“Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.” – Romans 1:25
While Paul was explaining what happened in the beginning of creation, it could just as easily describe men that fail to glorify God today.
Adherents of humanism preach the primacy of human beings over God. God created man. Humanism worships man more than his Creator.
Adherents to environmentalism preach life, peace, and harmony through love of Earth instead of through the Lord Jesus Christ. Environmentalism serves the Earth more than its Creator.
Both of these creature-serving religions find a common holy day of celebration in Earth Day.
Origins of Earth Day
The original founder of Earth Day was environmental activist John McConnell who introduced the idea in 1969.
A diverse band of people signed his Earth Day Proclamation including U Thant, Isaac Asimov, Buzz Aldrin, John Denver, and Yasir Arafat.
McConnell was the son of a traveling evangelist who was also a founder of the Assemblies of God denomination.
Both father and son claimed Christianity, but denied Biblical creation and found salvation in Christ’s earthly kingdom ministry. While his father erred by evangelizing the Pentecostal message in Acts 2, the younger McConnell would step further into error by serving the creature more than the Creator.
McConnells message in his 77 Theses on the Care of the Earth evangelizes property redistribution (a practice also found in Acts 2:44-45), allegiance to Earth, giving our “lives and fortunes to aid the great task of Earth’s rejuvenation”, and finding inner peace and moral global consciousness from caring for Earth.
McConnell taught separating the divisive matters of faith found in God’s word from the one thing he thought that would unite the world in harmony: an Earth Trustee worldview.
If John McConnell’s replacement of the Lord with Earth is not clear enough, it should be painfully obvious in this modern anthem for International Mother Earth Day, as the day is now called by the United Nations.
Simple gifts of nature that all join into a paradise
Now we must resolve to protect her
Show her our love throughout all time”
The above anthem is sung to the tune of “Ode to Joy”, and the lyrics were adapted from the classic hymn written to the same tune by Presbyterian and poet Henry van Dyke:
“Joyful, joyful we adore Thee, God of glory, Lord of love…”
New Holy Day, Old Idolatry
Replacing worship of the Creator with the Earth is an age old idolatry, but it is not simply a problem of ancient civilizations. It is an apt description of the present world we live in that rejects the Lord Jesus Christ by whom all things were created.
This week Earth Day is celebrated the world over, and it is a clear reminder how easy it is for men to worship and serve the creature more than the Creator.
“For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth,… And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.” – Col 1:16-17
“To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen.” – Romans 16:27
Article Index Published: April 25, 2015
Last Modified: April 25, 2015