Private Property and NACCE

EARTHKEEPING NEWS
A NEWSLETTER OF THE NORTH AMERICAN COALITION FOR CHRISTIANITY AND ECOLOGY

Volume Four, Number One
September/October 1994

PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS, THE COMMON GOOD AND NACCE

For Christians to offer a religious perspective to secular efforts for the environmental and economic common good seems to be an alarming prospect for Wise Use Movement advocates, like Joanna Waugh of Porter IN. She sees the trend toward environmental activism in the churches as a threat to private property. Waugh has written "Eco-theology: Green Religion," in the Land Rights Letter, April 1994, "for Americans dedicated to preserving our heritage of private property rights."

In it she refers to stories in four issues of Earthkeeping News — without mentioning EN by name as the source, and with limited regard to accuracy. These references are chosen as evidence that American churches are "becoming human- or earth-centered rather than God-centered." (A false dichotomy, since a church's witness connects the Word of God to the issues of the world.)

Waugh claims that church groups, including NACCE, are being "spoon fed simplistic approaches to very complicated and controversial issues" by environmental organizations. She objects to protection of wetlands, old growth forests and endangered species, if that interferes with the rights of private property.

She accuses the NACCE of "eco-indoctrination." As evidence of the infusion of "pagan philosophy into mainstream belief systems", Waugh reprints Rev. Alvin Pitcher's Ten Commandments for Caring for the Earth. She states that "American faith systems cannot remain true to their ancient traditions if Caring for Creation becomes a central organizing theme within churches and synagogues". It is too easy then "to slide from spirituality into politics.". . . . "The notion of dwindling resources is anthropocentric — it leaves no room for the miracle of the loaves and fishes."

Earthkeeping News invites further dialogue with Ms. Waugh on the central issue of whether we Christians really believe that the Earth is The Lord's. NACCE is not against private property; just human selfishness. Our "mainstream belief systems" have been co-opted by private greed. We must express our spirituality in every aspect of life, including politics, in defense of God's creation and in obedience to God's covenant with every living creature. Is it God-entered for the churches to support our wasteful consumer ethic, and wait for a miracle? What would Jesus be doing now in America? The story of the loaves and fishes (Luke 9:10-17) shows clearly that the miracle happens when we share our depleted resources, rather than holding on to them as private property.