What Would Jesus Drive?
November 19, 2002 4:50 PM Subscribe
The National Religious Partnership for the Environment is preparing a grass roots campaign linking fuel economy to morality. The group includes members from the Catholic, Jewish and Evangelical faiths.
Why is this important? With BIG religion vs BIG Oil, where does this leave the Republicans?
Why is this important? With BIG religion vs BIG Oil, where does this leave the Republicans?
good for them - ! our poor little blue planet needs all the help it can get.... and we all know who is not particularly interested in the subject
posted by specialk420 at 5:42 PM on November 19, 2002
posted by specialk420 at 5:42 PM on November 19, 2002
What Would Jesus Drive
Jesus was a carpenter and he traveled around with twelve other guys most of the time. He'd probably drive a Ford F-250 "six-pack" truck or a Chevy Suburban. Purely practical reasons.
posted by jasontromm at 5:42 PM on November 19, 2002
Jesus was a carpenter and he traveled around with twelve other guys most of the time. He'd probably drive a Ford F-250 "six-pack" truck or a Chevy Suburban. Purely practical reasons.
posted by jasontromm at 5:42 PM on November 19, 2002
With BIG religion vs BIG Oil, where does this leave the Republicans?
I'm afraid the Republicans won't pay any attention at all. The religious group they court is christian supremacists, so until the Southern Babtists have their logo along the left side of the NRPE web site, don't hold your breath.
posted by SteveL669 at 5:50 PM on November 19, 2002
I'm afraid the Republicans won't pay any attention at all. The religious group they court is christian supremacists, so until the Southern Babtists have their logo along the left side of the NRPE web site, don't hold your breath.
posted by SteveL669 at 5:50 PM on November 19, 2002
Any group who still believes they're going to be carried off to heaven any day now probably won't be your best ally on environmental issues, thus ruling out most of the more.. umm.. committed religious groups. The republicans only really care about them for some reason.
posted by Space Coyote at 6:01 PM on November 19, 2002
posted by Space Coyote at 6:01 PM on November 19, 2002
Of course, progressive religious movements have been around for hundreds of years and rarely made an impact. After all, the existence of a fairly large religious movement against the death penalty has not swayed republicans.
posted by KirkJobSluder at 6:12 PM on November 19, 2002
posted by KirkJobSluder at 6:12 PM on November 19, 2002
"Jesus was a carpenter and he traveled around with twelve other guys most of the time. He'd probably drive a Ford F-250 "six-pack" truck or a Chevy Suburban. "
Unless the Mormons are right, then he'd be driving a Brigham Brougham.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 6:12 PM on November 19, 2002
Unless the Mormons are right, then he'd be driving a Brigham Brougham.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 6:12 PM on November 19, 2002
Most Christians believe that God has made us stewards of this world, so we are responsible for environment and it's care. Therefore, conservation is a natural matter of course.
posted by internal at 6:13 PM on November 19, 2002
posted by internal at 6:13 PM on November 19, 2002
Jesus was a carpenter and he traveled around with twelve other guys most of the time.
Doesn't the New Testament talk about the apostles coming together in one Accord?
But seriously, green Christianity is nothing new. The Jesus People movement back in the '70s was extremely pro-environment.
posted by MrBaliHai at 6:36 PM on November 19, 2002
Doesn't the New Testament talk about the apostles coming together in one Accord?
But seriously, green Christianity is nothing new. The Jesus People movement back in the '70s was extremely pro-environment.
posted by MrBaliHai at 6:36 PM on November 19, 2002
Unless the Mormons are right, then he'd be driving a Brigham Brougham.
Actually, we prefer simple Suburbans and Minivans. :-) It's the dumbhead polygamists (who aren't part of our church) that would need that thing.
posted by oissubke at 7:06 PM on November 19, 2002
Actually, we prefer simple Suburbans and Minivans. :-) It's the dumbhead polygamists (who aren't part of our church) that would need that thing.
posted by oissubke at 7:06 PM on November 19, 2002
OK - I have to wade into this one, as I've had a bit of truck with these folks. First of all: the "BIG RELIGION" label is slightly shaky because the denominations/religions in the NRPE represent a minority of the overall US population... And, furthermore, at least half of the christian denominations in the NRPE - Unitarians, Methodists, Presbytarians - are shrinking. My sympathies are with this group, but I think that they may be channeling their resources in the wrong direction.
The 800 pound gorilla issue behind the NRPE campaign is Global Warming - and yet considerably less than majority of Americans feel especially concerned about the issue, despite the highly informed opinion of the mainstream US scientific establishment.
The question which the NRPE refuses to ask is: why does the American public, almost uniquely among national populations of the World, not consider environmental issues to be a more politically central issue?
posted by troutfishing at 8:34 PM on November 19, 2002
The 800 pound gorilla issue behind the NRPE campaign is Global Warming - and yet considerably less than majority of Americans feel especially concerned about the issue, despite the highly informed opinion of the mainstream US scientific establishment.
The question which the NRPE refuses to ask is: why does the American public, almost uniquely among national populations of the World, not consider environmental issues to be a more politically central issue?
posted by troutfishing at 8:34 PM on November 19, 2002
Most Christians believe that God has made us stewards of this world, so we are responsible for environment and it's care. Therefore, conservation is a natural matter of course.
