¶ … moral and other imperatives that Christians have when it comes to the environment. Indeed, Christians believe that God created all of the heavens and the earth. As such, what burdens this places on Christians when it comes to the same is a valid question. That question shall be answered using the Toulmin model argument and shall be inclusive of a number of references that support the differing viewpoints, angles and prisms through which this issue is looked at. While the general premise of Christians protecting the environment can be taken too far and/or to ridiculous lengths, it is clear that Christians have a moral imperative to be stewards of the environment. As this report goes on, the Toulmin model will be detailed step-by-step along with an answer to each piece as the report goes along. In order, there are basically six facets, those being a claim, ground for the claim, a warrant, backing, rebuttal/observation and qualification (SDSU, 2015). The claim, of course, is that Christians should be protectors and stewards of the environment rather than be indifferent or even intentionally abusive towards it, at least to the extent that they can personally control and regulate what is around them (Merritt, 2015). The amount of dedication should be reasonable yet not too over the top. Of course, the definition of "reasonable" will tend to mean different things to different people (DeWitt, 2015). Even so, the author of this report believes that not many would claim that it is acceptable for a self-professed Christian to treat the planet as their own perpetual dumpster and resource to be used and abused rather than treasured and protected. As noted in the introduction, the grounds for this argument is based on the fact that God created the planets and the Earth, as dictated and explained in the Bible (Merritt, 2015).

However, one could take that argument a bit further. Even without focusing on who created the Earth and how it was created, it is indeed unseemly and improper for someone to just discard a used-up bottle when one is done with it. To be sure, people that do that lead to the appearance of an area being unkempt and non-respected. For example, if a person goes to a park, the general expectation and norm with a lot of people in general, and not just Christians, is that the park should be at least as clean as it was (if not cleaner) than when one arrived at the park. For example, any litter, trash or other mess created during the time at the park should be cleaned up and dealt with. When the people depart, it should not be obvious that someone was just there. Further, it should be held true by Christians and non-Christians alike that if one creates a mess, they should also be the one to clean it up. There are also less obvious examples like cigarette butts being flung out of windows (and that does not even account for the fire hazard), not bussing one's own table at a restaurant that is not full-service and so forth. In short, the Christian mindset is often, and should be, to be mindful of the messes that are made and the impact on the environment as opposed to being ambivalent or neglectful. Some Christians will go beyond that and will clean up the messes of others including litter on the side of the road, a stray cup blowing in the wind and so on. Some litter is unintentional but there are many people, Christians and non-Christians alike, who are not environmental stewards (Borba, 2015).

The principle or provision, the next part of the Toulmin model, is that the planet is something that should be protected, revered and kept up rather than being treated poorly. When looking at it from the Christian perspective in particular, there is the concept that we are a mere blip when it comes to how long we are on the planet versus how old the planet currently is and how much longer it will exist. Christians, of course, do believe that there will be a Second Coming and that there will be a complete revamping of existence as we know it. However, Christians do not know when that day is coming as God himself has said that we will not know when it is coming. As such, Christians need to recognize that the planet...

Indeed, the talk of how God created the Earth is in the first part of Genesis. The references in the Bible that relate to taking care of the environment come early and often and are impossible to miss. For example, Genesis 2:15 says "the Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work and keep it" (Open Bible, 2015). When it comes to animals, God had said that human would have dominion over the animals but limits are placed on this. One example is Deuteronomy 22:6 where it says that snatching up a mother bird that is tending eggs is wrong and immoral (Open Bible, 2015). Further, God himself put the Earth on a high pedestal. For example, one of the stated reasons for the Sabbath, the day of rest, is to allow the Earth to "rest" (Does God Exist, 2015).
Despite the totality of the evidence that is just sampled above, rather than being complete, there is always a rebuttal and a counter-argument to all questions like this. For example, some people take the preservation of the Earth very seriously and others still hold it in a god-like reverence like Wiccans and such. Many would say that this is an example of a false idol and thus an example of how not to live and believe. Wiccans in particular could be referred to in this way because they "have great reverence for the Earth and for their Goddess and her consort, the horned God" (Religious Tolerance, 2015). For those that know the Bible, this is a pretty clear-cut case of "being against God." As explained in Matthew 12:30, one cannot be for something than God and not be against God himself. When it comes to the broader question of this report, the basic premise is that revering the Earth, in and of itself, is not wrong. Further, no sane person would probably make the argument that treating the Earth like a dumpster is ever alright. However, the motives and lengths to which the Earth revered can be taken too far, can be done for the wrong reasons and is not always the right way to live (Bible Hub, 2015).

Finally, we come to the qualification part of the Toulmin model and the latter part of the paragraph basically sums that up. The overall Christian mindset asserts that the Earth should be revered but one should also keep in mind that the Earth and our bodies are a vessel and our current living situation is a very small part of a wider existence and an eternity of time. As such, getting too caught up with the planet and its conditions or trappings is less than wise. In short, there needs to be a healthy balance rather than extremism or a general love affair with life on this planet. After all, there is the argument that one cannot take their riches and other Earthly possessions with them. The Bible supports this argument as well. It is said in black and white in 1st Timothy 6:7 when it says "For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing form it" (Bible Hub, 2015).

Conclusion

If there is a lesson to be learned from the overall argument made in this report, it is that anything can be taken to extremes. Again, reverence and respect for the Earth and condition is indeed a Christian belief but it has be tempered and moderated with a concurrent remembrance that the Earth is not forever and we are only here for so long. Beyond that, a person can only be responsible for their own actions and what happens around them. Going beyond those constraints will lead to conflict and other problems. In short, being an environmental steward is a very Christian idea but there are limits to all concepts like that, even those that relate to God.