wfn.org | Religious Leaders Ask Meeting with Bush on Environment

[carolf@ncccusa.org]

National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.
Contact: NCC News, 212-870-2227; news@ncccusa.org

	March 30, 2001, NEW YORK CITY - Six senior Christian and Jewish religious 
leaders have written to President George W. Bush, asking for a meeting with 
him about his environmental policy, especially around issues of climate 
change.

	"We reach out as senior leaders of major American faith communities eager 
to discuss with you a challenge of paramount religious significance: the 
condition of God's creation at the hands of God's children, the climate of 
planet Earth as being altered by the activity of God's people," they wrote.

	"In recent days," they continued, "we have been reading reports of what 
the administration is not prepared to do to address climate change.  We are 
eager to learn what our government will enact here: in a credible, binding 
program to honor international commitments, successfully prevent destruc  
tive impacts on humankind and habitat, and embody equity."  The full text 
of their letter follows.

March 29, 2001

President George W. Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President:

We reach out as senior leaders of major American faith communities eager to 
discuss with you a challenge of paramount religious significance: the 
condition of God's creation at the hands of God's children, the climate of 
planet Earth as being altered by the activity of the Earth's people.

Many of us have carefully followed the inquiry into climate change and 
global warming.  While we interact with them regularly, we are not 
scientists, policy-makers, leaders within the economic sector, or 
architects of global treaties.  We do not comment on complex data or 
technological responses.  Nor do we wish to encourage narrow partisanship 
about an issue which so clearly affects the well-being of all humankind.

We believe there is a point, however, at which scientific consensus is 
sufficiently established to require consideration of long-standing 
religious and moral principles of prudence and precaution.  If credible 
evidence exists to indicate our present course could threaten the quality 
of life for God's creation and God's children, this becomes an issue of 
paramount moral concern.

We are persuaded that this point of prudence is now upon us.  Projected 
impacts of global warming on the most poor and vulnerable are ethically 
unacceptable.  Domestic and international action is urgently required.  The 
United States has a moral responsibility to lead the world's nations and to 
serve its people. In recent days, we have been reading reports of what the 
administration is not prepared to do to address climate change.  We are 
eager to learn what our government will enact here: in a credible, binding 
program to honor international commitments, successfully prevent 
destructive impacts on humankind and habitat, and embody equity.

Our scriptures are plain about the religious dimension of this challenge. 
 When it is all creation on Earth that is being affected, we freshly 
appreciate the principle that, "The Earth is the Lord's." (Ps.24:1)  Our 
climate and seasons are God's handicraft, "Yours is the day.  Yours is also 
the night.  You made summer and winter." (Ps. 74:16-17)  All life is 
embraced by God's covenant and with particular instructions regarding our 
children and children's children. "This is the token of the covenant which 
I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for 
perpetual generations." (Gen. 9:12)

Because human purpose in the greater web of life is a central issue here, 
this inquiry is expanding beyond the laboratories of science and the halls 
of diplomacy to the pulpits and pews of the American heartland.  We believe 
you should be aware that many of our denominations have passed resolutions 
on climate change and that local activity is growing in churches and 
synagogues across a broad spectrum of religious life.  We can confirm what 
EPA Administrator Whitman reported to you on March 6th:  "For the first 
time, the world's religious communities have started to engage in the 
issue."  And while there are diverse perspectives on policy, many still 
evolving, it is our view that this activity will grow exponentially, from 
genuine religious and moral conviction.

We in the faith community are in a process of open dialogue and inquiry 
here. We are heartened by your early commitment to civil, moderate, 
bipartisan dialogue and, particularly, by your willingness to hear the 
voice of the faith community.  We hope you will follow this path on the 
issue of climate change.  We are eager to meet with you for further 
reflection, perhaps in a small gathering in June.

Meanwhile, we believe an historic challenge is before us all here, foreseen 
by our scriptures, and freshly vivid in these signs of the times, "I have 
set before you life or death, blessings or curse.  Choose life, therefore, 
that you and your descendants may live."  (Dt. 30:19)

Signatories:

Ismar Schorsch
Chancellor, Jewish Theological Seminary

Dr. Bob Edgar
General Secretary
National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA

The Reverend Clifton Kirkpatrick
Stated Clerk
Presbyterian Church (USA)

Bishop Melvin G. Talbert
Senior Ecumenical Officer, United Methodist Church

The Reverend Richard L. Hamm
General Minister and President
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

Bishop McKinley Young
Bishop of the Tenth Episcopal District
African Methodist Episcopal Church

cc:	Christine T. Whitman
	Paul O'Neal
	Colin Powell

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