Environmentalism, Responsibility, and Big Macs.

I have had many conversations in my day, but I have to disagree with many people who are the richest in the world. I'm not just saying Bill Gates rich, but I mean that if you have ridden in a plane, own a car, and make over $20,000. There is an epidemic in this country that seems to demand that we get what we want. Even people that act like they are getting the bare neccessities are being spoiled when looking at other parts of the world. I have heard of tin mines ruining villages. I have heard of Tobacco companies paying out farmers that grew food for their third world country to grow tobacco, which, in case you did not know, cannot be eaten. I have heard that their is some sort of coincidence that the rises in CO2 emissions can be paralleled to cancers and respiratory problems. Yet we still fight responsibility. In this entry, I cannot help but befriend uber-environmentalists. It can seem like these guys are living in a dreamworld of bare minimum, but can you blame them. We who are, from what I have researched, major contributors to the problem, deny the problem so we do not have to fix it, forcing the ones with heavier consciences to pick up the slack. We also make our children think that the move toward this kind of responsibility is a sham. Let's stop this for a second and think. Just because you are conservative does not mean you have to be against these things.

I know that someone is going to put some anti-global-warming facts as a comment, so let me head that off at the pass. First, you might think that there is a half and half separation among informed scientists about this. From my studies, this is far from true. An overwhelming number of scientists are speaking in favor of the environmental issues. Second, you might retaliate with the view that the polar ice caps are back on the rise, so there is nothing to worry about. This may be true, but from what I have seen, this is in more recent years and the overall, long-term observations prove that the our planet is still hurting. And even if this were true, it does not answer to the cancer and respiratory problems and the effects that consumerism has on the poor and voiceless. Third, you might come at me by saying that Al Gore's house around 20 times worse than the average american house in energy consumption. This is true, but it does not relieve you of responsibility. Just because a porn addict tells me that porn is wrong, that does not mean that I go on to look at porn on account of his failures. Good action is good action, no matter what.

Think about the struggles in the coffee industry to make better decisions while producing coffee. Coffee was poorly grown and caused tainted rivers, and the farmers growing coffee beens were poorly paid. Much has been done about this, but it proves the point that at the very least, stepping away from consumerism has been proven to make life better from everyone. It is right, it is good, and it is responsible.

If you think about it, we need the earth as much as it needs us. We plant, we cultivate, and we co-create the tree. If you notice that in Deuteronomy 20:19, the Isrealites are commanded that even when they are besieging a city, that fruit trees are to be left up. It also seems to credit to God a care that is evident about God through his works in our history. He wanted things to grow, so he told the earth to grow it, and it did just that. As a matter of fact, he uses us to express his love of this world, his masterpeice. Our dominion is only so far as cultivation, protection, and care allows, meaning that exploitation is out of the question. Just read the two creation accounts.

Also, the fact that the beginning is tied into the idea of caring for the world since we are blessed with the responsibility means that it is all the more important. No where in my reading is there a mandate that relieves us of caring for the earth and all that is in the earth. We still maintain it as worsip to our God by obeying His will.

Even our dietary habits are crucial. It takes many resources to make beef. The health problems that people have from eating too much meat are noticed and emphasized by health professionals everywhere. Still, many over-weight people will not cut down on their Big Macs. I'm not just pointing to the obviously overweight, but also not so obvious. Cholestoral is a big problem as well. Many skinny people are going to have heart attacks before most of the seemingly fat people. Granted, eating meats is a part of the way of life, so I'm not saying be vegetarian, although some may feel compelled to do so, in which case I commend you greatly. I am saying that this is tied into the consumption nature of most of the civilized world.

Some of you may say that you have studied the issue and are well informed on things, but that is not enough. Knowledge is good to have, but knowledge and revelation and information alone is useless. If you have information, but do not act accordingly, you are pretty much taking up everyones much need air. I know that sounds cruel, but it is very true. Just like in theology, you can know it all, but if you go against God's care for the hurting and the hopeless, then you are a pointless theologian.

