The religious right makes a left turn

How's this for ironic? A group of evangelical leaders is flexing its political muscle to fight global warming. Members of the group, which includes church leaders, scientists, writers, and heads of international aid agencies, say that global warming is an urgent threat, a cause of poverty, and a Christian issue because the Bible mandates stewardship of God's creation.

The Rev. Ted Haggard, president of the National Association of Evangelicals, a group of 51 church denominations, said he had become passionate about global warming because of his experience scuba diving and observing the effects of rising ocean temperatures and pollution on coral reefs. Recently the association adopted a platform called "For the Health of the Nation: An Evangelical Call to Civic Responsibility," which included a plank on "creation care." The statement reads in part, "Because clean air, pure water and adequate resources are crucial to public health and civic order, government has an obligation to protect its citizens from the effects of environmental degradation."

Hear, hear, but we wonder if this means the religious right will stop emitting so much hot air over gay marriage...

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/10/national/10evangelical.html