The Rise of the Religious Left: Religion and the Environment

Only a few scant years ago, if you were to say, "Ardent environmentalists, conservationists, and ecologists will find a common ground with the devoutly religious of society, and will work towards a goal that could change the course of human history," you would be laughed at, or at the very least written off as a lunatic of the political fringe. However, as it turns out, you would have been right.

On the surface, such a pairing does not seem possible. Those who hold strong views about the environment, and its conservation and protection, tend to be politically liberal, or at least moderate in their broad views. They support restrictions on pollution by industry and vehicles, protection of parkland, national forests, and animal refuges, recycling, alternative energy generation for both power plants and automobiles, and desire to lessen America's dependence on petroleum products, particularly those imported from overseas.

The devoutly religious, however, are often referred to as "the religious right", for a reason. Although there have always been exceptions, religious voters tend to be politically conservative and resistant to change. This means they generally vote in strong support of the Republican party, which in recent years has done essentially nothing to further environmental issues, even going so far (under President Bush, Jr) to withdraw America from the Kyoto Protocols, and resist any and all national or international legislation to fight pollution and global warming.

Something is happening in America, however, and it may become a great change for the better. A connection has been made, rather like an epiphany, between protection of the Earth's environment, and the beliefs of the religious populace. Essentially, the connection works like this, in this case using the Christian story: God created the world, and gave it to us. We were to be in charge of it, over the birds and the beasts, and all of creation was for us to use. However, we are failing in this task, appointed to us by God. We damage and destroy the habitat of species, foul the air and the water, and consume resources without attempting to conserve and restore them.

Viewed in a religious light, we are despoiling God's creation, an act of blasphemy, if you will, by intentionally abusing and destroying something made by God himself. In addition, it can be argued that we have no right to do this, since by doing so we ruin the world for future generations, to whom God has also made the same promises and gifts.
This is the connection that environmental supporters have made with the religious right; the need to protect the environment and advance the causes of alternative energy and independence from foreign oil, seen not only from a secular perspective, but a religious one. By reducing pollution, recycling, using more fuel efficient vehicles, and so on, God's world can be kept pure and safe, as it was intended to be.

The political consequences of this new union of views have not yet been fully experienced, but when they inevitably come into play, American politics could experience a profound shift. Republican candidates, playing to their big business interests, continue to show little or no regard for environmental initiatives, alternative energy development, or any effort to reduce dependence on petroleum. It can be expected that this will continue in the future, particularly given the attitudes of the current President and those who still support him. However, with this new concept in play, many religious voters who might otherwise support these conservative Republican candidates could shift their support to moderate and liberal candidates that espouse ecological responsibility and conservation efforts. They could choose to do this not because they themselves are particularly liberal, but because they wish to see God's world preserved and kept clean.

Recent American elections, with their close results and narrow victory margins, show that all it takes is for a concerned group to switch sides or abstain from voting, to change the outcome of the election. As conservation of the environment becomes more and more popular as a shared cause between the politically liberal and the religiously devout, the future leaders of America may be determined by this new union of faith and reason, with a cleaner planet for all.