A report released this week shows a majority of pastors disagree global warming is real and man made.
When asked to respond to the statement: “I believe global warming is real and man made,” 43 percent of pastors affirm the statement while 54 percent disagree. The percentage disagreeing is higher than in 2008 (48 percent), but lower than 2010, when 60 percent disagreed global warming is real and man made, according to the report, released by LifeWay Research.
The views of pastors also parallel the opinion trend among Americans. According to the Pew Research Center, the percentage of Americans who say the earth is warming because of human activity has rebounded from the low of 34 percent in 2010 to 42 percent in October 2012 and March 2013, which is still lower than the 2008 total of 47 percent.
The October 2012 survey of Protestant pastors' views of environmental issues shows Protestant pastors in the Northeast, older pastors, and pastors self-identifying as Democrats tend to be more environmentally active compared to younger, Republicans, and counterparts in other regions of the country.
According to the report less than half (45 percent) of pastors agree their church has taken tangible steps to reduce their carbon footprint. Pastors in the Northeast showed to have more recycling programs than churches in other areas.
