Political Cortex: Brain Food for the Body Politic

I have always thought that for this movement to truly get off the ground in the grassroots it would be the churches, mosques, synagogues, and other houses of worship that would be the leaders with those of conscience and those of the scientific community to stand up for our planet. It is encouraging to then see such groups taking action.

For far too long the scientific community and the religious community have been at odds with each other, and I truly hope this issue of the climate crisis will be the one issue that will galvanize people on all sides to take a look at our planet from a new perspective and to see our moral obligation in saving her regardless of how you believe this world began.

The fact that scientists on a wide scale are in consensus that humans are also a part of exacerbating the current conditions we find ourselves living in makes it all the more imperative for religious scholars and other moral leaders to take the lead in inspiring change not only through awareness, but through definitive action.

Whether you see the stars in the heavens as just a collection of noble gases or a celestial miracle placed there by a powerful loving God, those stars are the guideposts of our Earth. Whether you see a tree as merely a collection of cells or the miracle of a loving God who put it there to give you sustinence, those trees are the heart of our Earth. Whether you see water as just the combination of 2 parts hydrogen and one part oxygen or a living breathing fluid of life that sustains us, water is absolutely necessary to sustaining all life on this Earth amd once polluted or used up puts our very existence in jeopardy. If we as humans continue to be morally deaf to the consequences of our actions regarding what we pump into our air and into our water we will no longer have that which sustains us no matter how you believe it came to be.

That should then be the tie that binds us all together in seeing the urgency of the actions we now must take to mitigate a crisis of our own making. Scientists are urging that we take action now before we reach a tipping point, or a point of no return regarding being able to mitigate the repercussions of our actions. Of course, whether that point has already been reached is also open for debate, but personally I believe we have not reached it yet but are very close to it.

Therefore, what would Jesus Christ or any religious leader such as Abraham or Mohammad be telling their followers today in the midst of having such information and knowledge? Would they tell them to continue living their lives without noticing the effects they have upon the Earth that God created? Or would they actually concur with scientists that we must act now to seek changes within ourselves and how we live in order to better understand our world and see those changes making an impact on others?

I do not believe it is an exaggeration to say that this is a life or death issue. It is an issue that goes to the very core of who we are as a species. It is now us looking into the mirror... and what will we see? A soul that can be content in the knowledge that when a crisis of this magnitude comes upon us that we do all in our power to hold fast to our beliefs in our actions, or a soul that puts our own gratification first regardless of the fallout?

That is the challenge of An Inconvenient Truth which merges science with spirituality.

This is our wake up call.

This is our moment of truth as a species.

And the message in it is clear: whether you be scientist, priest, or layperson, this is your world and what you make of it will be your childrens'.

There should then be no greater moral inspiration in moving you to action.

Once again, thank you, Mr. Gore for this movie and this book.

Let us hope it does move people from awareness to that action regardles of their beliefs.

Evangelicals Urge Congregations To Watch An Inconvenient Truth

Evangelicals urge churches to watch Gore movie -12/09/06

Evangelical aid agency Tearfund is urging church-goers to watch Al Gore's film `An Inconvenient Truth' which goes on selected nationwide release from this Friday, September 15. Andy Atkins, Tearfund's Advocacy Director, said: "As Christians, we can no longer ignore the implications of human-induced climate change. `An Inconvenient Truth' is a powerful and challenging film which highlights the climate chaos that is increasingly undermining the livelihoods and security of the poor people Tearfund works with.

The damage that the West's rabid consumerism is doing to the developing world is a justice issue that Christians must stand up and be counted on. Whether or not your political views are aligned with Al Gore's, he presents the science in an engaging way that everyone can understand. This is a vital issue that is going to affect us all. I would encourage everyone to watch the film, then join with Tearfund as we lobby the UK government and take action to cut down on our carbon emissions."

Kudos to Tearfund. Climate change is hurting and will hurt the poor in greater numbers than any other group. We simply cannot turn a blind eye just because it isn't us.