All this is to say act responisbly, and do not deny what is obvious and backed up my much observation. Do your homework and be challenged by the knowledge you have. I have even been challenged by this, because our house probably produces more than the national average of trash and probably the same is true about our consupmtion of resources. This is not a dumb pursuit by a bunch of tree hugging, hippy liberal Americans anymore. This is a legitimate cause that ethical and responsible people are starting to look into. Environmentalists are not evil, they are actually in many ways responsible. So look into it and see for yourself the reason why the we might not want to be so quick to oppose environmetalism.

Bad Language and Creation

I was thinking a little bit wondering about some things that are tied into the English language. We have a lot of words. It is probably the hardest language known to man, at least I think so. But the thing demanded the most of my thought was the phenomena of bad language. It's a funny concept if you start to think about it. Things like shit, damn, etc. It just seems funny that certain words for some certain reason has become a word that is abhord in this world.

Linguistically speaking I have to keep agreeing with the concept of no bad words. If you take the language itself and look at the words, there is no reason to call one word worse than the other, especially when they refer to the same thing. All words are merely sounds of something we think or see. We say shit. Shit refers to a feces. Hence a pile of shit. Other times it is a description of an event or feeling like stubbing your toe or losing your job. Hence you hear people yell the word shit. Still at other times it is tied into identity. You can think of the phrase "you piece of shit" and you know exactly what that entails.

Let's look at those uses. The object of actual shit is the same as the word poop or terd, but you do not see anyone taking offense at these words. They hear and know what is being said. Or let's look at the expression. You know something has happened when you hear the expression. Something bad has happened. Or the identity usage of the word. It says that someone is pissed off at someone or something.

I have thought about this for awhile. I let the idea that there is no bad language whatsoever run through my head. It was interesting for awhile. If I saw poop, I can say shit because that is describing what I see. If I hate my circumstance, then shit can describe how I feel. If I do not love someone, then I can scream the obscenity at them and feel good about myself. But I thought some more, adding more variables the equation of language. What is language? Is it just a series of sounds to express things? To just be able to communicate? Or is there something more? What if something is behind the words? What if what I passionately believe and chase after is in my words?

That really made my head spin. I applied to the word shit when thinking of feces and I did not feel anything. But I applied it to the other two things and felt a world of difference in my mind. To understand, we have to look at the two ideas.

Yelling shit says that I hate this. That is okay as far as that goes. Frustration happens, and just holding back would be asking you not to express how you feel. However, to look at the continual degrading of a situation like you have reached the end and no one is taking care of you is a discredit to God. Jacob felt the same way, yet God told him that however bad the situation is, nothing amounts to the love and care I will give you. And you will come through it all. Maybe before degrading the situation again, why not think of the God who carries you through. This, however, would apply to even saying you do not appreciate the moment you are in. This gift of opportunity. That you hate the trial that God has given you to make you better at what he wants you to be. At that point it becomes a complete transformation ungratefullness to hope that a brighter day will come. This takes a higher connection and realization of God.

Let's look at the last one. The idea of yelling obscenities toward someone is on a simple level just a great stress relief. But let's look closely. Is it good to tell someone, I wish that you were not? Your worth to me is like a piece of shit? Is that really good? I think the better question to ask would be how good is your connection to God's people? Do you love those that come from our commone ancestor? Are you loving who God is loving? If so, then why not think on the next words you say to them. Say something that will lift them toward salvation, whoever it is.

The key to all this is the connection to God and His creation. To degrade his creation is a discredit to Him. It is not a matter of bad language or what people consider distasteful. It has now become a fact that to devalue God in your heart and mind is to move away from his plan. Words are words, but how you use those words can have effects on the lifting up of this earth. That means that even so called good language that can be used to call people names or degrade the gifts of God or His creation is bad language when used in such a manner. Think on this. This is crucial. This mean a transformation of your goals and thoughts. Here is one of the key variables to learning love. So love God. Love His gifts. Love His creation. Love His people. Then you will see what God's will is, His righteous and holy will.