Save the Whales!

‎"We can either let the world teach our kids how to save baby whales, or we can teach them how to save souls. The choice is ours!" - Becky Fischer

It's funny how a little quote can set off a firestorm.  An acquaintance on facebook posted this quote and one of the first responses was:  Can't we do both?

Of course I had to respond.  We should let God take care of the whales, and we should focus on the souls.  Maybe not in those exact words, but close.

This person (alumni of the Assembly of God Theological Seminary to boot) starts arguing with me about how we should "save the whales" because we were put here to take care of the earth citing Genesis 1:28 (not directly but this is what he alluded to) as Biblical proof.

God blessed them and saidt to them, “Be fruitful and multiply! Fill the earth and subdue it! Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and every creature that moves on the ground.” - Genesis 1:28

First of all, this verse in itself simply means that we are to use what God gave us to our advantage.  Yes, we need to be good stewards and not abuse what has been given to us, but if we need oil for lamps or whatever whale might be used for then that is fine because everything on the planet has been given for our advantage.

Second, It sounds completely ridiculous to say that we should go and spend millions of dollars to save a whale that doesn't need to be saved in the first place when there are plenty of hungry people and fatherless orphans out there in the world that could benefit from those resources.

These ideas that we have about "Saving the planet" are relatively new in human history.  I don't think that our planet needs our help to sustain life.  It was designed by God himself to be self sufficient, nothing we can do can make Earth rotate any differently, everything on this planet has built in mechanisms for renewing resources and sustaining life.

Instead of wasting our time "Saving" a planet that doesn't need saved, perhaps we can pay more attention to what our job is here, especially being in the 11th hour:

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with yous always, to the end of the age.” - Matthew 28:19-20

Pure and undefiled religion beforet God the Fathert is this: to care for orphans and widows in their misfortune and to keep oneself unstained by the world. - James 1:27

Blogging

I’ve wanted to blog for some time now. I never really seemed to have a good topic to maintain a blog on. But who says it needs to be just one topic? I’m just going to blog about what I’m thinking about, reading about, learning about and praying about. There are two reasons for this: 1. So that I can remember it and 2. So someone else might benefit from it.

I typically will use Facebook as a soapbox for these things, but I’m considering dumping Facebook because of privacy conserns and general distain for it. Plus, if I post my thoughts outside of Facebook I have the potential for a larger audience.

So stay tuned, it could be good or it may not be… but it will be me.