Comments on: Earth Day and the Church http://timesandseasons.org/index.php/2006/04/earth-day-and-the-church/ Truth Will Prevail Thu, 24 May 2012 14:21:34 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: looking for Mormons who care http://timesandseasons.org/index.php/2006/04/earth-day-and-the-church/#comment-167657 looking for Mormons who care Tue, 23 May 2006 12:47:32 +0000 http://www.timesandseasons.org/?p=3109#comment-167657 I've read this blog thread with great interest and have some genuine concerns and questions with regard to the LDS church and the issue of climate change. It would be great to know how people feel about these concerns, because I can find very little else on the net on the subject and at some point in the futuret the debate will erupt in public. Essentially, I can't see how in the long run the LDS church will be able to avoid engaging officially with the threat of climate change despite its traditional reluctance to comment on 'politics'. Yet I think there are some key reasons why it will have to give careful thought to how it does this, reasons that I'm suprised no one has yet voiced. The dilemma for the LDS church arises initially because climate change impacts will threaten the world's poorest and most vulnerable people first and foremost, as rising temperatures play havoc with growing seasons, increase the prevalence of vector-borne disease and diminish base water supplies in arid regions. The UK-based international development agency Christian Aid has just released a major report agreeing with the world's scientific community on the severity of the threat (the scientific community is in fact worried it has underestimated the threat as the UN's IPCC prepares it's Fourth Assessment Report). Christian Aid - along with many Christian organisations - warns that unless third world countries pursue a clean energy development pat, with rich western nations immediately reigning in their profligate use of fossil fuels, the ultimate consequences for Africans already struggling to establish viable livelihoods will be nothing short of apocalyptic. (The report is on-line at http://www.christian-aid.org.uk/indepth/605caweek/index.htm) As the LDS church currently sends out over 60,000 missionaries a year world-wide to different nations, a majority of which must involve flights to and from other countries, the first difficulty for the LDS church will be that it may find itself confronted with a choice between on the one hand the moral obligation to dispense with unneccessary airplane flights - since avionic flight is far and and away one of the heaviest contributors to carbon emissions - and on the other its desire to not only maintain but increase its global evangelical program. In fact, all organisations, companies and institutions will in be obliged to examine and reduce their "carbon footprint". This will mean that not only the huge amount of flying but also the colossal building program of the church will eventually come under scrutiny as the world faces up to the need to greatly cut back on non-essential projects that consume large amounts of fossil fuel. At the very least the LDS church will need to base it's building program - and the transport requirements of it - on renewable sources of energy. Indeed, I think the church could eventually show leadership in this regard, given its past emphasis on a just use of the world's resources for the benefit of all. It is the church's belief in this just use that makes its silence on climate change and issues of justice slightly irritating. The world's most vulnerable people are now faced with catastrophe because the rich western nations have been building and flying and consuming with scant regard for the consequences. A second problem arises from precisely this huge and disproportionate consumption of the world's resources by rich nations: all of us. Americans alone use 25% of those resources. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has an exemplary Humanitarian program and has poured huge sums into fighting poverty and responding to emergencies, but it will have to change its own energy consumption patterns to show the deepness of its committment to just use of resources. The LDS church is seen - quite rightly I think - as generally a force for good in the world with its willingness to invest in human development and its belief that all people deserve a chance to grow. In a more specifically American context it is seen as a 'moral' force. But it's willingness to speak to moral concerns such as pornography, family life, alcoholism, drug use and etc. is not matched with a moral condemnation of the vastly more destructive evils of inequality and deprivation caused by an unequal use of the world's resources. What I'm trying to say by this is that Mormons are generally affluent and lead affluent - high consumption - lives. This high consumption is paid for by unjust economic and trade systems, and maintained by reprehensible corporate behaviour in third world countries, that all serve to leave people in Asia, Africa and Latin America unable to rise out of poverty and address their urgent health and educational needs. And Mormons are as guilty of quietly enjoying the fruits of this inequality as the rest of us are. The difference is that the rest of us do not claim to have the one and only truth of God on our side, nor do we claim to be led by a man who speaks directly on behalf of Jesus Christ. That in this day and age of such terrible injustice, poverty and suffering, a man held to be a prophet of God can keep silent on such matters while presiding over a church full of wealthy people who continue to enjoy privileged lifestyles at the expense of the Third World just as all of us do, is somewhat confusing for those of us who otherwise respect the LDS church and think it holds great promise as a model of social organisation. Why is it that the latter-day prophet has not warned anybody that a threat of genuinely armaggedonal scale like climate change is coming? 'How did he not know? Why is it that Mormons have been encouraged to stock food and make sure they are self-sufficient to prepare for a time when systems break down but they have not been asked to cut down on flying, not been asked to stop buying consumer goods made from ethically questionable corporations, nor to think about their enormous use of electronic gadgetry dependent on minerals mined and pillaged from war-torn African states such as the Congo, have not been asked by their prophet to cut back on their fossil-fuel intensive lifestyles. Why? The psychological danger for the Mormons will be that as they retreat to their self-sustaining stronghold when the global food supply collapses - which it seems quite likely to do - and as the floods come - as they seem almost certain to do - they will not be retreating as a community of saints innocent in the midst of a world paying for its sins. Rather, they might be seen to be making good their escape after enjoying as much as all of us do the sportswear made in Asian sweatshops, the automobiles, flights, and reckless use of electricity at the expense of Africans ability to grow food, the zinc from the Congo and the copper from Peru at the expense of local human rights, economies and environments. As the LDS church moves to becoming a prominent world religion and with the possibility that Mitt Romney's bid for the presidency will raise it's profile internationally, it will have to address these questions or be seen to not really care. It will be seen to be assuming that since a "second coming" of the Lord will see an automatic renewal of the world anyway, it doesn't matter if on a practical level high-consumption LDS lifestyles are a sort of scorched earth way of living, although it is becoming increasingly clear that that scorched earth results in children starving, African communities seeing more frequent and more severe droughts as a climate in chaos rips apart lives and FAMILIES in the third world who can no longer support themselves in environments destroyed for the sake of the western bubble of affluence we are all guilty of living in. Compared to these issues, the peripheral threat to the integrity of LDS values from the endless "polygamy" debate manufactured by the US press pales into insignifcance. I’ve read this blog thread with great interest and have some genuine concerns and questions with regard to the LDS church and the issue of climate change. It would be great to know how people feel about these concerns, because I can find very little else on the net on the subject and at some point in the futuret the debate will erupt in public.

