Not to get into a Biblical discussion but what do the words dominion and subdue mean? Since the Bible was written in vastly different language than English, translated into Hebrew, then Greek and then English what is the original wording of that passage and what are the alternative translations?
And, to keep a long story short, if Jesus was the fulillment of the prophesy of the Old Testament as I believe He was, then all Old Testament scripture has to be filtered through the lens of Jesus and the Holy Word of the New Testament. Subject your apparent interpretation of that Bible verus to the "What Would Jesus Do?" test and I think you will come up with a different perspective based on the radical, revolutionary nature of His teachings.
Above all else, dont take my word for it. Go to
http://www.creationcare.org and see what professional, full time religious leaders- not environmentalists but religious leaders- have to say about this subject.
Incidentally, when we were fighting for the right to keep hunting on the NWRs during the early years of the Clinton Administration (remember Mollie Beatty?) we used the very passage you have quoted to mean STEWARDSHIP in the sense of Aldo Leopold. Hunting is clearly part of STEWARDSHIP. Extinction is clearly not. Hunters better wake up to the important role they can and SHOULD play in leading teh environmental movement or our relevance as hunters in the cylce of life will be taken from us. That is one of my primary objectives in this thread. I have confirmed that at least as far as MSDUCKS is concerned, hunters are basically clueless abotu the most important environmental issue of our time and many related issues.
Finally, I question your judgement not to use religion in scientific discussion. There is no doubt in my mind and those of some leading scientists that science is confirming many religious truths. Dont get me wrong- I dont NEED science to confirm my FAITH. I have seen the POWER of the Holy Spirit, of the Risen Son and of God the Father in my own life, with my own eyes. But I think it is neat that science is waking up to the bigger truths and finding ways to confirm them.
For example, brain science has recently confirmed that loving your neighbor as yourself is a fundamental human instinct, yet we learn how NOT to love our neighbor as ourselves to the point that we kill them based on skin color, religion, angle they wear their hat, etc...Humans are far and away the most murderous animal on the planet (in terms of intentionally killing their own species). That is learned behavior- not innate behavior. Learned from a world that values things that are not of GOD but are of SATAN. It all goes back to the apple and the Fall and I dont think many of the 6BB peoplel on Earth contemplate nor appreciate just how pervasive and sinister and sneaky are the forces of Evil.
Many, many aspects of modern life can be rationalized in the name of "THE ECONOMY" and "ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT". I dont believe GOD gives a tinkers damn about either one of those beyond the minimal level sufficient for harmonious human relations so His children can get about the ultimately important business of GETTING BACK TO THE GARDEN. We have fallen so far, so fast...In only 2000 years, we have gone from killing our Lord, our Savior, our Redeemer, to the lunacy of atomic annilihation, global warming, species extinction and the other facets of modern life...
In a very real sense, I believe MANKIND is way ahead of himself. If you think about the difference in life in 1900 versus 2000, it is absolutely mindboggling. Like spoiled children, we cant handle our abundance. GW is just one of many symptoms that we need to slow down, regroup and focus on what is important- our relationship with God, with our fellow man, with our Earth. Or we can keep divorcing at rates of 50%+, wallowing in debt (70% of American households have no net worth), killing each other, drinking and drugging, dying from cancer and heart disease, etc.
Mabye this quote will put it into context for you:
I SIMPLY ARGUE THAT THE CROSS BE RAISED AGAIN AT THE CENTER OF THE MARKETPLACE AS WELL AS ON THE STEEPLE OF THE CHURCH. I AM RECOVERING THE CLAIM THAT JESUS DID NOT DIE IN A CATHEDRAL BETWEEN TWO CANDLES BUT ON A CROSS BETWEEN TWO THIEVES ON THE TOWN GARBAGE HEAP, ON A CROSSROADS SO COSMOPOLITAN THAT THEY HAD TO WRITE HIS TITLE IN HEBREW AND LATIN AND GREEK, AT THE KIND OF PLACE WHERE CYNICS TALK SMUT AND THIEVES CURSE AND SOLDIERS GAMBLE, BECAUSE THAT IS WHERE HE DIED AND WHAT HE DIED ABOUT. AND THAT IS WHERE CHURCHMEN SHOULD BE AND WHAT CHURCHMEN SHOULD BE ABOUT.
I dont know who came up with this but I support every word of it. GOD is not about just Sunday morning. GOD is about everythign and everythign is about GOD, including science. Perhaps you are being called to eat some leather?
