Strange Bedfellows: 85 Evangelical Christian Leaders Go Green

Environmentalists now have an unlikely ally in the fight against global warming. On Thursday, 85 evangelical leaders, including notables such as "Purpose Driven Life" author Rick Warren, urged adoption of the Climate Steward Act. Backed by Arizona Republican and presidential aspirant John McCain along with Connecticut Democrat Joseph Lieberman, the Act calls for the U.S. to retreat to the emissions levels of 2000 by 2010. The group will back up their resolution by running television spots and ads in the New York Times.

As a churchgoing Christian and environmentalist, I say it is about time. There is nothing in the Bible that equates "dominion over the earth" with liquidating the natural assets for profit. It is inherently immoral to leave the ramifications for future generations.

Environmental pundits need to recognize, embrace, and be glad for this event. It would be easy to see this as an apparent "fracture in the Republican base" (Reuters). It is not that at all. Even if evangelicals were one-issue types, this would not be that one issue.