Evangelicals are teaming up with environmentalists to support the Obama administration’s Clean Power Plan to substantially reduce carbon dioxide emissions from coal-burning power plants.
The Rev. Mitchell Hescox, president and CEO of the Evangelical Environmental Network, submitted comments from more than 100,000 “pro-life Christians” who he said are concerned about children’s health problems that are linked to unclean air and water.
“From acid rain to mercury to carbon, the coal utility industry has never acted as a good neighbor and cleaned up their mess on their own,” Hescox told reporters on Monday (Dec. 1). “Instead of acting for the benefit of our children’s lives, they’ve internalized their profits while our kids (have) borne the cost in their brains, lungs and lives.”
“Climate change is the greatest moral challenge of our time.â€
Climate change may be occurring (I think it is), and it may be a moral challenge, but to say that it is the greatest moral challenge puts this group wildly out of step with mainstream evangelicalism. I’m also more than a bit worried about co-opting the term “pro-life” as something other than opposition to abortion and euthanasia.
“Co-opting” the term “pro-life” was already accomplished some years ago, with political liberals announcing that pro-life really means larding up the country with more forced redistribution state bureaucracies, to name just one new “definition.”
Long ago I dropped using pro-life and returned to the clean “anti-abortion” which is the thing I’m opposed to, after all.
In other words, Katherine Jefferts Schori can call herself “pro-life” with nary a trace of irony.
I wonder if the Rev. Heskox actually thinks that carbon dioxide is as toxic as acid rain and mercury. If so, he will need to consider not exhaling.
coal spills are often impossible to clean up. if the sediment gets into your water supply you’re done. i think it is completely in step with those who claim to be ‘pro life’ just like being against the death penalty is ‘pro life’. i hate the fact that liberals have taken the lead on this since i don’t agree with them on virtually anything else.
RE: “i think it is completely in step with those who claim to be ‘pro life’ . . . ”
“Pro Life” doesn’t mean anything at all.