Conservation and Environment
by Lloyd Tiegs (September-October, 2000)
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WHAT ARE YOUR FIRST THOUGHTS WHEN YOU HEAR THE WORDS: Environment, Conservation?
Does the word “conservation” give you a comfortable feeling?
Does the word, “environment” give you a mixed feeling?
Conservation brings to my mind thoughts of: clean water, trees, clean air. It brings to mind the Conservation
Department of the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago which works together with the DNR to count species of fish and
other life in a stream to see if there is a change over time.
On the other hand when I hear the word “environment”
I think of: Bridges and roads that can’t be built
because it is the habitat of a snail. Trees that can’t be
cut because of a spotted owl. Spikes driven into trees
to injure and kill loggers in order to discourage loggers
from cutting trees. Forest fires burn thousands of
acres because there are not enough breaks in the
forest cleared by loggers. Hundreds of mink left loose
from a research center in Madison, Wisconsin to be
killed on the highway. (The reason given that they
should be free.)
The spotted owl brings to mind a story that was on
Paul Harvey News. I believe it was in the state of
Washington. The DNR had attached radio transmitters
to a number of spotted owls. They would then follow the owls to where they lived. They wanted to protect them
One day they picked up a signal of an owl on their radio receivers. They followed it to a bar. Instead of just
walking in and asking to look around. They got a search warrant and burst in with guns drawn. Instead of an owl
they found a pinball machine that was giving off an identical signal. They became the butt of a lot of jokes. The
leader of the DNR group said, “The snickering has to stop”.
Doesn’t environment seem to have a religious overtone? Doesn’t it remind you of “Pantheism”? Let’s take a look
at some of their ideas: “PANTHEISM is the belief that the universe is divine and nature is sacred. It fuses religion
and science...It provides the most solid basis for environmental ethics...It is a religion that requires no faith other
than common sense...” DEA is indispensable...emergence of individuals with genes better adapted..room for
new species...prevent overpopulation...we should not fear death because our bodies become a part of nature.
(From: http://members.aol.com/pantheism/dath.htm)
The new term “Scientific Pantheism” holds to the following: “...accepts this life as our only life, and this earth as
our only paradise...(It) reconciles spirituality and rationality, religion and science. “ “...pantheism means: all is
god, In essence, pantheism holds that the Universe as a whole should be regarded with religious reverence, and
that there is nothing that truly merits the name divinity other than the Universe and Nature. (From: “World
Pantheist Movement” http://www.harrison.dircon.co.uk/wpm/join.htm).
With the ideas of pantheism in mind it is no wonder that the Christian is a bit uncomfortable with the term
“environment” which often includes those ideas.
Also in the mix is evolution, because I believe you will find a large percentage of those who “believe in the
environment” also believe in evolution. The Darwin idea is, “Survival of the fittest.” The Darwin idea really is the
opposite of conservation. It means to destroy to stay on top. This really is in contradiction to the belief of
pantheism.
I used the term, “Believe in the environment” because with many well-meaning people it is more that
conservation it is pantheism. Ask many children about environment. Look in newspaper accounts and you get
the feeling of a religious respect that we have when we talk about the God of creation.
God says they “...worship and serve the creation more than the Creator.” (Romans 1:25)
God owns the world. He created it. He gave man the job of stewardship. (Genesis 1&2) In Revelation 11:18 He
says, “...and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.” We indeed are to be concerned about pollution
and wanton destruction of parts of creation.
Conservation, environment, and ecology are good terms if used in connection with a respect for the gifts which
God gives use in His creation. He gives us permission to use plants and animals for food. (Genesis 1:29, 1
Timothy 4:4, Genesis 18:1,7,8, Luke 1:15) We are to learn from the: ants, eagles, fish (Job 12:7-10). God had a
plan for the universe which He put into action on the first day of time by creating all the elements. In the next 5
days we see the plan unfold with all of creation being interrelated and mankind as the crown of that creation.
With the law of gravity and all the other systems in place the universe could function as a well tuned machine.
Sin brought death and decay to the human body and all parts of the universe. Mankind brought disorder to the
universe. God solved the problem of sin with the Savior. He gives man the ability to restore some of the balance
to creation. When trees are overpopulated we can harvest them. When deer are causing accidents we can
reduce their population.
We are to help to maintain a balance between human
needs on the one hand and a pristine ecology on the
other. Our goal should be: what serves mankind best
in the long run rather than focus only on short term
gains. We should not want any of the living species to
become extinct. Plants and animals are here to serve
us; if we destroy them we are the loser. Since the fall
of Adam and Eve “all creation still groans under sin.”
There will never be a perfect balance; but we can
work in that direction.
We need to keep in mind that God is the creator.
“Nature is not our Mother”. We worship the Triune
God who created the universe in 6 days; not the
creation which can create nothing. LSI
