Calvin Beisner

Beisner on Global Warming, AIDS and Intelligent Design

Beisner has written many articles that criticize the scientific realities of global warming in the context of the Evangelical faith, including:

Global Warming - why Evangelicals should not be alarmed.

Deep Ecology, Neo-paganism, and the Irrationalism of Global Warming Hysteria

In 1990, Beisner wrote a piece criticizing the need for further federal spending on AIDS research, treatment and education. In the article Beisner asks, "...is it rational to allocate $3.5 billion dollars to fight a disease that is almost 100 percent self-inflicted by people intent on immoral and irrational behavior?" (emphasis added).

Beisner goes on to claim that the "simple fact is that militant homosexuals have a potent lobby on Capitol Hill and at the White House. They know how to get politicians' attention. Only that can explain the irrational policies that have prevailed toward AIDS..." (emphasis added).

In 2005, Beisner wrote an article criticizing a judicial ruling barring intelligent design from a biology class curriculum. He wrote:

[t]he aggressive, extreme secularism that would reject all reference in biology studies to intelligent design of irreducibly complex structures is more patently unscientific and more obviously religious than what most people have encountered in discussing evolution and creation. Perhaps a few more will waken now to the fact that the public schools are the enemy, not the friend, and not even a neutral party to Christians, and therefore (a) remove their kids from them and (b) stop working with them" (emphasis added).

Beisner and the Interfaith Stewardship Alliance

Beisner "is a lead organizer of the Interfaith Stewardship Alliance (ISA), a group of prominent academics and clergy skeptical of global warming extremes." According to Beisner, he is currently expanding his work with the Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation, which is the new name of the ISA. 

The ISA's guiding principles are drawn from a document called the "Cornwall Declaration" which is described as a "sound biblical view of stewardship." The declaration states, in part, that "[w]hile some environmental concerns are well founded and serious, others are without foundation or greatly exaggerated... Some unfounded or undue concerns include fears of destructive manmade global warming, overpopulation, and rampant species loss."

Officially launched in November, 2005 the ISA describes itself as, "... a coalition of religious leaders, clergy, theologians, scientists, academics, and other policy experts committed to bringing a proper and balanced Biblical view of stewardship to the critical issues of environment and development."

At the time of ISA's launch, the organization released a report titled, "An Examination of the Scientific, Ethical and Theological Implications of Climate Change Policy." The purpose of the report was to "examine the scientific questions surrounding global warming, carbon reductions, and puts forth Biblical principles that can guide Christians in making policy decisions on the environment." The report was written by Beisner, Roy Spencer and Paul Driessen.

In July 2006, Beisner co-authored another ISA report refuting the work of an opposing religious organization called the Evangelical Climate Initiative. The ISA report was titled A Call to Truth, Prudence and Protection of the Poor: an Evangelical Response to Global Warming (pdf). Along with the report was a letter of endorsement signed by numerous representatives of various organizations, including six that have received a total of $2.32 million in donations from oil-giant ExxonMobil over the last three years.

The other authors of the ISA's report were Roy Spencer, Paul Driessen and Ross McKitrick.

Beisner and the Knox Theological Seminary

Beisner is a former associate professor of Social Ethics at Knox Theological Seminary. He was a member of the faculty as an associate professor of historical theology and social ethics from July 2000 through December 2007, but left Knox at the end of 2007.

Beisner and the Presbyterian Church of America

According to Beisner's personal website, he was a ruling elder of the Presbyterian Church in America. In May, 2007 Beisner left the PCA to help plant a new Orthodox Presbyterian Church congregation. He's currently serving on the pastoral staff of Holy Trinity Presbyterian Church (OPC).