[Revi]

Here's a little 5 minute speech I'm making in church next Sunday. We are doing an energy fair afterwards. I think a little peak oil and climate change could spice up religion and make it more relevant. Let me know what you think of it:

Bill McKibben came to Farmington to speak last year and we went to see him. He is the founder of an organization called 350.org. 350 is the number of parts per million of carbon dioxide in the air to avoid catastrophic global warming. We are at 387 ppm.

At over 400 parts per million there will be consequences. Bill is also a Methodist. The Methodists used to do something called circuit riding where they would ride around and find people to preach the gospel to. Bishop Asbury was north of New York City when he came upon a bunch of people getting ready to have a dance. He stepped up on the stage and delivered a fiery sermon for three hours instead. Needless to say he got shot at a lot, but delivered his message all over the place.

It is time to do some circuit riding again. This time it’s for climate change and peak oil. I would like to say something I have always wanted to say in the pulpit.

Repent ye sinners!

It’s time to change our ways. The average American uses around 3 gallons of petroleum per day. The worst thing is that we borrow the money for 2 of those gallons. We need to get back to the one gallon we actually have the money for.

The trials and tribulations are inevitable now. Hellfire and brimstone is coming in the form of climate change and peak oil. What we really need to do is to adapt.

Even Bill McKibben admits that the world has already been changed, and that a return to 350 ppm is not possible. We are going to have some change whatever we do. The only way to make it in a changing world is to adapt ourselves. Insulate, drive less, fly less and shop locally are a few ways of getting ready for what’s coming.

We are doing our part here in this church community. We use half the fossil fuel we used to, thanks to the efforts of many people.
Recycling is happening.

We are becoming a Green Sanctuary.

Sustain Mid Maine is working on the larger community, thanks to a lot of people here.

You can see some of what we’re up to downstairs after the service.

It’s always good to thank God for what we have been given, but as James says in the Bible, Faith without deeds is dead.

It’s time to get out there and do some circuit riding!

Repent ye sinners!

[Fredrik]

Good stuff. I think it Christians, especially American Evangelicals, need to be reminded that materialism and search for ever-growing living standards are simply incompatible with the life attitude expressed by Jesus and the apostles. It's pretty hypocritical to condemn the sins of others and yet live a life dedicated to greed (=wanting more than you need). Greed is actually likened to idols worship in the NT.

And even if God is watching, it doesn't mean that humans don't have the capability to really mess up the planet and turn it into a living hell for a lot of already suffering people.

[IslandCrow]

Amen, preach it, brother!

Sorry that is more Pentecostal than Methodist, but well done. Actually John Wesley was very interesting in his interests in medicine etc and not just preaching...he has a wide range of interests to help the poor in society.

[Revi]

I know that the Methodists have a lot more going on than just this. I just want to be able to say the Repent ye sinners part.

I think we can spice up traditional religion with a little peak oil and climate change.

My wife's great grandfather was a Methodist minister and I guess they were really fired up at one time. We need to get a little of that back.

Religion is slipping away from most people's lives, which is a pity. There is so much reality to deal with, instead of the usual gobbledygook.

Faith is certainly going to be needed to make it through what's coming.

[Ludi]

Here's a website for the Evangelical Environmental Network: http://creationcare.org/

At the Texas energy fair this past weekend there was a talk on "greening the church." That's pretty cutting edge here in the land of conservative christians.

[Plantagenet]

We are going to have some change whatever we do. The only way to make it in a changing world is to adapt ourselves. Insulate, drive less, fly less and shop locally are a few ways of getting ready for what’s coming.

We are doing our part here in this church community. We use half the fossil fuel we used to, thanks to the efforts of many people.
Recycling is happening.

We are becoming a Green Sanctuary.

Sustain Mid Maine is working on the larger community, thanks to a lot of people here.

You can see some of what we’re up to downstairs after the service.

