Survey: Christians still don’t agree about problem of global warming

Despite a newfound focus among many Christian leaders on environmental care, a new survey suggests that rank-and-file Christians are far less concerned than nonbelievers about environmental issues.
According to the survey, conducted by The Barna Group, 33 percent of evangelicals say global warming presents a “major challenge” in society today. Meanwhile 62 percent of respondents who subscribe to a faith other than Christianity and 69 percent of atheists and agnostics say they believe climate change is a significant problem.

The results, taken by phone surveys in January 2007 and July–August 2007, also reveal that half of the nation’s 95 million “born-again” adults think global warming is a major problem.

Researchers differentiated between “born-again” Christians and “evangelical” Christians in the survey, characterizing the former as those who said they have made a personal commitment to Jesus and believe they will go to heaven upon death because they have confessed their sins and trusted Jesus. The latter were defined using the “born-again” criteria, plus seven other theological beliefs and pietistic practices.
The survey shows that Catholics are more worried about global warming than Protestants, with 59 percent and 52 percent concerned, respectively.

The survey merely confirms the fact that Christians in America disagree about climate change, said David Kinnaman, Barna’s president.
“Evangelicals would rather think about other things,” he said in a press release. “Non-evangelicals say the environment is important to them, yet they are far from convinced that global warming is as important as everyone says. By contrast, many non-Christians view global climate alterations as the central element of their environmental agenda.”

The groups with the largest proportions concerned about global warming include Democrats, with 67 percent; people living in the Northeast and Hispanics, at 65 percent each; and unchurched adults, with 64 percent.
Subgroups with the lowest percentages showing concern over global warming include Republicans, with 38 percent; the “economically downscale,” with 48 percent; and 51 percent of people living in the Midwest. (ABP)