Good stewards of the earth?

Social issues such as same-sex marriage and race have been part of public and religious consciences for years.

Environmentalism and living a "green" earth-friendly lifestyle also have been veteran social issues. Some religious denominations have always advocated being green, while others have just recently become vocal.

The Unitarian Universalist Church, long active in environmental issues, released a Statement of Conscience in 2006 on the "Threat of Global Warming/Climate Change." On its Web site, the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations has Statements of Conscience about the environment dating back to 1962.

"Conservation and the environment are big issues with us Unitarian Universalists," said Toni Brooks, a member of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Shoals, through e-mail.

The Florence church recycles its mail and drink cans, and its board has started meeting Sunday before services instead of during the week to conserve gas.

Sojourners, a group based in Washington D.C., works to make global warming part of the conservative Christian social agenda that includes anti-gay marriage and anti-abortion stances. Sojourners does not hold anti-gay or anti-abortion stances.

"We've always said that these issues are important, but that Christians have a much broader responsibility," said Adam Taylor, senior political director of Sojourners.

Taylor said global warming attracts the 30-and-younger generations because, ultimately, they will be the ones who will inherit the planet.

"It's really that generation that will suffer the overconsumption of their fathers," said the 32-year-old.

He said the Armageddon-heavy theology of some evangelical churches discourages talk about environmental responsibility.

"If that's your theological viewpoint, you're not going to necessarily care about the earth right now," Taylor said.

Liberal Democrat Al Go re helped bring global warming to the mainstream with his documentary "An Inconvenient Truth," and Taylor said that caused many conservative evangelicals to distance themselves from it.

"I definitely think that played a factor, and it's unfortunate," he said.

Still, some secular environmental organizations also made global warming partisan, neglecting to reach out to conservative churches, Taylor said.

But "I think that a great deal has changed in the last four to six years," he said.

In March, the politically conservative Southern Baptist Convention released "A Southern Baptist Declaration on the Environment and Climate Change." The declaration said Baptists had been "too timid" on addressing environmental issues.

Joe Bob Mizzell, director of the Office of Christian Ethics/Chaplaincy Ministries at the Alabama Baptist Convention, quotes Genesis 2:15 as a command from God to his people that they take care of the environment.

"I think that is symbolic that man ought to keep the earth, to take care of it and watch over it," he said. But, "we may not have taken that responsibility as seriously as we should have."

Mizzell said he wasn't familiar with the Southern Baptist declaration and declined to comment on it.

Global warming should be a focus, but "we don't need to become radical," Mizzell said.

"We always need to preach Jesus and salvation first."

Being green is something Randy Burbank, pastor of Center Star United Methodist Church in Killen, discusses "from time to time" with his congregation.

"I don't know that preaching green from the pulpit is what a lot of us are doing, but we remind (our congregations) to be good stewards of the earth," he said.

The official stance of the United Methodist Church is to be "good stewards of the earth," he said.

The United Methodist Church passed more than a dozen resolutions regarding global climate stewardship in its churches and individuals at the General Board of Church and Society meeting in April.

The denomination builds environ-mentally friendly houses through its involvement with Habitat for Humanity, and the Center Star church supports the environmental efforts of the Upper Sand Mountain Parish, a Methodist ministry in Northeast Alabama.

Burbank, who recycles, said living a green lifestyle is not a solely religious responsibility.

"I think there is a moral conscientiousness of not polluting and not endangering that we all, in various ways, sense and act upon."

Mizzell said one reason Baptists are addressing the issue is because it directly effects them through high gas and oil prices.

"It's affecting all of us and I think as a result, we have to put more emphasis on the environment," he said.

"God provides rain, the sun, all the resources we need. If we don't abuse, he'll provide."

Jennifer Crossley can be reached at 740-5743 or jennifer.crossley@timesdaily.com.