Essentially, I can’t see how in the long run the LDS church will be able to avoid engaging officially with the threat of climate change despite its traditional reluctance to comment on ‘politics’. Yet I think there are some key reasons why it will have to give careful thought to how it does this, reasons that I’m suprised no one has yet voiced.

The dilemma for the LDS church arises initially because climate change impacts will threaten the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people first and foremost, as rising temperatures play havoc with growing seasons, increase the prevalence of vector-borne disease and diminish base water supplies in arid regions. The UK-based international development agency Christian Aid has just released a major report agreeing with the world’s scientific community on the severity of the threat (the scientific community is in fact worried it has underestimated the threat as the UN’s IPCC prepares it’s Fourth Assessment Report). Christian Aid – along with many Christian organisations – warns that unless third world countries pursue a clean energy development pat, with rich western nations immediately reigning in their profligate use of fossil fuels, the ultimate consequences for Africans already struggling to establish viable livelihoods will be nothing short of apocalyptic. (The report is on-line at http://www.christian-aid.org.uk/indepth/605caweek/index.htm)

As the LDS church currently sends out over 60,000 missionaries a year world-wide to different nations, a majority of which must involve flights to and from other countries, the first difficulty for the LDS church will be that it may find itself confronted with a choice between on the one hand the moral obligation to dispense with unneccessary airplane flights – since avionic flight is far and and away one of the heaviest contributors to carbon emissions – and on the other its desire to not only maintain but increase its global evangelical program.

