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Former Quincy resident having a national influence
Do science and religion need to always be at odds?
That's a question Quincy High School graduate Rev. Richard Cizik (Class of 1969) is answering. Cizik, who now lives in Fredericksburg, Va., is the brother of Quincy residents Carol and Cathy Faw. He was recently named one of Time Magazine's 100 most influential people for 2008.
Cizik, 56, who is the head of the Office of Governmental Affairs for the National Association of Evangelicals, was presented the award as part of a tandem. His partner is scientist Eric Chivan, the director of the Harvard Medical School's Center for Health and the Global Environment. Both men were recognized for their collaborative influence in raising awareness of climate change and efforts in trying to stop it. Cizik has been in the forefront of the green evangelical movement. In a recent interview given to the web site The Great Warming, Cizik talked about his "Creation Care" philosophy and how taking care of the environment should be part of the Christian belief system.
He said global warming calls for action soon.
"We are saying action based upon a biblical view of the world as God's world," Cizik said. "And to deplete our resources, to harm our world by environmental degradation, is an offense against God. That's what the scriptures say."
In Cizik's view, religion and science do not have to oppose one another.
"I see no conflict between good science and good faith, and believe the two will have to work together to meet the challenges in the 21st century," Cizik said.
He said his motivation comes from his belief that God has called him to teach others that they should care for the earth.
"God doesn't intend to ask me, 'Rich, how did I create the earth?'" Cizik said. "He'll say, 'Rich, what did you do to protect that which I created.' That is an awesome question that deserves a good answer."
In another interview, Cizik said caring for the environment fits in with his pro-life stance, because we should try to have children born into a healthy environment.
I agree with much of what Cizik says. I believe we have been entrusted to take care of God's creation, and we will be judged by how well we meet that obligation. If we allow greed and sloth to overcome our responsibility to care for our environment, we will be held accountable.
It's good to see that someone like Cizik, someone who holds Christian values, has become a leader in the environmental movement and is demonstrating that faith and science can be complimentary.
As he once said: "Science without religion loses its ethical guide. ... Science enables us to better understand what creation is telling us about itself and our Maker."
