Did She Think We Wouldn’t Notice?
April 30th, 2008
Speaker of the House “Miss America” Nancy Pelosi has been quoting scripture lately in defense of her agenda on such things as the environment and the budget. She’s been citing a passage that she says comes from the book of Isaiah. However, the particular passage in question has left many Bible scholars scratching their heads. The problem is that the passage doesn’t actually exist in the Bible.
In her recent Earth Day press release, Speaker Pelosi said, “The Bible tells us in the Old Testament, ‘To minister to the needs of God’s creation is an act of worship. To ignore those needs is to dishonor the God who made us.’”
Huh?
Speaker Pelosi is reported to have used this passage about a half a dozen times going back at least to 2005. “It’s hard to know where something like that gets started,” says apologist Dr. Raymond Bohlin, president of Probe Ministries. “But it’s unfortunate that she’s referring to it as a scripture quotation because it’s not.” Bohlin believes Pelosi and others are trying to demonstrate “a sort of Christian caring and compassionate view to things.”
First of all, let me go on record as saying that I believe without a doubt mankind and particularly the believer in Christ has been given the responsibility for the stewardship of God’s creation. We should do everything we can to maintain and care for it. While I might agree on some level at least to the concept Pelosi and others may be trying to advance, that of caring for creation, the ends do not justify the means. It is completely unnecessary to fabricate a lie in order to further the truth. Truth has no need of manipulation.
The fact is that when God created man He entrusted him with dominion over every living thing (Genesis 1:26-28) and commissioned him with tending and keeping His creation (Genesis 2:15). Additionally in the New Testament we are encouraged to act as good stewards of the gifts in which God has blessed us (1 Peter 4:10). If the Speaker of the House was seriously interested in making the truth of God’s word the basis for her political agenda she might have at least made some attempt to accurately annunciate it. Sadly, her only reason for referencing scripture is for the purpose of manufacturing sound bites that would play to a religious constituency. Apparently she doesn’t think Christians are bright enough to look behind the current to see her political ploy for what it really is, nothing more than smoke and mirrors. Obviously she was wrong.
May 1st, 2008 at 10:05 am
May I be picky? Of course I may…
Allow me to suggest the amendment of this sentence: We should do everything we can to maintain and care for (God’s creation). I believe it ought to read, instead, that we ought to do everything we reasonably and responsibly can to maintain and care for God’s creation. A statement such as you made reads like it could come right out of the Earth Liberation Front’s literature or something. The issue with the environment is pretty simple: how do we balance an appropriate stewardship of God’s creation with the concerns of living in contemporary society; i.e., without doing things that have a needlessly adverse effect on our economy, etc.
It’s all about the balance. But you knew that…
May 1st, 2008 at 5:22 pm
Thank you Mr. Picky.
Taken out of context, yes, I can see how it MIGHT sound like Earth Liberation whatever, but given the context of what follows and the history of what has already been written on this blog concerning my views on environmentalism, I really don’t think anyone would seriously confuse me with a tree hugger.
May 2nd, 2008 at 7:50 am
Aw, c’mon Don, go hug a tree! : )
August 20th, 2008 at 9:43 am
[...] there’s anything wrong with that mind you, it’s just not what I want to talk about. However, I am willing on occasion to make an exception, particularly when politicians are caught trying to use scripture in public, usually in an attempt [...]
June 3rd, 2010 at 1:06 pm
[...] turning this Congress into “the most honest and open Congress in history.” Would that include quoting nonexistent passages of scripture in defense of her liberal extremist environmental policies? Is that what she [...]