“On September 1, Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew issued a joint message for the ‘World Day of Prayer for Creation.’” says Rev. Gregory Jensen in this week’s Acton Commentary. “Their statement rightfully reminds us that we all have an ‘obligation to use the Earth’s goods responsibly.’ But exhortations by the pope and patriarch should not be read as a policy prescription.”

Unlike theology, science speaks in probability. How the climate will change going forward and the role of human activity has in any such change can’t be answered with absolute certainty. In this case, we need to be careful of broad epistemological claims which necessarily raise questions about the limits of human knowledge.

The full text of the essay can be found here. Subscribe to the free, weekly Acton Commentary and other publications here.