As countless thousands of barrels of oil continue to spew into the Gulf of Mexico causing irrevocable damage to the ecosystem and the economy, most Americans are still trying to incorporate this unthinkable disaster into politics or business as usual. Some oil-dependent Americans are willing to accept our complicity in the devastation, but far more of us are facing the spectacular failures of our energy supply and our regulatory system with a familiar mixture of scapegoating and denial. Instead of seeing the connection between the gas in our cars and the oil in the ocean, we blame Obama or BP. A judge in New Orleans just blocked Obama's six-month moratorium on deepwater drilling, and apparently most Americans would support his ruling: according to a recent Reuters poll, a solid majority of Americans still believe deepwater drilling is necessary; only 38 percent think it's a bad idea.
But even those of us who see the spill as a wake-up call about energy and the environment often lack a vocabulary that's up to the task of communicating the urgency we feel. In recent years, mainstream American environmentalism has come to rely on measured moral authority and understated suasion to get its message across. Al Gore's contribution to our environmental conversation is invaluable, but "an inconvenient truth" is surely the most low-key phrase possible for describing the impending end of life on earth. Americans already prefer to think about the environment on a comfortably small scale, focusing on an endangered species or a national park, and this kind of understatement can lull us into thinking that micro-solutions are enough. Prizing personal purity over cosmic results, eco-conscious Americans "go green" by buying hybrids, organic apples, or energy-saving lightbulbs. Such small-scale change is not nothing. But we are now faced with a disaster of truly biblical proportions, one that illustrates the ultimate unsustainability of our entire way of life.
Religious rhetoric might help us out here: it has the grand scope and moral urgency to match the problem. But so far, public religious responses to the spill have failed to satisfy. A particularly frustrating example is the Louisiana State Senate's Resolution declaring a Statewide Day of Prayer for the spill. A day of prayer might be called for in times like these, but the rationale given for this one seems dubious. In the words of sponsoring Senator Robert Adley, "Thus far the efforts made by mortals to try to solve the crisis have been to no avail. It is clearly time for a miracle." For Adley, religious faith is not a ground for ethical action. Instead it's a Hail Mary pass.
Obama's speech last week offered a similarly inadequate religious response. The President invoked the Gulf tradition of "the Blessing of the Fleet" at the beginning of shrimping season: every year, clergy pray for those who are heading out to fish. Quoting "a priest and former fisherman," Obama explained that "the blessing is not that God has promised to remove all obstacles and dangers. The blessing is that he is with us always ... even in the midst of the storm." Comparing the nation to a fishing boat, Obama concluded, "We pray that a hand may guide us through the storm towards a brighter day."
A prayer acknowledging human helplessness in the face of obstacles and dangers is well-suited for people who go out in small boats at the mercy of the ocean, but it is a bad prayer for people who go out on large rigs and hold the fate of the ocean in their hands. By using the metaphor of a storm, Obama collapses distinctions between natural and unnatural disasters and downplays human responsibility. This is reminiscent of the characterization of post-Katrina damage to the Gulf as a "natural disaster," a phrase that minimized the large element of human responsibility for the devastation. But in this case the natural disaster language is even more misleading. The Deepwater Horizon disaster was 100-percent man-made. Irreversible and lethal global warming -- when or if it comes -- will be man-made, too.
Politicians searching for better religious responses to the spill and the energy crisis need look no further than the Old Testament, where they will find a variety of stories and genres to help them out. America has a grand tradition of the "jeremiad," a form named after the prophet Jeremiah who was sent to tell a nation to repent before it was too late. Then there's the story of Noah, in which the earth is destroyed with water because of the sins of its people.
But my own recommendation would be that we turn to Exodus 7, when God uses tainted water as a warning of what lies in store if a corrupt society fails to change its ways. Moses and Aaron are trying to convince Pharaoh to let their people go. Acting on God's orders, Aaron "lifted up the rod, and smote the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants; and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood. And the fish that was in the river died; and the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink of the water of the river; and there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt."
