Most Christians Still Ignore Climate Change

You recycle. You avoid fast fashion. You even know your carbon footprint. Yet when you look around your church, the silence on climate change is deafening. Maybe they’ve swapped out plastic communion cups or installed LED lights, but when it comes to meaningful action? Crickets.

For a generation of believers who see creation care as not just practical but deeply spiritual, this lack of urgency within the church feels like betrayal. The crisis is real, the consequences are present, and the excuses are running thin.

It’s Not the Science That’s Failing Us

Young Christians get it. A vast majority over 75% of practicing Gen Z Christians acknowledge the urgency of climate change. They’re weary of digital life and yearn for real-world engagement, especially around justice and environmental stewardship. According to Barna Group’s 2022 report, these young believers want their churches to prioritize what they care about. And climate change is high on that list.

But within many Christian communities, climate advocacy is dismissed as either political or peripheral. That disconnect creates spiritual dissonance for younger believers who know the planet is in peril and can’t reconcile that with the apathy from the pulpit.

Dr. Katharine Hayhoe, a climate scientist and evangelical Christian, reframes it powerfully: “Climate change isn’t just an environmental issue. It’s a moral and spiritual issue.” In her book Saving Us, she reminds us that the people suffering most from the climate crisis are often the most vulnerable. If we believe in loving our neighbor, we must care about the systems harming them.

Jesus Didn’t Shrug at Creation

Too often, Genesis 1:28 is quoted to justify dominion over Earth as if “dominion” means domination. But the original Hebrew speaks of stewardship, not exploitation. That’s a world apart from draining every resource or disregarding ecosystems.

Genesis 2:15 clarifies: Adam was placed in the garden “to work it and take care of it.” The mandate was always one of nurture, not neglect.

And while Jesus didn’t lead environmental protests, His teachings are laced with references to the natural world. In Matthew 6, He says, “Look at the birds of the air…” not just to calm anxiety, but to reflect God’s care for all creation. He acknowledged the worth and wonder of the Earth, calling us to do the same.

Even in parables like the one about the talents in Matthew 25 Jesus stresses accountability for what we’ve been given. That includes not only finances and influence, but also the world we inhabit.

Comfort Is a Lethal Distraction

Pew Research Center found in 2023 that only 34% of white evangelicals see climate change as a “very serious” issue. But the issue isn’t just denial it’s convenience. As long as environmental damage feels like a distant threat affecting someone else, the church stays cozy.

But climate change isn’t future tense it’s now. The past decade has been the hottest in recorded history. Wildfires rage longer. Sea levels rise faster. Food supplies are disrupted. Children are suffering from asthma in polluted cities. According to the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the window for meaningful action is rapidly closing. And while some believers preach salvation, they ignore the very planet their neighbors are struggling to survive on.

The Gospel Demands Earthly Justice

There’s a tragic irony in proclaiming love for humanity while supporting systems that poison their water and air. How can we serve the poor while voting for policies that leave their communities unprotected? How can we prepare for the Kingdom of God while trashing the garden He gave us?

The late Pope Francis put it succinctly “The Earth was here before us and it has been given to us.” He labeled environmental destruction as a sin an offense not just against nature, but against God and neighbor.

Justice and the Gospel are inseparable. You cannot speak of righteousness while ignoring ecological harm that disproportionately affects the least of these.

What Can Christians Actually Do?

Yes, the problem is massive. Yes, the church has been slow. But we are not powerless. If the Church truly desires to reflect Christ in all things, then its silence must turn into service.

• Advocate Within Your Church: Start a creation care team. Suggest sustainability practices. Organize educational events.

• Vote Your Faith: Support candidates and policies that prioritize environmental justice.

• Support Ground-Level Efforts: Donate to or volunteer with organizations addressing climate impacts especially those led by marginalized communities.

• Speak Up: Whether in Bible study or casual conversation, normalize talking about climate as a spiritual issue.

This isn’t about becoming activists. It’s about being faithful. We don’t need more climate awareness. We need climate repentance. And from that repentance, tangible action.

Because following Jesus isn’t just about the afterlife. It’s about embodying Heaven here and now in how we treat people and in how we treat the Earth.

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