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The point of our "Be Fruitful, Stop Multiplying" series is two-fold. Last time we dealt with Point No. 1. Today, we address Point No. 2.

Unfortunately, bad theology begets bad ecology. Fortunately, the converse is also true. Not-bad (or good) theology begets non-bad (or good) ecology. And for many, if not most, citizens of the world, underlying their views on how the ecological crisis should be dealt with are their theological views.

If you view God as somewhere “out there,” separate and external to the world, and if you view life itself as sinful and fallen; and if you view life on this planet as simply a temporary way station from which you will eventually be “rescued;” if this is your underlying theology, then you have no reason to show any particular respect for the earth on which we live. You have no problem with the commandment to “exercise dominion and control and subdue” creation as a commandment to conquer it as if it were your enemy. And you have no problem honoring the literal meaning of the phrase “Be fruitful and multiply” without regard to its historical context at the time it was written and without regard to the current ramifications of such a principle thousands of years later.

If, on the other hand, you believe God is amongst us and within us; if you believe that a theological understanding of life as “sinful and fallen” is not only misplaced but stands in the way of a right relationship with God, with humankind, and with all of God’s creation; if you believe that our responsibility as citizens of the Kingdom is to work together as one toward its furtherance and to recognize the interdependence of all the ecosystems of the earth; then you believe that the directive to “exercise dominion and control and to subdue the earth” is a directive to be God’s caretaker of the earth for the good of all God’s creatures. Not just for the present but for future generations as well.

And you also believe that, in order to read Gen 1: 27 and Gen 1: 28 so as to not be contradictory, internally inconsistent directives, you believe that, in today’s 21st century world, the words, “Be fruitful and multiply” must necessarily be read, “Be fruitful. Stop multiplying.” Not as an absolute, of course. To stop procreating completely would be to guarantee the end of the human race. It would be Procreational Genocide, and it would be accomplished over a single generation. It would be ridiculous.

But no more ridiculous than is interpreting the phrase “Be fruitful and multiply” as a prohibition against intelligent birth control. Such an interpretation is equally ridiculous. Such an interpretation is just as certain to result in Procreational Genocide, although, admittedly, it would be a slower, more agonizing process. By gradually destroying our environment, we are guaranteed to gradually destroy ourselves. How ironic! All those anti-contraception folks who call themselves pro-life, when viewed from the perspective of civilization itself, turn out to be very much pro-death.

Which leaves us with three options: “Be fruitful and multiply;” or “Be fruitful. Stop multiplying;” or “Be fruitful. Multiply in an intelligent, controlled, measured, responsible fashion.” If the Word – “Word” with a capital “W” -- of God were, in fact, the actual words of God, which do you suppose God would have said? Would he have directed us to destroy Creation or to preserve it?

Oh, yes, he told us, didn’t he? He directed us to exercise dominion and control. Maybe, just maybe he was talking about exercising dominion and control over ourselves. In that way, our two directives – to be fruitful, multiply, and to exercise dominion and control -- can be reconciled quite nicely, can’t they? And we can avoid Procreational Genocide.

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