By Jeremy B. White: Subscribe to Jeremy's RSS feed
February 22, 2012 10:50 AM EST
Faith has pervaded Rick Santorum's political career, informing his views on issues ranging from abortion to gay rights -- and also, it turns out, the environment.
"We were put on this Earth as creatures of God to have dominion over the Earth, to use it wisely and steward it wisely, but for our benefit, not for the Earth's benefit," Santorum said during a recent speech at the Colorado School of Mines.
Santorum See 'Radical Environmentalists'
The former Pennsylvania senator and Republican presidential candidate has excoriated "radical environmentalists" who embrace "a worldview that elevates the Earth above man and says that we can't take those resources because we're going to harm the Earth." In his view, humans have not just the ability but the obligation to tame nature and benefit from its resources.
"We all know that man has a responsibility of stewards of the earth," Santorum said at a Monday rally in Steubenville, Ohio. "We are good stewards and we have a responsibility to be good stewards. Why? Unlike the earth we're intelligent and we can actually manage things."
Follow us
Santorum's view reflects a particular Biblical interpretation, stemming largely from a chapter in Genesis in which God instructs humans to "rule over" every living thing and to "fill the earth and subdue it." God has given humans dominion over the environment so that they may flourish.
"Man is the chosen agent. Not horses, not dogs, not chimpanzees but man," said Douglas Gregory, a research and communications specialist at the Cornwall Alliance, a coalition of religious figures and policy experts that advances a Bible-centered approach to environmental issues. "If God tells us you are in fact the highest form of creation, as arrogant as that sounds to come from my mouth it's true nonetheless."
"When man is free to do good he may make a mistake, but given the gifts God has given us, we have definitely benefited the planet," Gregory added. "We don't starve, we don't die of pneumonia, we don't die of tuberculosis."
The Cornwall Alliance is deeply opposed to policies that would limit carbon fossil fuel emissions, contending that they would harm developing countries by driving up the price of energy. On its web site, the organization denies that humans are capable of significantly altering the climate or damaging ecosystems.
"Earth and its ecosystems-created by God's intelligent design and infinite power and sustained by His faithful providence -are robust, resilient, self-regulating, and self-correcting, admirably suited for human flourishing, and displaying His glory," the website reads.
Santorum: Measures to Limit Climate Change Are Efforts to Centralize Power
Santorum has dismissed measures to limit climate change as an attempt to "centralize power and to give more power to the government." He argues that human efforts to control the environment have resulted in a higher quality of life.
"We are the intelligent beings that know how to manage things and through the course of science and discovery if we can be better stewards of this environment, then we should not let the vagaries of nature destroy what we have helped create," Santorum said.
Some theologians and environmentalists see a contradiction in such statements. The counterpoint to Santorum's interpretation holds that humans have an obligation to protect God' creation -- preventing environmental degradation becomes a sacred duty.
Mark Zuckerberg's $6.4 Billion Loss: Value Of Facebook CEO's Stake A Gambler's Nightmare
Tasha Reign Says ‘Super Hot’ Bill Clinton Wanted To Meet Her and Brooklyn Lee, ‘Sympathetic’ For Viral Photo
Larry Flynt Blasts ‘Prudish And Delusional Right Wing’ Over S.E. Cupp Hustler Photo As ‘The View’ Hosts Jump To The Defense
Joe Biden Says He Understood Suicidal Thoughts In Wrenching Speech To Families Of Fallen Troops
US Cities with Most Underwater Mortgage [SLIDESHOW]We value your privacy. Your email address will not be shared.
