Is Our God Green?
Okay, ready for this one? You may have already heard,
but I had not. We can now add to our collection, the all new
"Environmentally Safe, Eco-Friendly, Hip Green Gospel".
"The Green Bible; Green Letter Edition" hit the bookstores in October.
It is published by none other than HarperCollins, the same publishers of
"The Satanic Bible" by Anton La Vey. More than 37,000 copies have
already been printed. The first 25,000 sold out within just a few weeks.
HarperCollins says their "commitment to the environment is the core
element of their religious publishing strategy," so they are delighted
to be the first to offer us "an environmentally friendly option,
a priceless message that does not cost the earth."
Wow, I had to go back to make sure I read that right. I sure am
relieved they came out with a new version of God's Word that does
not rob this earth of any of it's valuable resources! Aren't you? Whew!
This new Green Bible says that God is Green. It focuses on how we
are to care for and protect this earth. It has a Green Subject
Index that organizes verses by topics, like air, dust and pollution,
and it provides the reader with information on how they can
get involved with this movement.
They boast that "its design is simplistic and streamlined. It is printed
on recycled paper with soy based ink, it features a cotton and linen
book cover, and more than 1,000 verses that speak about God's
care for creation are printed in Green.
Red Letter Bible vs. Green Letter Bible.
Can anyone say copycat? Counterfeit? Corrupt? Not yet?
Okay, well just keep reading, because there's so much more!
They openly admit that the purpose of this new Green Bible
is to encourage more evangelical Christians to not only
accept, but embrace environmentalism.
It's being endorsed by secular groups like "The Humane Society",
who by the way have been distributing free copies of this new
Environmentally Safe, Green Gospel. And why? Well, here it is,
and I quote... "to promote moral awareness of the treatment
of farm animals and pets in the family home." Huh?
These groups call themselves Christians and say they speak for Christianity,
but make no mistake about it, they clearly and openly do NOT have a
religious focus. They embrace environmental causes and their
main agenda is to spread this environmental message.
This new Environmentally Safe, Eco Friendly, Green Bible includes
a collection of inspirational essays from various conservationists
and theologians who talk about why they are Green, and why all
of us Christians should be Green. They even go so far as to
blatantly proclaim that "this is our Central Calling".
This Book has Green themes all the way through it.
The introduction is entitled, "The Power Of A Green God".
And one of the essays is entitled, "Jesus Is Coming - Plant A Tree!"
Readers are also provided with a Green Study Guide that instructs
them "to find an actual stone or some other memento from nature,
so that by the time they finish the Green Study Guide, they will
have created a small memorial to mark their so called journey."
Wow! Are Christians really falling for this?
They say the most prominent feature is that it is the first ever
Green Letter Edition of the Bible. No, the Words of Christ are
not in Green, but all the verses that supposedly speak about God's
care for creation are printed in Green. Are we impressed yet?
Ya know, I want to be a good steward of God's creation just as much
as the next Christian, but what are these people actually teaching?
Sounds like idolatry to me!
They imply that God is more concerned with us taking care of
this planet than He is about "Love or Heaven". In their promotion,
they declare the following: "The Bible's powerful message for the
earth is evident - containing over 1,000 references to this earth -
compared with 530 references to love and 490 to heaven."
Here is a sample question from "The Green Bible Quiz":
Which verse praising creation is from the Psalms?
They say the answer is Psalm 19:1; "The heavens are telling
the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork."
You say, what's the problem with that? Well, this verse is NOT
praising creation. It's doing the exact opposite, expressing how
creation praises God. Is this a big deal? Can anyone say Romans 1:25?
Here's another one: Where did Jesus go to commune with nature?
They say the answer can be found in Matthew 14:23; "And after
he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray."
Come on now, are these people really serious? Jesus was not a hippy
and He did not go up the mountain to commune with nature! He went
up the mountain to pray. He went up to literally talk with God!
Stretching the meaning of a verse to make a point is one thing,
but butchering a verse and replacing God with nature
is a serious offense! This is a very big deal!
Barbara Brown Taylor, who is cited as being a contributor of this
Green Bible, says the following about the 6th day of creation:
...while God may have made human beings for a special purpose,
we were not made of any more special stuff than the rest of creation.
We were made on the same day as cows and creeping things and wild
animals of every kind. God gave us dominion, it is true, but God did
not pronounce us better than anything else that God had made.
What she is saying here is that we are no better than the animals
that God made because we were all made on the same day! Does she
really believe this? Excuse me, but our special place in creation is
founded upon our "Unique Status as Image Bearers of God"!
Yes folks, Satan is still very much in the deceiving business today and
it literally amazes me how so many people fall for his lies. He will
stop at nothing to distract us from the True Message of Christ.
I think all Christians want to be good stewards of God's creation.
But if the only way to join the Green Team is to accept poor
theology and counterfeit biblical doctrine that butchers and
twists the Word of God to further a specific cause, then I
guess this girl won't be hugging any trees any time soon!
I have no doubt that God fully expects each of us to do our part
in caring for the earth He gave us. But when we start coming out
with Green Bibles that focus on saving this earth, instead of
saving lost souls, then the time may be later than we think.
And if my God is Green, then I would be more inclined to believe
that it's because He is angry, not because He's so overly concerned
with how we are caring for and preserving this planet earth,
or, as they so subtly put it - "Creation Care".
And here's another kicker, "The Green Bible; Green Letter Edition"
uses the NRSV (New Revised Standard Version), which omits 3,890 words,
omits 18 entire verses, and changes the entire meaning of at least 26 verses.
But then, quess who published the NRSV? Did you say HarperCollins? Bingo!
Satan is so very busy in these last days. He's still roaming to and fro
about this earth deceiving many. He knows his time is short. Remember,
Jesus scolded the Pharisees for not knowing the signs of the times,
and if He wanted us to have a Green Bible, He would have made it so.
Let's not be deceived and allow him to distract us from OUR mission.
Jesus is coming back soon!
Go check it out for yourself!
And May God bless you as you seek His Truth in all things!
www.greenletterbible.com
|
