Social Principles: The Natural World

All creation is the Lord's, and we are responsible for the ways in which we use and abuse it. Water, air, soil, minerals, energy resources, plants, animal life, and space are to be valued and conserved because they are God's creation and not solely because they are useful to human beings. God has granted us stewardship of creation. We should meet these stewardship duties through acts of loving care and respect.

Water, Air, Soil, Minerals, Plants

We support and encourage social policies that serve to reduce and control the creation of industrial byproducts and waste; the use of nuclear fuels and the disposal of nuclear waste; and the use of chemical pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides. We advocate for the responsible use of Earth's resources through sustainable practices in agriculture, industry, and individual life.

Energy Resources Utilization

The whole earth is God's field. We support the development of renewable energy sources and the responsible use of existing energy resources with the goal of reducing our dependence on fossil fuels. Transition toward clean energy should be just and equitable, protecting workers and communities currently dependent on fossil fuel economies.

Science and Technology

We recognize science as a legitimate interpretation of God's natural world. We affirm the validity of the claims of science in describing the natural world and in determining what is scientific. We preclude science from making authoritative claims about theological issues and theology from making authoritative claims about scientific issues.