy) to others. The power of the sword should never be used to force some citizens to be merciful to others.
Posted in: A Question of Governance and Scripture Teaching
Well, your lead post says, "It was pointed out that nowhere in scripture can you find support for the idea of government being obligated to care for the poor." I was merely pointing out that there IS scripture that "support[s] the idea of government being obligated to care for the poor."
Don't interpret what I say as suggesting government should try to keep people close to death, but rather that it is simply not the justice obligation of government to provide it citizenry a very comfortable living.
Let's look at it this way. Have you ever been motivated to really put in some extra effort because if you didn't, you and your family might be headed for some real financial trouble? That if you didn't really put out, your business would fail, or you wouldn't be able to send a child to a college of choice, or you couldn't afford your spouse's elective surgery that would be really nice, or you wouldn't be able to afford piano lessons for your child (etc etc etc etc)? If government's justice obligation is to give you a comfortable living, or if your justice right is to demand that government make you comfortable, what will you be tempted to do? Answer: not worry, not put in the extra effort. For that matter, why would you put in all that work to get the education you need to get to that next step? Live is guaranteed comfortable, not?
Sure, some people are self-motivated to the point that they will do what they should do (use and develop their gifts) regardless of external incentives/disincentives, regardless of a government guarantee of a comfortable living, but if you and I or anyone was asked, we must admit that many people do require the incentive of sheer WANT to the point of NEED to get them motivated to do what they should do to live more fully. Indeed, many people would be deprived of that incentive if they knew government would offer them a comfortable life if they did nothing.
Beyond that, consider that government is not the only societal institution that can and does provide truly needed help. My goodness, if we live or die based on government, what kind of society have we actually become?
Do you really think that Romans 13:4, "For he is God's servant to do you good," intends to suggest that government will provide materially for you? Consider the context. The Roman government provided economically for no one (except the political elite of course). If a subject was blind, he/she needed to beg. Doing good, in an NT biblical context, means maintain "law and order," I would suggest. That is, restrain thieves and murderers and others with the power to harm you. And that was a big deal -- and still is -- "... that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness."
I'm not sure how old you are, but I'm 61. When I was young, only women and children were eligible for any kind of welfare benefits. If males "needed help," except if they were disabled in some way (in which case medicaid type of benefits could kick in), then males needed to figure out how to help themselves, get help from parents, get help from friends, or something else. Did those maies die back in the 1960s when that was the case? Nope. Did NEED motivate them to do something? Yep. In fact, I would say adults today who grew up as children in households that were very financially challenged when they were young, who grew up as children having to work 20, 30, 40 or more hours a week, are now blessed as adults. Why? Because they know how to handle that stress, how to work even when it isn't fun or even pleasant, how to get themselves to do what it takes to "prosper" (in a good way), and how to take care or their families -- and then also their neighbors. And sometimes, they also learned what the true meaning of friendship is, of local community, of a church that is true family.
Do we really want Caesar to guarantee a comfortable life to all who need the nudge of economic motivation? I don't think so. And if the government does provide a true safety net, a subsistence that is uncomfortable, and someone really should have more than that, there still is family, friends, community, church. Indeed, I think too many people never become a part of community and church because they perceive they don't need to. If all else fails, the government will take care of them after all.
"With liberty and justice for all" says nothing about government owing anyone a comfortable life. That idea would be considered absurd to the founding fathers, probably to all early church Christians and Jews living then as well. Liberty means the right to live without an oppressive government or other force, and justice roughly the same. Neither suggests a right to not struggle to provide for yourself.
Thanks for the exchange. I think this is a critically important area of concern for us today.
Posted in: After Paris, It's Time for Christians to Take on Climate Change
There's not much in this article I agree with. Here's the other side.
The author begins by declaring a "disconnect" between "Christians and climate change," by which is meant that if you are Christian, you should be on board with the climate change related positions and suggestions this author articles is about to take and make. But maybe, just maybe, there is a "connect" between "Christians and climate change," except that Christians should be taking a position opposite of that taken by this author. Here's the case for that.
First, no one believes human activity doesn't affect climate. No one. Whether it's burning fuels that release CO2 or raising cattle that pass methane gas or growing rice that does much the same as cattle, human activity affects the land, sea and atmosphere. But that's not really the important question. The important questions are: (1) how much does human activity affect climate, (2) in what ways does human activity affect climate, (3) what are the effects of the effect humans have on climate, (4) what should we do, if anything, to mitigate the effects of the effects humans have on climate.
Second, contrary to what our president says (the same president who said he'd put a comprehensive plan for immigration reform in front of Congress within 90 days of being elected, the same president who said debates about health care would be done in the open and carried by C-SPAN, and the same president who promised everyone could keep their insurance plan and doctor, and that insurance costs would go down, under Obamacare) is simply incorrect (or misrepresenting again) when he claims "... if anybody still wants to dispute the science around climate change, have at it. You’ll be pretty lonely ...." Many, not just a couple, not just a few, world class climatologists, and thousands of other supporting non-climatologist scientists, vigorously disagree. Take, for example, world class climatologist John Christy (Distinguished Professor of Atmospheric Science and Director of the Earth System Science Center at the University of Alabama in Huntsville) and his climate science working partner, Roy Spencer. Together, these men, both of whom are brothers in Christ, developed our nation's satellite based temperature measuring/tracking system. Both have impeccable, untarnished credentials. Neither are funded by the evil fossil fuel industry. And both vigorously disagree with today's "climate alarmist" community. And Christy and Spencer are by no means the end of the list. I'll decline to list more here, but I certainly am able.