Unfortunate that the evangelicals (vs. "mainline" mentioned somewhere) aren't in the target audience...my experiences in the South (Arkansas, mostly) show just the opposite. "Stewards of the earth" becomes subordinate to the line about "dominion over all". I know a *deacon* who has trash-dumping get-togethers - all the big stuff in the sinkhole!- complete with using used motor oil to stoke the burnable stuff; to take up less room. I confronted this otherwise considerate fellow on the matter, and he said that God would take care of it. No, really.
posted by notsnot at 8:36 PM on November 19, 2002
Unfortunate that the evangelicals (vs. "mainline" mentioned somewhere) aren't in the target audience...my experiences in the South (Arkansas, mostly) show just the opposite. "Stewards of the earth" becomes subordinate to the line about "dominion over all". I know a *deacon* who has trash-dumping get-togethers - all the big stuff in the sinkhole!- complete with using used motor oil to stoke the burnable stuff; to take up less room. I confronted this otherwise considerate fellow on the matter, and he said that God would take care of it. No, really.
posted by notsnot at 8:36 PM on November 19, 2002
What Would Jesus Drive
Come one, he'd turn water to gasoline and drive a Navigator.
posted by Yelling At Nothing at 8:42 PM on November 19, 2002
Come one, he'd turn water to gasoline and drive a Navigator.
posted by Yelling At Nothing at 8:42 PM on November 19, 2002
notsnot - exactly. my point in fewer words.
posted by troutfishing at 9:06 PM on November 19, 2002
posted by troutfishing at 9:06 PM on November 19, 2002
And, I suspect, God will indeed "take care of it", although not in the sort of way we would enjoy or prefer.
posted by troutfishing at 9:09 PM on November 19, 2002
posted by troutfishing at 9:09 PM on November 19, 2002
Any group who still believes they're going to be carried off to heaven any day now probably won't be your best ally on environmental issues, thus ruling out most of the more.. umm.. committed religious groups. The republicans only really care about them for some reason.
Wow, that was, um respectful towards something you disagree with. Way to take the high road!
Regardless, the republicans care about them because they vote and donate in pretty massive numbers (not the churches themselves, but the individuals that make up the congregations). These people aren't going to sway the Repubs much unless they change their voting practices with enough of an impact to scare them. Sadly enough, it seems the only way to get a major change in a platform is to scare them enough to change it. Then, once elected, they'll vote otherwise anyways. (dems, repubs, indies, all included).
posted by Ufez Jones at 9:21 PM on November 19, 2002
Wow, that was, um respectful towards something you disagree with. Way to take the high road!
Regardless, the republicans care about them because they vote and donate in pretty massive numbers (not the churches themselves, but the individuals that make up the congregations). These people aren't going to sway the Repubs much unless they change their voting practices with enough of an impact to scare them. Sadly enough, it seems the only way to get a major change in a platform is to scare them enough to change it. Then, once elected, they'll vote otherwise anyways. (dems, repubs, indies, all included).
posted by Ufez Jones at 9:21 PM on November 19, 2002
Upon re-reading, spacecoyote, your statement wasn't as harsh as I first interpreted it. The phrasing was just a little off-putting and condescending, but not as snarky as I first thought. Sorry for being a bit hasty.
posted by Ufez Jones at 9:23 PM on November 19, 2002
posted by Ufez Jones at 9:23 PM on November 19, 2002
I agree that SpaceCoyote's comment was, as you said, rather "off-putting and condescending" and a generalization that most Christians (or most dedicated Christians, or whatever) don't care about the environment because they feel they have "dominion over it" or that the Rapture will whisk them all away any day now.
But, as Christians (or really, humans in, it's our responsibility (not to mention common sense!) to take care of the Earth. Sure, the Rapture may come tomorrow, but it may be generations away, so we really don't have any excuse not to take care of the environment. Making excuses like that is really just simple laziness. Besides, God created such a beautiful world, who wouldn't want to keep it that way? (Yeah, I know, some people could care less because their wallets are more important, which is quite sad).
posted by silvermask at 10:36 PM on November 19, 2002
But, as Christians (or really, humans in, it's our responsibility (not to mention common sense!) to take care of the Earth. Sure, the Rapture may come tomorrow, but it may be generations away, so we really don't have any excuse not to take care of the environment. Making excuses like that is really just simple laziness. Besides, God created such a beautiful world, who wouldn't want to keep it that way? (Yeah, I know, some people could care less because their wallets are more important, which is quite sad).
posted by silvermask at 10:36 PM on November 19, 2002
What Would Jesus Drive
He'd take the bus. He was a people person.
posted by backOfYourMind at 4:41 AM on November 20, 2002
He'd take the bus. He was a people person.
posted by backOfYourMind at 4:41 AM on November 20, 2002
Regardless, the republicans care about them because they vote and donate in pretty massive numbers
I'm not sure the republicans care about all of them in that group. One I saw listed was the unitarians, and quite frankly, my experience with that group is that they're anything but right wing people. I had the "pleasure" once of being forced to attend one of their welcoming ceremonies (I have relatives by marriage that are unitarian ministers, this welcoming ceremony included one of them), and was about ready to stand up and walk out in the middle of the keynote speaker. The whole thing was depressingly leftist propaganda.
posted by piper28 at 10:33 AM on November 20, 2002
I'm not sure the republicans care about all of them in that group. One I saw listed was the unitarians, and quite frankly, my experience with that group is that they're anything but right wing people. I had the "pleasure" once of being forced to attend one of their welcoming ceremonies (I have relatives by marriage that are unitarian ministers, this welcoming ceremony included one of them), and was about ready to stand up and walk out in the middle of the keynote speaker. The whole thing was depressingly leftist propaganda.
posted by piper28 at 10:33 AM on November 20, 2002
See the "What Would Jesus Drive?" video on AdAge.com.
posted by me3dia at 12:29 PM on November 22, 2002
posted by me3dia at 12:29 PM on November 22, 2002
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Hmm...tough call. Perhaps it will allow the general public to realize that stereotypes used to generalize a party's platform are ancient tactics that no-thought partisans utilize to score a couple of extra votes.
posted by BlueTrain at 5:37 PM on November 19, 2002