In fact, all organisations, companies and institutions will in be obliged to examine and reduce their “carbon footprint”. This will mean that not only the huge amount of flying but also the colossal building program of the church will eventually come under scrutiny as the world faces up to the need to greatly cut back on non-essential projects that consume large amounts of fossil fuel. At the very least the LDS church will need to base it’s building program – and the transport requirements of it – on renewable sources of energy. Indeed, I think the church could eventually show leadership in this regard, given its past emphasis on a just use of the world’s resources for the benefit of all. It is the church’s belief in this just use that makes its silence on climate change and issues of justice slightly irritating. The world’s most vulnerable people are now faced with catastrophe because the rich western nations have been building and flying and consuming with scant regard for the consequences.

A second problem arises from precisely this huge and disproportionate consumption of the world’s resources by rich nations: all of us. Americans alone use 25% of those resources. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has an exemplary Humanitarian program and has poured huge sums into fighting poverty and responding to emergencies, but it will have to change its own energy consumption patterns to show the deepness of its committment to just use of resources.

The LDS church is seen – quite rightly I think – as generally a force for good in the world with its willingness to invest in human development and its belief that all people deserve a chance to grow. In a more specifically American context it is seen as a ‘moral’ force. But it’s willingness to speak to moral concerns such as pornography, family life, alcoholism, drug use and etc. is not matched with a moral condemnation of the vastly more destructive evils of inequality and deprivation caused by an unequal use of the world’s resources. What I’m trying to say by this is that Mormons are generally affluent and lead affluent – high consumption – lives. This high consumption is paid for by unjust economic and trade systems, and maintained by reprehensible corporate behaviour in third world countries, that all serve to leave people in Asia, Africa and Latin America unable to rise out of poverty and address their urgent health and educational needs. And Mormons are as guilty of quietly enjoying the fruits of this inequality as the rest of us are. The difference is that the rest of us do not claim to have the one and only truth of God on our side, nor do we claim to be led by a man who speaks directly on behalf of Jesus Christ. That in this day and age of such terrible injustice, poverty and suffering, a man held to be a prophet of God can keep silent on such matters while presiding over a church full of wealthy people who continue to enjoy privileged lifestyles at the expense of the Third World just as all of us do, is somewhat confusing for those of us who otherwise respect the LDS church and think it holds great promise as a model of social organisation.

Why is it that the latter-day prophet has not warned anybody that a threat of genuinely armaggedonal scale like climate change is coming? ‘How did he not know? Why is it that Mormons have been encouraged to stock food and make sure they are self-sufficient to prepare for a time when systems break down but they have not been asked to cut down on flying, not been asked to stop buying consumer goods made from ethically questionable corporations, nor to think about their enormous use of electronic gadgetry dependent on minerals mined and pillaged from war-torn African states such as the Congo, have not been asked by their prophet to cut back on their fossil-fuel intensive lifestyles.

Why? The psychological danger for the Mormons will be that as they retreat to their self-sustaining stronghold when the global food supply collapses – which it seems quite likely to do – and as the floods come – as they seem almost certain to do – they will not be retreating as a community of saints innocent in the midst of a world paying for its sins. Rather, they might be seen to be making good their escape after enjoying as much as all of us do the sportswear made in Asian sweatshops, the automobiles, flights, and reckless use of electricity at the expense of Africans ability to grow food, the zinc from the Congo and the copper from Peru at the expense of local human rights, economies and environments.

As the LDS church moves to becoming a prominent world religion and with the possibility that Mitt Romney’s bid for the presidency will raise it’s profile internationally, it will have to address these questions or be seen to not really care. It will be seen to be assuming that since a “second coming” of the Lord will see an automatic renewal of the world anyway, it doesn’t matter if on a practical level high-consumption LDS lifestyles are a sort of scorched earth way of living, although it is becoming increasingly clear that that scorched earth results in children starving, African communities seeing more frequent and more severe droughts as a climate in chaos rips apart lives and FAMILIES in the third world who can no longer support themselves in environments destroyed for the sake of the western bubble of affluence we are all guilty of living in.

Compared to these issues, the peripheral threat to the integrity of LDS values from the endless “polygamy” debate manufactured by the US press pales into insignifcance.

