GOARCH C-L Conference

I pray we do find a permanent alternative resource. This whole gulf disaster distresses me very much.

The Gulf situation is scary and where I live in Pennsylvania, natural gas drilling is expanding probably without proper monitoring. In both cases any problems end up contaminating water and I can't help but think of the association of water becoming wormwood (Revelation 8:8-11). Of course, I do not want to get carried away with misapplied eschatology but perhaps what is often perceived as God's wrath is just His wisdom in noting our self destruction. For years the chicken littles squawked, "global warming" which is a hoax but now we have this & no one seems to be able to get a handle on it. Of course we must pray first & foremost.

Kristos said:

Al Gore's version of global warming is certainly exaggerated, which I suppose you could frame as a hoax - but the scientifically, it's a very real trend - the hoax is making people believe that it's not real.

I wonder how many people drove to the conference in a gas guzzling SUV? Now that's a cruel irony...

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Well all I have ever observed is the water table beig threatened with things like leachate (like from garbage landfills) long before natural gas drillling started. The solution to garbage would seem to burn it but that would result in "gloabal (sigh) warming" yet the ground water continues to be imperiled. I keep hearing what seem like fool's fables saying the sky is falling while the real earth itself is abused. Oh well, i have no more time to post....please excuse me.. thanks.

we should be using soy as fuel. all the land we use for cows to graze in can be used for planting soy beans.

Hmm, are they asking me to move to the village bback in greece?

Lukaris said:

Well all I have ever observed is the water table beig threatened with things like leachate (like from garbage landfills) long before natural gas drillling started. The solution to garbage would seem to burn it but that would result in "gloabal (sigh) warming" yet the ground water continues to be imperiled. I keep hearing what seem like fool's fables saying the sky is falling while the real earth itself is abused. Oh well, i have no more time to post....please excuse me.. thanks.

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Do you think recycling can help? I recycle on a regular basis. I'm just wondering if there are more materials that could be recycled. That would amount to less trash, I'd think.

Recycling does help, because it requires less oil to be drilled to make plastics and natural resources in general and creates less landfill. I recycle as much as I can, it's quite easy to do so in Australia where most councils have a truck that comes to collect recyclables in a special bin just like trash, but the recyclables one comes once every two weeks instead of one

-Kyriaki- said:

Recycling does help, because it requires less oil to be drilled to make plastics and natural resources in general and creates less landfill. I recycle as much as I can, it's quite easy to do so in Australia where most councils have a truck that comes to collect recyclables in a special bin just like trash, but the recyclables one comes once every two weeks instead of one

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Yes, it's the same here. We had to get a tote because the little 3 bins were overstuffed. LOL So, we now have a tote for regular garbage, and a tote for recyclables. And the truck comes every other week for the recyclables.

Kristos said:

Hmmm...what does this mean? Perhaps that we should reduce our personal dependence on oil (not just foreign)...? Like that's gonna happen...

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Just trying to show that the Episcopalians aren't the only ones that can be trendy!

I think all Orthodox are intrisically called upon to be mindful of what resources we are using. Yes, reducing polution and being "green" has become trendy... but that doesn't make it any less (or more) of a real calling. We shouldn't let the supposed trendiness of an issue dicate how seriously or not we take it... either for the good or the bad.

The fact is we are overusing our resources. It is impossible for the entire world to live as most of us do here in North America and Western Europe. Regardless of where one stands on Global warming being a hoax or very real scientific fact, the spiritual truth is that we should all always be mindful of everything we use and eat. Fasting is about control the desires and learning how to do with out so that we don't become dependant on this world but on God. I do believe there is virtue in people driving less, recycling more, not buying certain products because of wasteful packaging or whatever. That may mean we all choose certain issues to take on (I for one am working to buy less goods in general mostly because of the terrible work conditions wal-mart type tactics have placed on the workers in developping nations like China, India and Honduras... it's not political for me, and I am not saying that I will fix it... nor can I realistically buy nothing at all from these countries... but it's an asceticism that forces me to think more about how I consume and how my actions are global in nature... which helps me focus on the greater truth of the fact that NOTHING I do is just personal. There is absolutely nothing I do at all that ONLY effects me and this is even more true on a spiritual level from an Orthodox point of view.

More to the point of the OP, I don't think it is fair to accuse GoArch of simply being trendy. It is jsut a fact that we are charged by God to care for the earth... to use it carefully and thoughtfully and not abusively. Our Western lifestyles are generally quite hedonistic and in most aspects abuse the earth (whether global warming is true or not). Our habits (by and large) do not express thanks to God for nature except in word.

So, I think the statement is great, regardless of if you side with Rush Limbaugh or Al Gore... it really and truly does not matter. The statement is 100% Orthodox.

I love GOARCH.

I actually think that was the strongest of the resolutions:

2) a resolution calling for peace in the world,

3) a resolution in support of the work of the recent Episcopal Assembly of Canonical Bishops in North and Central America,

4) a resolution recognizing the heroic sacrifices of uniformed men and women in the armed forces and in support and commendation of Orthodox Chaplains around the country, and

5) a resolution of “Thanks” which recognizes that the 40th Clergy-Laity Congress has provided us with a unique opportunity to strengthen the witness of faith and love, to facilitate the work of our Holy Archdiocese, Metropolises and parishes and to offer to the world an invitation to “Come and See.”

Not that I (and every beauty queen contestant) doesn't want World Peace, but I was hoping to see something more concrete out of these...

but I should say that i am hearing great feedback from attendees, I went in 2008 and it is a very edifying experience (and the resolutions were not better).