Towards a Biblical Approach to Energy Resources
It appears that morality today is topsy-turvy. Governments and courts have decided that they can redefine marriage - an ordinance, which was decreed by God, not humanity. Practices which were once outlawed, on the grounds of their immorality, are now not only tolerated, but promoted as new and exciting lifestyle choices. Is nothing sacred?
Apparently there are sacred and moral positions today. According to Western civilization - if we can use that word - one of the most immoral things that you can do is to drive a gas-driven vehicle. The general public suppose that cars are spewing out major pollutants, such as carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, into the atmosphere, causing the world’s climate to change catastrophically. Saint Greta of Thunberg informed the UN that this planet of ours is in the middle of a catastrophic extinction event. This claim of morality is reflected in the names of so-called Green activist groups, such as Extinction Rebellion and Just Stop Oil.
Christians do not want to support immorality. Many of them assume that the warnings of the climate alarmists have merit, so they assume that the biblical position is to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and reduce, and even stop, the use of fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and natural gas.
It is my contention that Christians who take such a position have not started from a biblical perspective. The first humans were instructed to “fill the earth and subdue it” (Genesis 1:28). This is in contrast to today’s Malthusian concerns about a so-called population explosion. By subduing the earth, Adam and Eve were to gain mastery over it and practice good stewardship of it. In the same passage, these first two humans were instructed to have dominion over all living things - a concept that is treated as highly controversial by one well-known atheist TV presenter. As part of this dominion mandate, God placed minerals in the ground, which are useful to humanity. He did so, in the Creation Week, and new deposits were assembled in the Worldwide Flood of Genesis 6 through 8.
In my talk, entitled “Towards a Biblical Approach to Energy Resources”, I will propose that the exploitation of mineral resources, including fossil fuels, is an essential part of the dominion mandate that God expects humanity to fulfill. In doing so, I will show that the negative consequences of fossil fuel use have been overplayed by the climate alarmists. But that is not all. Ours is not a weak defensive position. I will show that the use of fossil fuels is implicitly commanded by God and, therefore, has an enormous number of positive attributes, both biblically and historically. These positive attributes far outweigh any supposed negative attributes of fossil fuel use. It is the exploitation of fossil fuels that has created wealth in the West and has contributed directly to better health and longevity. Therefore, we shall see that the determination of Western powers to deny fossil fuel technologies to developing countries - which are frequently rich in untapped fossil fuel resources - is itself immoral. Coupled to this, we show that most (though not all) alternatives to fossil fuels are insufficient to meet the demands of consumers, without considerable reductions in wealth, energy capital, and health.
In conclusion, I intend to show that whatever crises exist in the realm of energy resources, the world would be better served, not by reducing fossil fuel use, nor even by reluctantly maintaining the status quo. I therefore conclude by making the case that we should enthusiastically increase the use of coal, oil, and natural gas, and that, in the eyes of the Lord, failure to do so is a breach of the dominion mandate, and therefore an act of disobedience to the Lord.