]]> By: esposito http://timesandseasons.org/index.php/2006/04/earth-day-and-the-church/#comment-133959 esposito Sat, 29 Apr 2006 13:12:42 +0000 http://www.timesandseasons.org/?p=3109#comment-133959 Overall, I think with LDS it might be our own eschatological viewpoint that can be ungenerous when evaluating others': For example, because Christ comes again to save from all manner of calamity, the activist's worry of extinction isn't as threatening to us, and we, in turn, we criticize the activist's means as if they have no telos because we don't believe that is how the world ends. But if the activist perceives for one second the strain of Mormon eschatology that we can use as an excuse to not worry, the roles reverse pretty similarly. I think it would be best, in this case, for LDS to focus on stewardship and resolve this impasse because, save total conversion, I don't see us bringing people to accept the most-dismissive strains of anti-environmentalism prevalent among church members when I find them myself distasteful. I understand some of the concerns with recycling, but that doesn't forgive the areas where we fall short. I think the "big-boy's toys'" aspect of the western world has definitely infected Mormon communities as much as the rest of the US. Likewise, I'd like it if individual families decided to purchase, live in, and improve old homes rather than expanding into new ones in animal and plant habitat. I think these solutions could also as an added bonus stem the tide of borrowing among us. At least, so says this government-owned graduate student. Overall, I think with LDS it might be our own eschatological viewpoint that can be ungenerous when evaluating others’: For example, because Christ comes again to save from all manner of calamity, the activist’s worry of extinction isn’t as threatening to us, and we, in turn, we criticize the activist’s means as if they have no telos because we don’t believe that is how the world ends. But if the activist perceives for one second the strain of Mormon eschatology that we can use as an excuse to not worry, the roles reverse pretty similarly.

I think it would be best, in this case, for LDS to focus on stewardship and resolve this impasse because, save total conversion, I don’t see us bringing people to accept the most-dismissive strains of anti-environmentalism prevalent among church members when I find them myself distasteful. I understand some of the concerns with recycling, but that doesn’t forgive the areas where we fall short. I think the “big-boy’s toys’” aspect of the western world has definitely infected Mormon communities as much as the rest of the US. Likewise, I’d like it if individual families decided to purchase, live in, and improve old homes rather than expanding into new ones in animal and plant habitat. I think these solutions could also as an added bonus stem the tide of borrowing among us. At least, so says this government-owned graduate student.

]]> By: esposito http://timesandseasons.org/index.php/2006/04/earth-day-and-the-church/#comment-133957 esposito Sat, 29 Apr 2006 13:00:16 +0000 http://www.timesandseasons.org/?p=3109#comment-133957 One who, I think your reading of economic advancement as panacea for our pollution woes ignores important contexts. Yes, US environmental conditions have improved, but we have also moved increasingly into a post-industrial economy where the industrial production once taking place here has moved to those developing countries where environmental conditions were and are poorer. We have to admit that while the US is a consumer/post-industrial economy, the global economy cannot on the whole eschew the polluting effects of industry. Similarly, as you argue, US improvements in realms of the environment owe at least some debt to regulation (both by pushing industry beyond borders and raising standards). The apocalyptic scenarios may be too stark in your view, but I don't see how that recommends a complacency expectant of technological salvation. Worldwide public goods like air and water by definition require something other than a market, and I imagine those extremists forecast, not necessarily without cause, some future tragedy of the commons that warrants some of their saturnine concern. One who,
I think your reading of economic advancement as panacea for our pollution woes ignores important contexts. Yes, US environmental conditions have improved, but we have also moved increasingly into a post-industrial economy where the industrial production once taking place here has moved to those developing countries where environmental conditions were and are poorer. We have to admit that while the US is a consumer/post-industrial economy, the global economy cannot on the whole eschew the polluting effects of industry. Similarly, as you argue, US improvements in realms of the environment owe at least some debt to regulation (both by pushing industry beyond borders and raising standards).

The apocalyptic scenarios may be too stark in your view, but I don’t see how that recommends a complacency expectant of technological salvation. Worldwide public goods like air and water by definition require something other than a market, and I imagine those extremists forecast, not necessarily without cause, some future tragedy of the commons that warrants some of their saturnine concern.

