Jesus Is Green

Apparently, there is a new bible out, and it is eco-friendly. The new bible (which is seemingly a lot like all the others, you know, ten commandments, the great flood that killed all the inhabitants of the earth except for the one rightuous man and his family........oh yeah, and two of every species on the planet or is it seven? but that is really neither here nor there, that is for a later post) puts focus on the passages which humans are supposed to be taking care of the earth. That sounds nice and all, but isn't god going to destroy the earth? I might have that wrong, but if that is true, then why bother to be eco-friendly? Though, maybe I shouldn't say anything, we really need all the people we can to take care of our earth. It is the only home we know. So, I will stop peeing on their parade, at least they are doing something to try to fix the problem as opposed to their right wing counter parts.

D

Story Reposted From:

http://media.www.bcheights.com/media/storage/paper144/news/2009/01/26/Features/Green.Bible.Incorporates.Environment.Into.Religion-3596440.shtml


Green Bible incorporates environment into religion

Many evangelical Christians have been trumpeting creation care, which is the idea that God gave people this earth to protect and nurture. With the recent widespread awareness of the human-constructed problem of global warming, this topic, which has always been a hot-button issue, is now more controversial than ever. Creation care goes beyond immediate environmental problems and states that the bible specifically tells humans to be the caretakers of the earth, whether or not the planet is in dire straits. The new edition of the Bible, coined "The Green Bible," is a representation of Christians highlighting these concepts. While creation care had previously been thought of as merely another fad, the Green Bible has moved beyond such limited popularity. Customized bibles are a token of every Christian group, whether they be angst-ridden teens or working moms. Now, the environmental group has its own cohesive text.

James Martin, SN, a Jesuit priest, calls the Bible "imaginative, innovative, and inspiring. The Green Bible may change the way that you live in the world." The site for the Green Bible provides a video that says, "It makes 490 references to heaven and 530 to love, yet it makes over 1,000 references to the Earth." The concept of heaven is one of the central foundations of the Christian faith. And yet, references to caring for the Earth in the Bible are more than double to those of these key elements now focused on by the Christian church.

The book highlights quotes such as, "The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it" and "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the Earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth." The book was first published last October, on recycled paper with soy-based ink with the 1,000 eco-friendly versus written in green ink. Out of the 37,000 copies printed, 25,000 were sold within the first few weeks.

The Bible's purpose is not merely for people to recognize the passages concerning nature within the book, but it is meant to encourage its readers to become active in environmental issues. The Web site greenletterbible.com reads, "The Green Bible will equip and encourage people to see God's vision for creation and help them engage in the work of healing and sustaining it." The Web site also shows the supporters of the publication, not only the religious group Eco-Justice Program, but also secular organizers such as the Sierra Club and The Humane Society. The endorsement from these secular groups can be taken one of two ways. To begin with, it might provide an image of unity between the secular and religious world toward a common goal and pave the way for future alliances.

On the other hand, it can inspire secular-fearing Christians to think they are being tainted by "outsiders" twisting the words of God. The controversy of a green Bible has brought up a great deal of debate in the Christian world. While its existence shows a trend toward a more eco-friendly religion, some view the book as a ploy. Many Christians against the green movement consider the bible to be created by those who want to speak for Christianity but have no real religious authority. Not only is there the concern of outsiders corrupting the religion but also about environmentalism detracting from "true" worship. If environmentalism is not the main purpose of human existence on Earth, then efforts to care for the planet are steps away from God's teachings. Despite these disheartening claims on the side against the new green Christianity, this debate can be seen as quite encouraging for the environmentalists out there. It shows that there is discussion on the merits of creation care, which may lead to widespread acceptance in the future.

The Christian right has frequently played the role of both a useful ally as well as a formidable foe in the political realm. As proved in the example of the recent Mormon initiative against gay marriage in California, a religious group with a mission is strong adversary. These groups hold their beliefs as closely as one can; the vindication for their cause is held to their very core. These groups always seem to play the children's game "follow the leader." There are "Christian fads" that come and go. One that caused a great stir in the liberal left was the "The Way God Intended It" T-shirts. With the recent memories of the clash created by the seemingly simple T-shirt, one can conversely picture the power behind the united liberal left and the Christian right. This is becoming a reality with environmentalism.

The United States, however, has been nowhere near the forefront of the green movement. The power of corporations and strict government budgeting leaves no room for "indulging" environmentalism. The startup cost seems too great for the skeptics, and the concept of doing things for the greater good is foreign to the hearts of the majority of capitalists. Capitalist tendencies are what rule most of our lives in the United States. Those of us who have a deep love of credit cards make up nearly 100 percent of the population. But, Protestantism is still a powerful force in the lives of 51 percent of Americans. If the Green Bible slowly permeates through this group, the impact could be great.

If America were to become more proactive about environmental issues, there could be a clear effect on the rest of the world. As the superpower for the past hundred years, the United States and the ideals it embraces seep through the globalized market of ideas and goods. The ripples can be seen with a small movement in one part of the U.S. which then travels first across the country and then abroad. While other countries may be more eco-friendly, the world still lacks a global leader. If Christians embrace environmentalism, the movement could evolve into an American initiative and then lead to a global shift toward environmentalism.