Guardian Unlimited – July 25, 2006:
The Bishop of London, the Right Reverend Richard Chartres, said that the purchase of large cars or even holiday flights was an environmentally “selfish choice”. But Edmund King, executive director of the RAC Foundation, said decisions over what car to buy were “practical” and not moral choices.
The bishop, who has helped form Church of England policy on the environment, said there was now an “overriding imperative” to “walk more lightly upon the earth”. He said people had to make lifestyle decisions with environmental consequences in mind. “Making selfish choices such as flying on holiday or buying a large car are a symptom of sin,” he told the Sunday Times. “Sin is not just a restricted list of moral mistakes. It is living a life turned in on itself where people ignore the consequences of their actions.”
Of course it’s a selfish choice! Turning on the heat in the winter is a selfish choice; running the air conditioner all summer is a selfish choice; tearing down a woods to build a housing development is a selfish choice; eating a cow is a selfish choice as well.
Some may be necessary; you need to eat and you need a place to sleep. The point is that they are all choices and they are all somewhat selfish. If people kept this in mind – and cared about it – perhaps we would have a smaller environmental footprint.
Switching to a meat-free diet reduces carbon dioxide emissions equal to SUV use. So I guess it’s even more of a sin to eat meat, since getting a smaller car still emits carbon. Also, if his ocmplaint is about global warming, then recycling paper is also bad. The primary ingredient is carbon dioxide, so it’s better to bury paper and buy new paper.
This Bishop is right on! He’s even getting AB CD to seriously examine his lifestyle choices!
Breathing is a “selfish choice.” The question is one of degree. Semantics aside, I feel somewhat ambiguous about this. I’m not a big fan of SUVs but I’m even less a fan of Bishops.
Anglican Bishops are a lot more normal than most. They can get laid!
What he is saying that to use more gas that is needed is selfish. He is just talking about being a good steward of the gifts that God has given us.
Another example of being a good steward of the gift of gas that God given us would be, instead of getting in a car to drive to the store that is only .5 miles away, walk or bike it (I am big on bikes, I am one of those freaks that don’t own a car by choice and bike every where)
He is just calling all to be good stewards.
Big news, is it, that consumption decisions can be evaluated on an ethical dimension?
Seems to me that this Bishop is, though perfectly correct, pretty damned late to the discussion. And this Edmund King guy is just flat wrong, and we all know it.
The Church of England has been quietly speaking out for several years now on these kinds of iossues. Apparently they decided no one was listening so they are now speaking out loudly.
To bad they aren’t so Liberal about gay and female Anglican Bishops.
religion + caring for your enviroment = religion + science
whats going on here.
for all he said, he said at least one thing worth hearing:
“Sin is not just a restricted list of moral mistakes. It is living a life turned in on itself where people ignore the consequences of their actions.”
that’s a perspective most people miss.
anyway, #9, why should you question that? science is born of religion, they are not mutually exclusive