Science and Religion seem to be coming to an agreement.
Climate Change: Consensus
Climate Change: Consensus
Perhaps recalling the parts of the Bible in which God asks that his followers be good stewards to the Earth, the World Council of Christians, a global coalition of 345 churches moved to no longer invest in oil, gas, or coal companies and urged their members to follow their lead.
Sandwiched in between other administrative and organizational decisions about how to go forward, the WCC tackled the organizations responsibility to the environment.
The committee discussed the ethical investment criteria, and considered that the list of sectors in which the WCC does not invest should be extended to include fossil fuels.
The move is the biggest one yet by Christian groups attempting to reconcile the damages that climate change is causing with their beliefs to serve the planet well.
In a statement sent from its meeting in Geneva, the group strongly condemned the rampent burning of fossil fuels and its effects on the environment:
The World Council of Churches reminds us that morality demands thinking as much about the future as about ourselvesand that theres no threat to the future greater than the unchecked burning of fossil fuels, said Bill McKibben, the founder of 350.org, a global climate campaign that is supporting the divestment effort. This is a remarkable moment for the 590 million Christians in its member denominations: a huge percentage of humanity says today this far and no further.
This isnt from a fringe group either, the WCC includes many of the biggest churches in the world. The 25 million-member Church of England and the 48 million-member Ethiopian Orthadox Tewahedo Church count themselves as members of the umbrella Christian coalition group.
? Group Representing Half A Billion Christians Will No Longer Invest In Fossil Fuel Companies