]]> By: One who served http://timesandseasons.org/index.php/2006/04/earth-day-and-the-church/#comment-133352 One who served Tue, 25 Apr 2006 04:13:55 +0000 http://www.timesandseasons.org/?p=3109#comment-133352 The best guarantee that the earth will be protected, and that our water and air will become cleaner, is usually economic advancement. It is in the developed economies that we find a concern for a cleaner environment, and in the underdeveloped economies that we see pollution everywhere. Therefore, to promote policies which will lead to the third world advancing economically may well be the best thing to clean up the earth's environment. The index of environmental indicators in the US shows continuous improvement. http://www.perc.org/perc.php?subsection=10&id=597 I think we have the environmental movement to thank for much of that progress. However, it is a shame that too many of those in the movement are extremists who want to paint a gloom and doom scenario, with apocalyptic consequences, and will push for policies which cause, and will cause, death and misery in the third world. The best guarantee that the earth will be protected, and that our water and air will become cleaner, is usually economic advancement. It is in the developed economies that we find a concern for a cleaner environment, and in the underdeveloped economies that we see pollution everywhere. Therefore, to promote policies which will lead to the third world advancing economically may well be the best thing to clean up the earth’s environment.

The index of environmental indicators in the US shows continuous improvement. http://www.perc.org/perc.php?subsection=10&id=597

I think we have the environmental movement to thank for much of that progress. However, it is a shame that too many of those in the movement are extremists who want to paint a gloom and doom scenario, with apocalyptic consequences, and will push for policies which cause, and will cause, death and misery in the third world.

]]> By: Wilfried http://timesandseasons.org/index.php/2006/04/earth-day-and-the-church/#comment-133323 Wilfried Tue, 25 Apr 2006 01:36:47 +0000 http://www.timesandseasons.org/?p=3109#comment-133323 Thank you, Daniel, that was very well said. Thank you, Daniel, that was very well said.

]]> By: Daniel http://timesandseasons.org/index.php/2006/04/earth-day-and-the-church/#comment-133301 Daniel Mon, 24 Apr 2006 23:56:56 +0000 http://www.timesandseasons.org/?p=3109#comment-133301 I agree with Tatiana, that much of this has to do with our eternal progress. Brigham Young taught that a big part of our test here on earth is what we would do with the blessings God wants us to enjoy in the eternities, to see if He could trust us with them. He gave us the opportunity to marry and have children, and how we treat our families will, in large measure, determine whether or not we will be married and have children in the next life. Likewise, He gave us this earth, and dominion over it and the plants and animals. If we mistreat them, and "foul our own nest," so to speak, why would Heavenly Father grant us the opportunity to ruin other worlds, or misuse animals, in the next life? Yes, the earth was created for us children of God, but that doesn't mean God wants us to exploit it. In fact, in D&C 59 we are specifically told to use the things of the earth with judgment, "not to excess, neither by extortion." How we treat the earth is one way we reveal the content of our character. Whether or not you believe in global warming, pumping poisons into the air is just not healthy. Wasting energy and resources is, well, wasteful. It doesn't really matter that the earth will be transformed at the Second Coming, or after the Millennium, or whenever. The real question is, can we be trusted to act in a responsible manner with the blessings God gives us? I agree with Tatiana, that much of this has to do with our eternal progress. Brigham Young taught that a big part of our test here on earth is what we would do with the blessings God wants us to enjoy in the eternities, to see if He could trust us with them. He gave us the opportunity to marry and have children, and how we treat our families will, in large measure, determine whether or not we will be married and have children in the next life. Likewise, He gave us this earth, and dominion over it and the plants and animals. If we mistreat them, and “foul our own nest,” so to speak, why would Heavenly Father grant us the opportunity to ruin other worlds, or misuse animals, in the next life? Yes, the earth was created for us children of God, but that doesn’t mean God wants us to exploit it. In fact, in D&C 59 we are specifically told to use the things of the earth with judgment, “not to excess, neither by extortion.”

