Questions Evangelicals Ask About the Environment

Question 5:

Isn’t environmentalism largely an anti-technology reaction?

Answer:

Technology by itself is neither good nor bad. Technology is primarily the process of people using God’s gift of creativity to do their work. While some people think that the need to work was a result of the Fall, the truth is that work is a primary activity of mankind assigned by God right along with the mandate to have dominion over and to cultivate and take care of the earth (Gen. 1-2). Work became much more difficult because of the Fall; so a great deal of mankind’s effort ever since has, through technology, been to make work easier and more efficient.

However, like anything else associated with mankind’s creative capacity, technology can be utilized in the cause of either good or evil—in keeping with God’s purposes or opposed to God’s purposes. One of the most telling Scripture references regarding technology is the prophecy about the restoration of peace and harmony (shalom) in the coming Messianic Kingdom when people will “beat their swords into plowshares.” Implements of war will become implements of peaceful work, which provides for our daily bread—in a sense, Paradise regained. This stands in stark contrast to past and present civilizations pursuing the advantages of technology in the process of opposing God’s will. Powerful and efficient technological devices and processes in the service of self-aggrandizement and personal pleasure by those who have no desire to worship and honor the Creator or His creation will ultimately result in great evil (such as sophisticated terrorism and weapons of mass destruction in the hands of wicked people).

Christians have a responsibility to consider how to use technology in their service to God—being careful to respect all of God’s creation. This calls for great wisdom and understanding as we utilize the best of scientific knowledge and investigation. When it is learned that our use of technology is doing more harm than good in reference to God’s purposes and God’s good earth, we need to have the will to change our ways. This often includes our ceasing to use certain technologies or altering them in such a way as to reverse their negative effects. Even seemingly harmless “high-tech” entertainment devices can negatively affect our lives as Christians. Below is a little "poem" I wrote a few years ago---which my kids felt was a bit over the top. But I believe it got them to think about their use of time a little more seriously:

Screwtape Gloats

Millions of creative hours spent, and
Millions of valuable dollars spent, and
Millions of tons of precious natural resources spent
—to develop a meaningless product.

Then millions of people are manipulated to spend
Millions more of their valuable dollars to enable
Millions of precious young people to spend
Millions of uncreative hours
—to accomplish nothing.

Computer games: Gift from the creative
Mind of Meaninglessness
To the captive mind of man.
---God’s vice-regent dancing on the devil’s stick.

Few Christians consider all the far-reaching effects of technology and are therefore ignorant of the many negative effects of our modern culture’s mostly self-centered fascination with and use of God’s gifts. We utilize the material gift of the creation and the spiritual gift of creativity developing technologies to avoid labor, to save time, and to create wealth. If we then turn around and use our leisure hours and money mostly in the pursuit of entertainment, material gain, and physical pleasures, we squander the gifts of God. We need to be exceedingly wise in our use of technology, being careful always to ask if we are using it in ways that advance the kingdom of God and accomplish His will on earth. A question we always must ask: Do we use technology more to serve Mammon or serve God?

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Dean Ohlman is the host of RBC Ministries website: "The Wonder of Creation." You can read more of Dean's writing at the RBC site: http://www.wonderofcreation.org/