"As a person of faith, I stand in support of God's creation and the Environmental Protection Agency's actions to protect it." If this statement sounds surprising, it shouldn't. It was issued in February from United Methodist Women as they urged Congress not to cut funding for the Environmental Protection Agency and to support legal protections against pollution. Many religious groups across the country share their concern and are connecting their faith to action in support of the EPA.
Many faith communities have found a calling over the past few decades to become better stewards of God's creation in both their houses of worship and broader communities. This commitment to stewardship crosses theological lines to include Christian, Jewish, and Muslim groups as well as other faith traditions. Together, faith groups are working to make their churches, synagogues, and mosques more energy efficient, build community gardens, and teach their children about the importance of being good stewards of God's creation.
In Appalachia, a coalition of 28 Christian groups is fighting against mountain-top removal by coal companies. More than 470 mountains have been destroyed and over 2,000 miles of streams have been filled in and polluted with waste products. As a result, the National Council of Churches notes that drinking water is polluted, flooding has increased, homes and the landscape have been damaged, and people's health has suffered.
The EPA itself has shown a demonstrated commitment to working with faith communities, both in words and deeds. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson is a Christian herself and has spoken of the "moral reasons" to be "good stewards of our environment." She has helped people realize that faith communities and the EPA have more common ground than one might think, since both are called to protect the most vulnerable. In November Jackson addressed the National Council of Churches, saying, "The effort to help communities that are overburdened by environmental and economic challenges is surely consistent with calls…to help the least of these…" (Matthew 25:45).
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