This may not be the kind of miracle Senator Robert Adley is praying for, but it is the kind that he got: a dramatic sign of the consequences of ignoring what's right. In Exodus, the sin was slavery. Today, the sin is a willful disregard for the health of our planet and the well-being of future generations. Pharaoh ignored the water's warning, and things didn't go so well for him. But as we stare like Pharaoh at the darkened water, we have a chance to do things differently. Instead of praying that the storm will pass, we can pay attention to the signs and avert the apocalypse.
Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori: A Lesson from the Gulf Oil Spill: We Are All Connected
What I want to know is, if god gets thanks for resolving these issues who gets the blame for causing these events?
Is there a spiritual or religious lesson to be learned from the oil spill? No. None. It is a matter of civil rights and responsibilities.
We claim 'in God we trust' on our money, and we pledge allegience to 'one nation under God', but are we expecting God to take care of our civic duties for us?
This is a civic duty, it has nothing to do with religion.
Having said that, if there is any connection to religion or spiritual grievance, neglect, or sin to be drawn, the connection is the refusal to preform one's civic duty to uphold the wellbeing of the USA and it's citizentry, as not just a participant, but as having been blessed with our country, and it's laws, and peoples; not someone elses. That is their responsibility, not ours.
Yes, we have a spiritual/religious responsibility to the earth, to be good stewards, but we also have a responsibility to the civil law of "our" country, and "our" fellow citizens.
We didn't prioritize.
I too am sick to death of the general public being blamed for this mess, when in fact the mess lies directly at the feet of democrates and republicans, foreign interests, international law, US law, corporations. One can darn near say that they are all guilty of treason.
Blaming the public supports the hidden agenda of the accuser, often in the guise of "green", environmental. It's just a sound bite.
Perhaps it is the "it's not me" syndrome. And it isn't, necessarily. They just refuse to recognize that it also isn't the consumer's fault either.
I don't know of anyone who wouldn't love to go green. It is not cost effective. It is cost prohibitive. It won't fully solve the need for oil/coal.
Shall the poor suffer, so that the goody two shoe greens can claim bragging rights?
Having said that there is no excuse in regards to recycling and the profound illegal activities of corporate trash companies polluting the oceans.
The only real problem is forcing companies to driil in dangerous waters deep in the ocean rather than in shallower grounds.
1830s to 1900s: Early history
Before the pre-eminence of internal combustion engines, electric automobiles held many speed and distance records. Among the most notable of these records was the breaking of the 100 km/h (62 mph) speed barrier, by Camille Jenatzy on April 29, 1899 in his 'rocket-shaped' vehicle Jamais Contente, which reached a top speed of 105.88 km/h (65.79 mph). Before the 1920s, electric automobiles were competing with petroleum-fueled cars for urban use of a quality service car.[20]
Maybe "God" sent the oil spill so He wouldn't have to restock that part of the ocean for a while.
The motif of the “Good Shepherd” is a perfect metaphor for this process: the shepherd does not want his flock to become fully actualized individuals, but rather he seeks to lull them into a state of false security so they can be more easily fleeced, and ultimately, butchered.
I'll have a talk with Thor tonight and get back to you with his answer.
I always screw up movie quotes. But I guess a lot of people do. Bogart never said "Play it again, Sam," and Cary Grant never said "Judy, Judy, Judy!"
Nationwide concerts will be hosted by music venues on July 1st, 2010 to benefit those directly impacted by the Gulf Coast Oil Spill.
The organizers have created an ambitious goal: Gather music venues around the country to donate ticket sales on July 1st and create an online giving platform that encourages donations to the relief efforts. The fundraising goal is set to $100,000, which will be directed to our nonprofit partner the Gulf Restoration Network, (http://www.healthygulf.org), which provides assistance to the people, wildlife and wetlands affected as well as advocacy work throughout the Gulf Coast.
The organizers of the event include: Nic Adler, owner of The Roxy on the Sunset Strip; Megan Jacobs of The Roxy, Casey Phillips, talent buyer for venues including Tipitina’s in New Orleans and Viper Room & The Mint in Los Angeles, and Sloane Berrent, founder of Answer With Action and creator of The Causemopolitan
More Info: www.GulfCoastBenefit.com