Green Church Movement Prompts ‘We Get It’ Response

A group of conservative evangelical leaders is looking for 1 million people to sign the “We Get It” response, a rebuttal to other evangelicals who have highlighted the importance of addressing climate change and global warning.

The Associated Press reports that a coalition of leaders, including James Dobson of Focus on the Family and Richand Land of the Southern Baptist Convention, have spearheaded this statement, which questions whether or not humans caused global warming and whether the green movement mandates lifestyle changes that aren’t feasible for poor people. The brief "We Get It" statement asserts that, “Our stewardship of creation must be based on biblical principles and factual evidence.” The statement also addresses poverty, saying, “With billions suffering in poverty, environmental policies must not further oppress the world’s poor by denying them basic needs.”

Organizations supporting the statement include the Family Research Council, the Institute on Religion and Democracy and Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation.

Different evangelical groups have made statements this year and last praising the green movement, including the Evangelical Climate Initiative and, interestingly enough, the Southern Baptist Convention.