Why should Christians care for the environment?

Why should Christians care for the environment?

Christians should care for the environment for several key reasons:

1. Caring for the environment is part of God’s original purpose for humanity as His image-bearers, to have dominion over creation and be good stewards of it (Genesis 1:26-29, 9:1-7).
2. God’s creation reveals His glory, beauty, and creativity, which should inspire us to value and protect the natural world (Romans 1:20, Psalm 19:1-6).
3. God’s meticulous care for His creation, as described in the Psalms, should elicit praise and a desire to emulate His stewardship (Psalms 104, 145, 147).
4. God Himself declared His completed creation as “very good,” so we should value what He has made (Genesis 1:31).
5. Animals demonstrate God’s creativity and are objects of His compassion, which should move us to care for them (Jonah 4:11, Proverbs 12:10).
6. God made provisions for the survival of animals during the flood and included them in His covenant, showing their value (Genesis 6:8-17, 9:8-17).
7. God placed Adam in a garden, indicating His desire for humanity to enjoy and care for the natural environment (Genesis 2:8-10).
8. Poor stewardship of creation can damage our Christian witness to those concerned about environmental issues (1 Peter 2:12).
9. God is working to restore the entire created order, not just individual people, so we should participate in this cosmic redemption (Romans 8:19-22, Revelation 21:5).
10. Human life and flourishing depend on the health of the environment, so caring for creation is caring for our neighbors (Genesis 1:29-30, 2:19).