It’s always good to thank God for what we have been given, but as James says in the Bible, Faith without deeds is dead.

It’s time to get out there and do some circuit riding!

Repent ye sinners!

It sounds like a great sermon, brother, Revi, but "why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?" (Mathew 7:3)

What of the energy sins of the Greens in Maine themselves? By shutting down the Maine Yankee nuclear power plant, they terminated one of the largest sources of carbon-free electrical power in the US. Prior to closing Maine Yankee all of New England generated about 50 MILLION TONS of CO2 per year now from coal-fired and other fossil fuel power plants, and millions and millions of additional tons of CO2 will now be needlessly released all across New England to generate power to replace the carbon neutral lost output from Maine Yankee.

[BasilBoy]

There is so much reality to deal with, instead of the usual gobbledygook.

Virgin births are real? The Bible isn't gobbledygook?

Faith is certainly going to be needed to make it through what's coming

"Faith means not wanting to know what is true" -Nietzsche

What we need "to make it through what's coming" is reason and logic, not faith...

[davep]

What we need "to make it through what's coming" is reason and logic, not faith...

I'm not particularly religious, but reason and logic helped get us into the mess we're in now. Yes, I'm looking at you, engineers!

But, to be fair the vision of humans dominating the rest of the world, espoused by Abrahamic religions, didn't help either.

[BasilBoy]

I'm not particularly religious, but reason and logic helped get us into the mess we're in now. Yes, I'm looking at you, engineers!

How did you know I was an engineer (ha ha ha)? I was more of a Peter Gibbons type...and had to get out because of the illogic I saw. Engineers are harnessed by the parasites, so I'm not sure I understand you. Please 'splain...

[dsula]

Revi,

I like it, and I'm also a Methodist and a layspeaker. Would you mind if I borrowed some of your ideas?

[americandream]

I'm not one for religion but anything that encourages independent thought is the way to go. Good luck.

Here's a little 5 minute speech I'm making in church next Sunday. We are doing an energy fair afterwards. I think a little peak oil and climate change could spice up religion and make it more relevant. Let me know what you think of it:

Bill McKibben came to Farmington to speak last year and we went to see him. He is the founder of an organization called 350.org. 350 is the number of parts per million of carbon dioxide in the air to avoid catastrophic global warming. We are at 387 ppm.

At over 400 parts per million there will be consequences. Bill is also a Methodist. The Methodists used to do something called circuit riding where they would ride around and find people to preach the gospel to. Bishop Asbury was north of New York City when he came upon a bunch of people getting ready to have a dance. He stepped up on the stage and delivered a fiery sermon for three hours instead. Needless to say he got shot at a lot, but delivered his message all over the place.

It is time to do some circuit riding again. This time it’s for climate change and peak oil. I would like to say something I have always wanted to say in the pulpit.

Repent ye sinners!

It’s time to change our ways. The average American uses around 3 gallons of petroleum per day. The worst thing is that we borrow the money for 2 of those gallons. We need to get back to the one gallon we actually have the money for.

The trials and tribulations are inevitable now. Hellfire and brimstone is coming in the form of climate change and peak oil. What we really need to do is to adapt.

Even Bill McKibben admits that the world has already been changed, and that a return to 350 ppm is not possible. We are going to have some change whatever we do. The only way to make it in a changing world is to adapt ourselves. Insulate, drive less, fly less and shop locally are a few ways of getting ready for what’s coming.

We are doing our part here in this church community. We use half the fossil fuel we used to, thanks to the efforts of many people.
Recycling is happening.

We are becoming a Green Sanctuary.

Sustain Mid Maine is working on the larger community, thanks to a lot of people here.

You can see some of what we’re up to downstairs after the service.

It’s always good to thank God for what we have been given, but as James says in the Bible, Faith without deeds is dead.

It’s time to get out there and do some circuit riding!

Repent ye sinners!

[Revi]

Revi,

I like it, and I'm also a Methodist and a layspeaker. Would you mind if I borrowed some of your ideas?