How we treat the earth is one way we reveal the content of our character. Whether or not you believe in global warming, pumping poisons into the air is just not healthy. Wasting energy and resources is, well, wasteful. It doesn’t really matter that the earth will be transformed at the Second Coming, or after the Millennium, or whenever. The real question is, can we be trusted to act in a responsible manner with the blessings God gives us?

]]> By: Wilfried http://timesandseasons.org/index.php/2006/04/earth-day-and-the-church/#comment-133228 Wilfried Mon, 24 Apr 2006 16:18:50 +0000 http://www.timesandseasons.org/?p=3109#comment-133228 According to our "Guide to the Scriptures", the Earth is a "Living entity". Of course, we all understand we are here in the religious realm, and that our perceptions are not those of others. "GS - EARTH The planet on which we live, created by God through Jesus Christ to be used by man during his mortal probation. Its final destiny is to become glorified and exalted (D&C 77: 1-2; 130: 8-9). The earth will become an eternal inheritance of those who have lived worthy of a celestial glory (D&C 88: 14-26). They will enjoy the presence of the Father and the Son (D&C 76: 62). Created for man: God gave man dominion over the earth, Gen. 1: 28 (Moses 2: 28). The earth is the Lord’s, Ex. 9: 29 (Ps. 24: 1). The Lord has given the earth to the children of men, Ps. 115: 16. (...) A living entity: The earth abideth forever, Eccl. 1: 4. The sea of glass is the earth in its sanctified, immortal, and eternal state, D&C 77: 1. The earth must be sanctified and prepared for the celestial glory, D&C 88: 18-19. The earth mourned aloud, Moses 7: 48. Cleansing of the earth: Rain fell upon the earth for forty days, Gen. 7: 4. The earth is reserved unto fire against the day of judgment, 2 Pet. 3: 7. After today cometh the burning, D&C 64: 24. The earth desires to be cleansed from filthiness, Moses 7: 48. Final state of the earth: The earth will be wrapt together as a scroll and pass away, 3 Ne. 26: 3 (D&C 29: 23). There shall be a new heaven and a new earth, Ether 13: 9 (D&C 29: 23). The sea of glass is the earth in its sanctified, immortal, and eternal state, D&C 77: 1. The earth must be sanctified and prepared for the celestial glory, D&C 88: 18-19. This earth will be made like unto crystal and will be a Urim and Thummim, D&C 130: 8-9. For a thousand years the earth shall rest, Moses 7: 64. The earth will be renewed, A of F 1: 10. " According to our “Guide to the Scriptures”, the Earth is a “Living entity”. Of course, we all understand we are here in the religious realm, and that our perceptions are not those of others.

“GS – EARTH

The planet on which we live, created by God through Jesus Christ to be used by man during his mortal probation. Its final destiny is to become glorified and exalted (D&C 77: 1-2; 130: 8-9). The earth will become an eternal inheritance of those who have lived worthy of a celestial glory (D&C 88: 14-26). They will enjoy the presence of the Father and the Son (D&C 76: 62).

Created for man: God gave man dominion over the earth, Gen. 1: 28 (Moses 2: 28). The earth is the Lord’s, Ex. 9: 29 (Ps. 24: 1). The Lord has given the earth to the children of men, Ps. 115: 16. (…)

A living entity: The earth abideth forever, Eccl. 1: 4. The sea of glass is the earth in its sanctified, immortal, and eternal state, D&C 77: 1. The earth must be sanctified and prepared for the celestial glory, D&C 88: 18-19. The earth mourned aloud, Moses 7: 48.

Cleansing of the earth: Rain fell upon the earth for forty days, Gen. 7: 4. The earth is reserved unto fire against the day of judgment, 2 Pet. 3: 7. After today cometh the burning, D&C 64: 24. The earth desires to be cleansed from filthiness, Moses 7: 48.

