An Incontinent Truth
In case you missed it the Associated Press is reporting on an interfaith group of people walking for nine days, from Northampton, MA to Boston, to raise awareness of global warming. The fact that the marchers are slogging through bitter wind and snowdrifts from one of the worst storms of the season is an added bonus, delicious even, for the AP.No matter. The Eco-faithful, it was reported, kept their spirits high by singing, “Keep on walking forward, never turning back,” a hymn they had chanted in prayer services prior to the march.
The marchers are part of Religious Witness for the Earth, a national interfaith environmental organization. Supporters include clergy from the Catholic, Unitarian, Jewish, Episcopalian and Muslim faiths.
Many members of Religious Witness for the Earth have used their position from the pulpit to make their congregations aware of climate change.
"The interfaith aspect of what we're doing heightens awareness among everyone," said Rabbi Justin David of Congregation B'Nai Israel in Northampton. "Climate change is a moral issue and it's a collective issue. It transcends the differences of faith and politics and generations. This is something everyone needs to pay attention to."
"God has given us this Eden, and our behavior is making a mess of it," said the Rev. Jim Antal, president of the Massachusetts Conference of the United Church of Christ, the state's largest Protestant denomination.
The leaders are calling for individuals, businesses and government entities to reduce fossil fuel emissions by 80 percent by 2050.
Not all the walkers are expected to make the entire journey. But synagogues and churches on the route will keep their thermostats turned up to provide food and shelter for the multi-day hikers.
I, for one, am thankful that these good people are a witness to something important and the fact that they are doing this ministry of earth-healing in the spirit of ecumenism is truly inspiring!
To get all the latest updates from the Interfaith Walk for Climate Rescue, click here. If you want to make a difference in your town or start a local chapter of Religious Witness for the Earth, click here. If you want a reality check, click here.
posted by Yakimaniac at 11:16 PM
8 Comments:
I had just decided that everyone had been raptured and that I was alone here when I found your new post.
Are you mad at me because of my Al Gore post? I tried to explain that I don't understand science!
Is it an apology you want? Oh wretched man that I am! Unworthy even to walk in this glorious Eden!
Or have you actually been raptured and this post is a warning from God not to make fun of Al Gore?
(quiet whimpering in the background)
Woe is me! It is me that is whimpering. I have clearly upset your Sunday morning equilibrium. Mrs. Yak thinks that I may have rattled your sermon delivery.
My post was sarcasm from start to finish. I should have made it more blatantly so. "Incontinent" is a non-scatological reference to this group or any group who takes the idea of climate change to the extreme and the absurd - unceasing and unrestrained. (It's also possible that mother earth pooped on their parade.)
I also tried to highlight their use of the word "witness." These people, called to be witnesses to Jesus Christ are witnessing to the earth? Give me a break! How does one "heal the earth spiritually" anyway?
Lastly, by linking to their websites I hoped to show how off-the-map, divorced from biblical faith they are. The last link was the coup de gras, (but not for the faint of heart).
I know, on a Sunday morning you didn’t have time to read it all.
I liked your post on Al. I thought I'd show that I was engaged.
Al Gore and the Climate Walkers - sounds like a singing group, no? They could cover the old Sam Cooke standard, Wonderful World, in complete honesty.
If you enjoy the techno-thriller genre, try Michael Crichton's "State of Fear" wherein he pokes at global warming. Like the pre-trib vs. post-trib rapture question, global warming has passionate adherents on both sides, each convinced they are absolutely correct. Where I agree completely with Crichton is that mixing science and politics is a very bad idea.
Current example: States are beginning to mandate the vaccination of young girls against strains of HPV. While I feel pretty confident that Merck has made generous contributions to the lawmakers' PACs, I feel zero confidence that anyone understands the long-term consequences.
When I survey the many beautiful homes situated on our blue Pacific rim with names like San Clemente, Laguna, Newport and Huntington, and I mean sitting within inches of the waves, surfers, seals and jelly fish. I find myself a bit jealous and find sad joy in the idea of the oceans swallowing up these lucky families and their beautiful homes and then I go back to my home some 30 miles from this temporary coastline and I wait...and wait.
Wow! Using Ann Coulter as a "reality check" is imaginative. Actually, the fact that we seem to running out of oil is a much bigger, but less discussed problem than global warming. As the industrial society winds down due to a shortage of gas, the global warming thing may solve itself. Of course, Ms Coulter's supply of gas appears inexhaustible.
Dear Anon,
I would describe her as extravagantly impish but I am more interested in your other comment about oil. Where on earth did you get the idea that we are running out of oil? Very silly.
Actually I am eternally in your debt for bringing up this important and commonly misunderstood subject. I have wanted to write a post about it for some time. Perhaps I shall find the time.
If I do I will title it, “We Will Never, Ever, Ever, Ever Run Out Of Oil.” And my subtitle will be, “Why high oil prices are good for you.”
Here's some help with your research for your oil post.
Read any of the speeches or check out the power point presentations of Russel R. Simmons.
http://www.simmonsco-intl.com/
research.aspx?Type=msspeeches
"The 51st State: Peak Oil Denial" would be an excellent primer.
Simmons is a rabble rousing liberally biased hippy who owns this company: "Simmons & Company is the only independent investment bank specializing in the entire spectrum of the energy industry. Founded in 1974, the firm has acted as financial advisor in nearly $93* billion of transactions, including 463 merger and acquisitions worth over $63 billion. Simmons has served as co-manager on nearly $26 billion in public debt and equity offerings. During 2006 Simmons closed 28 M&A transactions worth $6.7 billion and co-managed 19 offerings worth $6.7 billion. The firm's clients range from small, privately held companies to multi-billion dollar public entities."
Another doom and gloomer like Al
Gore.
Nope. Sorry, no more PowerPoint presentations for me. After Algore's everyone else's is minor league.
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