The Global Warming Issue: The National Association of Evangelicals Adopt a Do-Nothing Policy

Five years ago, in 2001, Bush refused to sign the Kyoto agreement, and now, Davis Guggenheim has released a documentary on Al Gore’s campaign to raise awareness of global warming. Even after leading scientists all over the world, including the muzzled Dr. James Hansen of NASA, have presented very convincing scientific evidence that global warming is a present and futuristically catastrophic phenomenon, Guggenheim’s documentary is still being met with opposition. Many spheres of influence are still operating a do-nothing policy. One of the most surprising spheres is the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE).

In June 2004, the NAE leaders Ted Haggard and Richard Cizik signed the Sandy Cove Covenant, a declaration of intent for evangelical leaders to create a consensus statement concerning the dangers of human-induced climate change. But, immediately afterwards leaders such as James Dobson of Focus on the Family and Richard Roberts, President of Oral Roberts University, pressured the NAE not to take a position on global warming. In January 2006, Dobson, Roberts, and twenty other leaders signed a letter stating they believe that room should be left for “Bible-believing evangelicals to disagree about the cause, severity and solutions to the global warming issue” (Mieszkowski). Even before Dobson and Roberts signed the letter in January 2006, in March 2005, a statement issued by Tom Minnery, Focus on the Family Vice President of Government and Public Policy, was posted on the Focus on the Family website declaring that they do not support the global warming issue, that the proponents of global warming “have attempted to manipulate the issue to stifle advances in numerous fields – advances that would benefit the lives of people the world over, including many of its poorest citizens,” and that “any issue that seems to put plants and animals above humans is one that we cannot support” (Minnery). The NAE represents an influence over thirty million members – a very significant influence.