Final state of the earth: The earth will be wrapt together as a scroll and pass away, 3 Ne. 26: 3 (D&C 29: 23). There shall be a new heaven and a new earth, Ether 13: 9 (D&C 29: 23). The sea of glass is the earth in its sanctified, immortal, and eternal state, D&C 77: 1. The earth must be sanctified and prepared for the celestial glory, D&C 88: 18-19. This earth will be made like unto crystal and will be a Urim and Thummim, D&C 130: 8-9. For a thousand years the earth shall rest, Moses 7: 64. The earth will be renewed, A of F 1: 10. “

]]> By: JR from Dallas http://timesandseasons.org/index.php/2006/04/earth-day-and-the-church/#comment-133206 JR from Dallas Mon, 24 Apr 2006 13:42:00 +0000 http://www.timesandseasons.org/?p=3109#comment-133206 Personification of inanimate objects is a wonderful tool for evoking emotional responses rather than reasoned ones. <a href="http://media.putfile.com/Ikea-Commercial" rel="nofollow">This Ikea commercial</a> is a classic example. I'm not sure that the wickedness Enoch was talking about was people putting too many logs on their evening fire. Personification of inanimate objects is a wonderful tool for evoking emotional responses rather than reasoned ones. This Ikea commercial is a classic example.

I’m not sure that the wickedness Enoch was talking about was people putting too many logs on their evening fire.

]]> By: greenman http://timesandseasons.org/index.php/2006/04/earth-day-and-the-church/#comment-133181 greenman Mon, 24 Apr 2006 09:56:41 +0000 http://www.timesandseasons.org/?p=3109#comment-133181 Yes, the world is going to hell. Yes, the earth will be cleansed by fire. We should all promote global warming and get the furnace heated already! But seriously, we should consider the agony of Enoch at witnessing the Earth's suffering: "Wo, wo is me, the mother of men; I am pained, I am weary, because of the wickedness of my children. When shall I rest, and be cleansed from the filthiness which is gone forth out of me? When will my Creator sanctify me, that I may rest, and righteousness for a season abide upon my face? And when Enoch heard the earth mourn, he wept..." and cried unto the Lord, saying "When shall the earth rest?" How much do we as individuals care about our mother? Enough that we would weep at witnessing the pain that our wickedness causes her? Enough that we would actually change our ways and repent in order to alleviate her suffering? Some of us are trying to make a difference while the rest of us probably don't even consider the importance of doing something so seemingly trivial as recycling or driving fuel-efficient automobiles. We don't have to be radical environmentalists in order to do our part. Yes, the world is going to hell. Yes, the earth will be cleansed by fire. We should all promote global warming and get the furnace heated already!

But seriously, we should consider the agony of Enoch at witnessing the Earth’s suffering:

“Wo, wo is me, the mother of men; I am pained, I am weary, because of the wickedness of my children. When shall I rest, and be cleansed from the filthiness which is gone forth out of me? When will my Creator sanctify me, that I may rest, and righteousness for a season abide upon my face?
And when Enoch heard the earth mourn, he wept…” and cried unto the Lord, saying “When shall the earth rest?”

How much do we as individuals care about our mother? Enough that we would weep at witnessing the pain that our wickedness causes her? Enough that we would actually change our ways and repent in order to alleviate her suffering? Some of us are trying to make a difference while the rest of us probably don’t even consider the importance of doing something so seemingly trivial as recycling or driving fuel-efficient automobiles. We don’t have to be radical environmentalists in order to do our part.

]]> By: JR from Dallas http://timesandseasons.org/index.php/2006/04/earth-day-and-the-church/#comment-133127 JR from Dallas Mon, 24 Apr 2006 02:58:36 +0000 http://www.timesandseasons.org/?p=3109#comment-133127 jjohnsen, Global warming has absolutely nothing to do with your power bill. Even the most fervent believers in global warming say that the earth has warmed only 1 degree Fahrenheit since the late 1800s. Any increased heat you perceive in your short lifetime is the result of natural variation and an active imagination. jjohnsen,

Global warming has absolutely nothing to do with your power bill. Even the most fervent believers in global warming say that the earth has warmed only 1 degree Fahrenheit since the late 1800s. Any increased heat you perceive in your short lifetime is the result of natural variation and an active imagination.

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