In a historic move, President Obama developed a plan to reduce carbon emissions in America by 32 percent, and faith leaders have expressed their support. One-Hundred and eighty faith leaders from various religious communities, including Blessed Tomorrow leader Rev. Gabriel Salguero, signed an open letter to President Obama detailing their support for morally guided climate action. Noting the plans ability to create jobs, reduce pollution, protect the health of our children, and build resilience in poor nations, the letter championed renewable energy as a major step in protecting God's creation.
Most notable of the letters signatories were the impressive number of Evangelical Christians that expressed support for President Obama's plan. Evangelical Christians are beginning to turn the tide on their historically low support for climate action, due in large part to organizations such as National Latino Evangelical Coalition, which demonstrates the moral imperative that Eanglecials have to care for God's creation.
More Than 180 Evangelical Leaders Endorse Obama’s Carbon Reduction Plan
By Jack Jenkins for Think Progress
More than 180 evangelical Christian leaders signed a letter this week backing President Barack Obama’s plan to reduce carbon emissions from power plants, the latest effort in a growing faith-based environmental movement to curb the effects of climate change.
On Thursday, theologically conservative faith leaders sent a letter to President Obama endorsing the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed Clean Power Plan (CPP), a sweeping, historic project unveiled in June and set to be officially released next week. Signers of the letter, which was posted on the Evangelical Environmental Network’s website, framed their support in explicitly moral terms.
“We see overcoming the climate challenge as one of the great moral opportunities of our time, a chance to fulfill the Great Commandments to love God, our neighbors, and ourselves,” the letter read. “It is God’s love that calls all of us to take on this challenge. That is why we write to offer our support and encouragement for your efforts to overcome the climate challenge.”
Signatories included pastors, teachers, and evangelical thinkers, such as National Latino Evangelical Coalition president Rev. Gabriel Salguero, bestselling Christian author Rev. Brian McLaren, and prominent evangelical theologian Dr. David Gushee. The letter also cited several professors affiliated with conservative Christian schools such as Wheaton College, Calvin College, North Point University, and Oral Roberts University.
