Christian faithful take up climate protest – “If God created all that is, what does it mean for us to be destroying it?”
By Shannon Larson
8 April 2019
LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Cloaked in black and carrying white buckets filled with artificial blood, the group filed in silence to the entrance of London’s Downing Street, behind a troupe of child and teen activists.
Ringing a bell as they walked, the 45 adults – all participants in Extinction Rebellion, a protest movement seeking rapid action to curb global warming – formed an arc facing the British prime minister’s residence and poured out their buckets, turning the surrounding road into a sea of red.
The liquid, they said, symbolized “the blood of our children,” on the hands of politicians who have failed to act on climate change and stem its impacts, from worsening floods and droughts to growing poverty and water and food shortages.
Among those at the protest in March were three members of Christian Climate Action, a small group of retirees and students who say their religious faith is compelling them to take an increasingly active role in trying to stop climate change.
Climate change “is leading to a social collapse. We need to respond in more caring and collective ways,” said Phil Kingston, 83, a Catholic church member from Bristol who took a train to London to participate in the Downing Street demonstration.
As climate change protests pick up in London and around the world, they are drawing an increasingly broad range of protesters, from students following in the footsteps of 16-year-old Swedish “school strike” leader Greta Thunberg to grandparents concerned about the growing risks their grandchildren face.
Religious groups – from Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim and other faiths – are among those joining the protests, out of concern, in some cases, about the moral and spiritual implications of human-driven climate change.
Christian Climate Action took shape about six years ago, initially with just a handful of active members from a range of Christian denominations, said Ruth Jarman, 55, one of the group’s original members.
But as it has become involved with Extinction Rebellion – an emerging movement that uses nonviolent protest to demand action on climate change – interest in the Christian action group is growing, especially among younger generations, members say.
“Finding Extinction Rebellion really fitted in with our values so well. It’s very clear on using nonviolence, being motivated by values of love and care rather than anger,” said Jarman, who lives in Hartley Wintney in Hampshire.
Since November, Christian Climate Action activists have disrupted traffic, spray-painted government buildings with political messages and the Extinction Rebellion hourglass symbol, blockaded entrances – and prayed for action, Jarman said.
An Anglican parishioner, she has been arrested five times for those protests – a risk not all Christians are willing to take, she admitted.
But “for me, it’s the first verse of the Bible that hits home: If God created all that is, what does it mean for us to be destroying it?” she asked.
“For us to be participating in its destruction is sacrilegious — not something believing Christians should be doing.” [more]
‘The stakes are too high’: Christian faithful take up climate protest
Isn’t gods creation beautiful? There is so much beauty, it’s difficult to decide which part of creation is most divine. There’s hookworms, deadly bacteria, viruses, cancer, killer bees, mosquitos, tornados, earthquakes, volcanos! So much beauty! It’s pure joy! The real fun is watching humans enjoy ALL of these natural wonders god created! It does seem odd that so many choose to vaccinate themselves and attempt to “protect” themselves against gods creation. They should embrace it in all its splendor! The ones that don’t vaccinate themselves are truly blessed, they help spread gods joy far and wide!
Not to mention that it’s the “Christians” who concocted the whole End Times belief system, of which human desctruction of the ecosystem can be viewed as part.