Go for it. I think a little peak oil fire and brimstone could spice up traditional religion!

[Fredrik]

What we need "to make it through what's coming" is reason and logic, not faith...

I'm not particularly religious, but reason and logic helped get us into the mess we're in now. Yes, I'm looking at you, engineers!

Reason and logic are indispensable for survival. But for all but very few people, there has to be more to life. Some fulfil that need for more with belief in God as defined by a particular religion, some with less defined general spirituality or supernaturalism (which seems to be very much in fashion these days, even with people who claim to be skeptics). Of course the naturalist is entitled to his opinion that nothing supernatural exists, but cold rationalism or reductionist materialism will be hardly enough to motivate most people.

But, to be fair the vision of humans dominating the rest of the world, espoused by Abrahamic religions, didn't help either.

Even within a non-theistic paradigm, wouldn't the most evolved species eventually dominate the earth if it has the capability to do so, and if the domination helps the species to propagate? But domination should come with responsibilities:

Genesis 2:15: And Jehovah Elohim took Man, and put him into the garden of Eden, to till it and to guard it.

I'd say we've been pretty industrious at tilling but negligent at guarding the Earth.

(I'm no Biblical literalist so I see the creation account mostly as a summary of the origins, written in language and concepts that were common in the ancient Middle East.)

[davep]

Fredrik, of course reason and logic are part of our make-up.

The problem comes when we formalise it, and engineers think they can do better than nature. A good example of this is geoengineering. Rather than trust infinitely complex natural systems with inbuilt feedback loops etc, they try to create some ersazt copy that will do the same thing badly, with many an unintended consequence. It's the sorcerer's apprentice approach to extremely important matters.

As for Abrahamic religions, we managed to co-exist nicely (in general) prior to their inception. What worries me is the whole putting man above nature thing that engenders the recklessness we see now. Other religions tended to accentuate our deep relationship with nature, which at this juncture seems to be a better approach.

[hillsidedigger]

Among many church folk around here in the Southern Appalachians an environmental sermon would be considered a form of 'pantheism'. After all, the living systems of the world only need to continue to support human life until the 'rapture' occurs, right?

[Ludi]

After all, the living systems of the world only need to continue to support human life until the 'rapture' occurs, right?

Not quite sure where in the Bible it says that....

[BasilBoy]

Fredrik, of course reason and logic are part of our make-up.

The problem comes when we formalise it, and engineers think they can do better than nature.

..."reason and logic" and "engineering" are not the same thing. I totally agree with you that many engineering "solutions" have resulted in more problems. I also agree that we shouldn't be trying to outwit nature. However, harmful solutions and misguided attempts to control our environment...shows a lack of reason and logic.

[hillsidedigger]

After all, the living systems of the world only need to continue to support human life until the 'rapture' occurs, right?

Not quite sure where in the Bible it says that....

That's the problem with the Bible. It was written by people and is subject to the interpretation of people who can support most any side of any issue they choose with the 'scriptures'.

While I actually believe Jesus is what he said he is (not was, is), I think the New Testament is an attempt to distort and disguise what Jesus said. The Old Testament along with some real history is not at all what it supposes.

Obviously, since so many people are here it would be nice if the world were maintained in as healthy a state as reasonable for the duration of humans on Earth.

[Revi]

I tried it on a friend who is a preacher and he said I sound like Jeremiah.

He told everyone in Jerusalem that an attack was coming from Babylon and that they would be wearing an iron yoke. Nobody believed him either.

I guess the word Jeremand comes from him.

This peak oil/climate change doom does seem a little over the top to most people. We all know the consequences and how close to them we really are, but most people don't have the slightest idea.

At least we'll be able to say I told you so, if we're still alive.

[Vogelzang]

Everyone knows AGW is a scam.

http://sciliterature.50webs.com/Climate.htm

http://www.climatedepot.com