("An Inconvenient Truth", now in theatres nationwide),
there is a renewed and recharged public discussion buzzing
around the country concerning the effects of greenhouse gasses
on the planet, generally referred to as "Global Warming"...
Think what we will about Al Gore, this is a conversation
worth having: Even if the growing mountain of Science
which outlines the impact of Global Warming is wrong,
at the very least, it is in the long-term best interests of
the entire human race to discuss and manage how we are
consuming the Earth's limited resources, and to what degree
we (especially Americans) are damaging the only planet
(that we know of, so far) that can sustain human life...
Having been a part of the flag-waving, pro-Reagan, cold-war,
Religion-is-Politics era (Jerry Falwell and his so-called
"Moral Majority" were prominent in those days), I can attest
to the fact that All-Things-GREEN were treated with quite
a bit of derision in those days: Environmentalists were
characterized as "ex-hippies", "tree-huggers", "Liberals",
"wacko's", and sometimes even "pot-smoking Anarchists"...
But an even broader and far more dangerous Trend has
remained, and deepened, for much of the West since those
days, and perhaps is only now being brought to light:
Globalization (due mostly to the computer revolution of the
90's) has made the planet a very small neighborhood, and
as developing countries have charged full-steam ahead in
building their infrastructures and economies, the sheer
VOLUME of waste products dumped into the oceans and pumped
into the atmosphere has been accelerating. The problem
with this is that the very same water and air being polluted
by those who HAVE is the same water and air needed by the
smaller and poorer countries who HAVE NOT.
Never before, in the history of mankind, has it been easier
to actually SEE the harmful impacts of the HAVEs on the
HAVE NOTs; pick any contemporary Science journal that
treats these issues, and you will find data that seems to
reveal how the COMFORT of some of the world is tied to
the CALAMITY of the rest of the world...
Christians are commanded to "Love Our Neighbor as Ourselves";
so here we are, Americans, the "last stop" in the "spread of
Christianity Westward", educated, comfortable, wealthy,
free, healthy, etc. (comparatively speaking), and to a great
extent (still), Christian... But are these benefits being
enjoyed at the expense of the people of other countries, our
global NEIGHBORS?
Some Christians think so: Click HERE and begin to understand
the connection a lot of Christians are starting to see between
their FAITH and GLOBAL WARMING...
I'm not sure where this will lead, but I am beginning to look
for ways to "GO GREEN", myself; more on this in future posts...
