The United Nations Conference on climate change concludes this week in Copenhagen, Denmark. Leaders from 193 nations have been attempting to reach agreement on international policies to combat global warming. Outside the conference center, thousands of protesters braved the frigid temperatures, risking frostbite and hypothermia, to protest global warming. The humor and irony of the protesters' actions appeared to be lost on police who at one point had to spray the rowdy crowd with pepper spray. Not surprisingly, things heated up and 230 protestors were detained by authorities.

To people with faith in God and His word, many of the concerns raised about alleged man-made climate change are not very significant. Here's why:

1. We already understand our duty to be stewards of God's creation. People who read, study and follow the Bible understand their God-given responsibility to be good stewards of the earth. Mankind was given dominion over all creation, and he is responsible to take care of it (Genesis 1:26; 2:15; Psalm 8:6-8).

2. We believe that God is in control of the climate. Jesus said, "Your Father in heaven . . . makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust" (Matthew 5:45). The book of Job declares that "God thunders marvelously with His voice; He does great things which we cannot comprehend. For He says to the snow, 'Fall on the earth'; Likewise to the gentle rain and the heavy rain of His strength" (Job 37:5-6). The entire 37th chapter of Job makes clear that God not only controls the weather and the climate, but man cannot pretend to understand how and why He does so.

3. Man does not have the power to appreciably alter the climate. God has promised that "While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night shall not cease" (Genesis 8:22). About the only thing man can do to make any difference in the climate at all is to pray to the God who controls it. "Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit" (James 5:17-18).

4. We should be concerned about the global warming that with will occur when Christ returns. The Bible teaches that "the heavens and the earth . . . are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men." (2 Peter 3:7). "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness" (2 Peter 3:10-11).

By Steve Klein

Return to the General Articles page