Clergy Speaking Out on Climate Change

A new report entitled “Believers, Sympathizers, and
Skeptics: Why Americans Are Conflicted about Climate Change, Environmental
Policy, and Science” offers very interesting statistics on American views of
climate change. Jointly prepared by the Public Religion Research Institute
and the American Academy of Religion, it highlights views by political and
religious affiliation. Among many other things, it discusses frequency of
clergy leader discussing climate change by denomination and race, showing Black
Protestants and Hispanic Catholics more likely to hear about climate change
from their pastors than white Catholics of Protestants. It states:

Americans
who say their clergy leader speaks at least occasionally about climate change
are more likely to be climate change Believers than Americans who tend not to
hear about climate change in church. 

This
link leads to the brief report
. The full
report is here

Climate Boot Campis
a pilot program being developed by Hoosier Interfaith Power and Light. Recognizing
the vital leadership of clergy, we are planning this one-day workshop to train
religious leaders to speak boldly and knowledgeably about climate change. It is
led by a climate scientist, a biblical scholar, and a local pastor, and
concludes with practicum experience and group debriefing.

Harvard biologist
E. O. Wilson calls religion and science “the two most powerful forces in the
world today.” He comments:

If religion and
science could be united on the common ground of biological conservation, the
problem would soon be solved. If there is any moral precept shared by people of
all beliefs, it is that we owe ourselves and future generations a beautiful,
rich, and healthful environment. (The
Creation: An Appeal to Save Life on Earth
[New York:
Norton & Co., 2006], 5)

We
may search for technological answers to the multiple ecological problems we
face, but the questions are really human ones: What do we value? How do our
lives and values line up? Religious leaders help shape values, and play a
critical role in reaching vast numbers of Americans.