If anyone cares, this is the e-mail I sent to the NOW Dist. office:
Hi,
I am writing to express my disappointment with the Northwest District’s endorsement of Al Gore’s film An Inconvenient Truth. Clearly, Christians are required to be stewards of God’s good creation, but the exact and detailed form of that stewardship is not spelled out for us in the Scriptures. While conservation of energy, recycling, etc., are possible ways of being stewards, global warming is a controversial concept that often seems to have more to do with the politics of a certain segment of our culture and a certain political party. (Some websites that dispute the current publicity of global warming are these: http://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa-329es.html, http://www.globalwarming.org/, http://www.worldclimatereport.com/, and http://www.skepticism.net/faq/environment/global_warming/index.html.) Identifying the showing of An Inconvenient Truth (which I have not seen, so I am not commenting on its actual contents) as an important way to be a good steward runs the risk of
identifying the Northwest District with the Democratic Party–especially since Al Gore is not likely to be identified as an Independent or a Republican. Please note that I am not arguing one way or another on the actuality of global warming, but the point is that the concept is controversial and that Christians can be expected to reasonably disagree in good conscience. The Northwest District’s support of the film implicitly suggests that congregations that care about the environment will show the film and support its conclusions.Please reconsider supporting this film, which support has politically partisan implications, and perhaps, instead, giving links to a number of different resources by which one might act in good stewardship of God’s good creation.
Thank you for your time,
[Timotheos]
St. Louis, MO
Balaam's Ass 
I am not surprised that the Nothwest District has done something like this. Being from there, it was incredibly difficult to find anyone who was willing to support anything that was remotely traditional. I was lucky and was able to attend one of the only liturgical churches in the Portland area. We had people coming from up to 50 miles away to have the liturgy instead of a praise band. This is just another instance of the Northwest district being at the forefront of the liberal wing of the LCMS.
You’re not from Gresham, are you? I went there in college with perhaps a mutual friend, Jon?
I’d rather be in the NW, than CNH!
Tim
Sorry, I looked at your website. I see where you’re from. Must have really gotten them that you’re going to the Fort!
Tim
In general, I’m leery of anything that smacks of mixing politics with the mission of the church. That’s not to say it’s never appropriate, it’s just that I really need to be convinced that it is appropriate. But her letter makes me cringe mostly because of it’s bad theology and statements that elevate the author’s environmental achievements more than the purpose of showing the movie.
That said, when the letter says that we are to be held accountable for our stewardship of God’s creation –I’m on board with that.
But then she loses me when she goes on about how God must be pleased with us for doing the examples she cites. Confessional Lutherans know that God is pleased with us because of Jesus, period. When we start thinking that we please God through our actions, we need to start thinking of the law, and, well, there goes our self-esteem again. ;o)
It would have been nice if this letter had been reviewed by a Pastor prior to publication. Perhaps then, we wouldn’t have the problems that make the last sentence of para 1, and paras 2 and 3 better left out than in.
I’m not against all church involvement in the major issues of the day and environmental issues are major issues. But it has to be done carefully, respectfully and in a non-political way. It does make it hard to show a movie with the 2000 candidate and potential 2008 Democratic candidate for President to do that.
I saw the Al Gore movie and I think it’s a very good explanation of the climate change/global warming issues in general and is explained in very understandable terms. The achievement of the movie is that it’s simplification preserves and is based on the science involved. Not an easy task to deliver this information in an understandable way, yet that’s just what he did. He is a good teacher. I say this as a grad student who studied climatology, impressed with Gore’s coverage of climatology covering the same topics that my old grizzled climatology professor covered them, albeit without the equations, thank goodness.
Regardless of politics, if politicians of all stripes worked as hard to learn the issues, teach them and lead people on them, we would have a much better government at the elected level. Gore is one of those overachiever politicians that actually thinks it’s his job to know a ton of complex stuff and press for solutions to problems he has learned about.
I had never connected the dots before! Yes, I know Jon, his in-laws go to my home congregation. I know you were there, but at that time, I wasn’t in church much. God had other plans, and off to the Fort I go. The congregation at Redeemer still keeps you in their prayers.
In Christ’s Peace,
Eli Davis
The NWD blurb on Algore’s movie can be found at http://www.nowlcms.org/Whats_New_article.aspx?WID=201
There’s also a link to NWD BOD Chairman Clemens Pera proclaiming: “I have become a crusader, for the last four years joining the growing throng of hybrid car owners.”
Carl,
Is there a problem with wanting to own a hybrid car?
Can you still disagree with Al Gore and still not want pollution in the air. I live in St. Louis, I can assure you pollution is a very real problem no matter what your liturgical stance may be.
Just curious.
CC
Eli:
I too am educated in Oregon.
I went to Corban College (Formerly Western Baptist). They didn’t know what to do with an orthodox lutheran among the muck of “it’s all good” Christians. Ha ha good times.
CC