There is one point made in this article that I agree with, that being "Climate change is an exceedingly technical issue...." Indeed it is. Which is why I'm a bit surprised that the author of this article would, as this article does, equate being on one side of the issue with being Christian. For that matter is it remarkable that the CRC, an insitution devoid of even a single world class climatologist, would take a position about this "exceedingly technical issue." The implication of course, from this article and the CRC's taken position, is that "being on the other side: means "not being Christian." In contrast, I regard persons on both sides of the issue as quite capable of being Christians.
There is another point made in this article that I agree with, that being "Climate change is ... also a deeply moral issue." But while the author of this article believes that means we should support Barak Obama's and the United Nation's position, I believe otherwise. Indeed, I and many world class economists believe that following the Paris Agreement may result in that which is immoral. Limiting the amount of energy people can use, especially in undeveloped countries, comes at a price that is extracted in terms of human life sometimes, and always in terms of human prosperity (or said more fashionably, human flourishing).
But there is a way through this impasse, this disagreement about the science, and the effect of the effect of humans on the climate. What if we would develop a lot more non-CO2 emitting energy resources? OK, but how do we do that?
James Hansen, the "climate alarmist" who started this all, the guy who "climate alarmists" hold in near god-like status, had said, over and over and over and over (go Google it), that solar, wind, geothermal and other similar renewable energy sources are good, but clearly and certainly not robust enough to fill the energy need gap that will be created if we reduce fossil fuel consumption to the extent needed to avoid his prediction of CO2 Armageddon. And while John Christy and many others would disagree about the CO2 Armageddon part, they too would support dramatically increasing nuclear energy. So it would seem there is a middle ground, a solution that both James Hanson and John Christy and Roy Spencer would agree to: nuclear engergy. James Hanson has been saying, again over and over and over (again, go Google it) that nuclear energy is clean, safe, CO2 free, efficient, and sufficiently abundant to "fill the gap" that fossil fuel reductions would leave. Christy and Spencer would agree.
So then, what's the problem? If both sides agree on the real solution (which is not the Paris Agreement), why can't we do that? Answer: because when James Hanson pitches nuclear energy, all of his otherwise supportive "climate alarmist" community goes silent. They don't like nuclear energy. Why? Hard to know for sure, but probably because of their irrational fears, or more likely perhaps of their political obstructionist positions taken in the past about nuclear energy.
But notice this: France produces 85% of its electricity via new nuclear plants. Scandinavian countries have gone nuclear (yes, Sweden and Norway). But these are countries that are ecologically sensitive, not? Exactly.
I would thus argue that if Christians -- or anyone else for that matter -- want to be Christian (or responsible), they might want to advocate not for the Paris Agreement but along with James Hanson (remember, the near-god representative of the "climate alarmist"), that the US should set aside irrational fears (and political history) about nuclear energy and implement a real solution that all sides, including those who may think we don't need a solution, agree on.
How is this not a sensible way foward? Why is this not the advocacy route that Christians should take? Why does the Christian Reformed Church continue to ignore James Hanson, the person who initiated the concerns about CO2 in the first place? Why does this author suggest that to be Christian, one has to advocate for a solution that James Hansen and John Christy and Roy Spencer all say is not the answer?
Posted in: A Question of Governance and Scripture Teaching
I'll repeat the argument made above. Government is given, as Scripture indicates (Rom 13:4, but also the clear tradition of the OT), the power of the sword, which can fairly be interpreted to mean the authority in society over whether someone lives or dies. That being the case, it would follow that if poverty existed in a particular nation that is life-threatening, government, the holder of the power over life and death, should exercise that power in a way that prevents that death -- that is, death from poverty, which could result specifically from of lack of food, lack of clothing, lack of housing, lack of health care, etc.
Posted in: Think Globally, Push Back Locally
Peter: I'm a bit surprised at your response here. You say we need "Places where it is safe to name, discuss, agree, and disagree on critical issues that God and we deeply care about." You are the director of OSJ, which involves itself in just these sorts of subjects, and yet all of OSJ's "online publications," like DoJustice, are intentionally one-way, that is, you disable the comment functions. The discussion and disagreement you here say is so important is missing when OSJ communicates.
Yes, you and I have had this discussion (about OSJ's one-way communications) by email before and you've concluded we just disagree, which was true, but now you seem to be saying discussion, including about disagreement, is needed after all.
Understand I'm on your side on this comment, but it appears to me you aren't on your own side when it comes to presenting your/OSJ's perspective on these kinds of issues -- then/there you reject discussion. Help me out here in understanding what I perceive to be a disconnect.