Group Representing Half A Billion Christians Says It Will No Longer Support Fossil Fuels

[Scuba]

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/07/11/3459111/wcc-christians-divests/

A large umbrella group of churches representing more than half a billion Christians worldwide announced Thursday that it would pull all of its investments in fossil fuels, saying it had determined the investments were no longer ethical.

The World Council of Churches, a global coalition of 345 churches, made the decision to no longer fund oil, gas, or coal at its central committee meeting in Geneva, and recommended that its members do the same. “The committee discussed the ethical investment criteria, and considered that the list of sectors in which the WCC does not invest should be extended to include fossil fuels,” read the finance policy committee report.

The WCC’s member churches — which include the 25 million-member Church or England and the 48 million-member Ethiopian Orthadox Tewahedo Church, among others — will not be forced to divest themselves, but advocates say the announcement represents broad support among Christians for action to fight climate change.

“The World Council of Churches reminds us that morality demands thinking as much about the future as about ourselves — and that there’s no threat to the future greater than the unchecked burning of fossil fuels,” Bill McKibben, the founder of 350.org, said in a statement. “This is a remarkable moment for the 590 million Christians in its member denominations: a huge percentage of humanity says today ‘this far and no further.’”

[MindMover]

1. If we do not reverse this soon, we can all start praying ...

""

[hrmjustin]

2. K&R!

[Tikki]

3. I am impressed.

Tikki

[roguevalley]

32. we are supposed to love the earth and we do.

[ismnotwasm]

4. Awesome!

Start taking that "stewards of the earth" seriously!

[pleinair]

27. truly

I never understood how especially American fundies could justify backing off on the stewardship of our resources

[stillwaiting]

34. American fundies need to be told what to think.

When an authoritarian figure that they respect tells them to start treating the Earth better they will begin to do so, and it will be Godly to do so.

To date, many have not been inspired by Jesus to do so.

When they do have the awakening, if they do, they will do it to protect the precious resource that God provided us with. It's tragic that they need an authoritarian figure to get them to wake up to what should be obvious, but they do.

[pleinair]

37. good point

observing fundie members of my extended family, what you say rings true--they really DO need to be told what to do. That grid of control on their behavior is somehow a comfort to them.

[packman]

5. Well done

[littlemissmartypants]

6. Thanks for the good news. eom

[betterdemsonly]

7. Not only is it good for the earth it is probably a

matter of self preservation. The big oil-fracking people are big bankrollers of extremist religious groups both Christian and Muslim.

[johnnyreb]

8. Respect, to the World Council of Churches.

And thanks.

[WillyT]

9. K & R !!!

[Spitfire of ATJ]

10. Meanwhile, Republicans believe oil is being constantly renewed by Jesus,....through prayer.

[Hekate]

11. Good for them. Call it ethics or morality, I don't care -- it's the right thing to do...

... and I thank them. Profoundly.

[Treant]

12. Great PR

Call me when they back it up with action. As I'd say about any blanket group deciding fossil fuels are bad, but not even requesting they divest their funds, change their lifestyles, or alter their places of business.

[obxhead]

16. Call me when they promise to back solar or wind, while also swearing off

nuclear power.

A step in the right direction? Possibly. Let us see where that pulled investment flows before we celebrate though.

[cantbeserious]

13. Step In The Right Direction - Will American Congregations Follow The Same Path - Not Likely

eom

[840high]

14. k/r

[calimary]

15. Well how 'bout that.

[JDPriestly]

17. Wouldn't Ethiopia be the perfect place for solar energy --

like California.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopian_Orthodox_Tewahedo_Church

[mountain grammy]

18. all righteee then, now we (renewable energy supporters) have God on our side..

well, don't we?

[locks]

19. Amen

By their acts we will know they are Christians

[Jack Rabbit]

20. This is a refreshing contrast to fundamentalist US Churches

. . . who preach the Gospel According to David Koch.

[Bluenorthwest]

22. Also a contrast to the big talk out of Francis, who will not divest and is not part of this action.

The RCC holds one of the world's largest investment portfolios. Lots of 'energy investments'. Lots.

[Oilwellian]

21. This is amazing news

K&R

[Raster]

23. What would Jesus invest in?

[rpannier]

26. It's a good question

I want to know what he invested that gold in.
He got gold, frankincense and myrrh from those kings

What really happened to it?
My theory has always been he took it to Monte Carlo and (between the ages of 18-31) gambled it all away, found God and returned to spread the 'good news'

[Enthusiast]

24. Kicked and recommended!

Well done, World Council of Churches!

[cbayer]

25. Excellent! It's about time that the liberal/progressive religious groups took

stands like this.

[Esse Quam Videri]

28. Very Nice

Half a billion is not small potatoes.

[skepticscott]

29. No longer support?

Does that mean that they will stop using them, and urge all of their members to do the same? Somehow, I don't think their "ethics" extend nearly that far. Only far enough to generate a self-congratulatory press release.

[dembotoz]

30. it is a step-small step but still a step-

i am actually pleased they did not join the climate deniers cause there are a bunch of those clown on the evangelical right

[skepticscott]

31. Better than absolutely nothing? I suppose

But it's a bit late for small steps to do any real, practical good. And we're also way past the point where simply NOT being a climate change denier earns you any points. Only complete idiots or the owned are any more.

[TransitJohn]

33. They have investments? Why aren't these scams called churches taxed, again?

I hate that.

[toby jo]

35. I'd like to see groups like this take a stand on world overpopulation.

You figure the jews were an underclass, enslaved, always on the lookout for tribal power. So, hey, go forth and propagate made sense.

But now?

How bout go forth and have sex in a manner that reflects balance in the world? ( Birth Control! )

[Uncle Joe]

36. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, Scuba.