Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Something strange is beginning to happen in conservative Christian circles. Christians are beginning to wake up and see that Creation care isn't just something we should put up with...it's actually part of the whole restoration project. You have to check out Ben Witherington's blog on this and let me know what you think. It's refreshing to see some voices starting to stand up on this issue that is clearly a Biblical correction to the misleading dualist idea of "Rapture theology."
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
11 comments:
The chief failing I see in the blog entry referenced is that while it's long on passion and awareness of environmental responsibility, it's short on practical steps toward realizing that responsibility. The writer mentions the easy choices -- buying energy-efficient light bulbs and fuel-efficient cars -- but really fails to say anything about the consumption that lies at the heart of American culture and the American church.
Here are some off-the-cuff ways Joe and Jane Christian can be more environmentally responsible:
1) Attend a local church, in their own community, and not one in another municipality. This not only would reduce the amount of gas they use, it would give them more familiarity with the people in their own communities.
2) Grow your own food in the back yard. This saves money; provides better-tasting, fresher and more nutritious food; and reduces the fuel used to ship food from the grower to the consumer. Even apartment-dwellers usually can grow squash, tomatoes or lettuce out on the balcony.
3) If you can't grow your own produce, at least buy it locally at farmers' markets. This not only reduces the fuel used on transportation, it also reinvests money in local economies and supports private agriculture.
4) Buy produce and other goods that are from your own country. It's not about nationalism; again, it's about transportation. Even stuff made in California requires fewer fossil fuels than stuff produced in China.
5) Ride a bike to work if it's less than 10 miles. If a train is available, take that instead.
6) Walk more.
7) Plant a tree for each child in your family. If it's a fruit tree, you also get fruit out of the deal. If it grows tall, its shade'll reduce your air conditioning expenses during the summer.
8) Recycle. You'd be amazed how many people don't bother with this, even though the law requires it and the city picks it up every two weeks.
9) Don't buy things that you don't actually need or use. Aside from saving the money, you'll help to reduce the energy going into manufacturing. Did you realize that Americans on average require 70 acres of land to support their lifestyles?
I'm going to go burn some oil from Iran.
I can't believe you actually graced Bloggerdom once again.
Tim has returned to bloggerdom, but judging by the dearth of posts, bloggerdom has not yet returned to Tim.
What a sad day it is! So, is this where I make random comments on other people's blogs in the vain attempt to have them follow me back here? Would anyone really do such a horrible thing?
Yeah...pretty much.
Pretty good blog from Ben. I think our problem as a world is cyclical and I think the United States is the forerunner in this type of thinking: too much is never enough. We want more money, faster service, more everything. And we're under an adiministration that turns a blind eye to all of this. We have a moral responsibility to be stewards of the Earth in which we've been entrusted.
I am taking environmental science presently. The big buzzword in this class is stewardship, with a nod that this word is derived from Christian concepts of caring for the what we have. I think this guy is right on. Nowhere does it say we aren't going to reap what we sow and the fruit of greed and sloth has a very foul taste indeed. I think the problem with getting anything major done about it is the polarity of conservatism vs. Liberalism. When will we stop engaging in the American custody battle and just do what is right for the family?
When is Tim going to post something else for us to read?
I think Tim has abandoned this blog.
This is ridiculous...Tim has clearly lost sight of this blog...I personally am done with him.
Does this mean you have stopped emerging?
Actually, Tim emerged, but then he decided to crawl back in. This means that his butt and legs are dangling out the back, while his arms, head and chest are stuck inside.
Anyone who is interested can take a swing at his posterior, and he won't even know who's doing it.
Post a Comment