Idea...

[ListenerFriendly]

I've had this idea for my church lately, and I have a feeling some aren't going to like it. First off let me say that I think the church should be at the front of the Earth-minded-environmental movement. Not in the sense of those who claim to be environmentalists but who aren't or placing these issues ahead of people. But the Earth's health is our health, and we have been commanded by God to take care of this Earth. So I want the church to really adopt this movement we should have parented. The idea is really simple and I wanted to do something really small that is easy for people to do, but really opens their eyes to small things they can do to make a change. I really want people to learn by doing. The idea is to have a recycling drop-off at church on Sabbath's. We would chose an item to do every month (plastic bottles, newspapers, cans, etc). So instead of people throwing such trash in landfills, we would be helping to eliminate some waste. Its really about being a good steward and making people aware of the issues.

What are your thoughts? I want to get a feeling for what people think of the too simple idea!?!?

 

[freeindeed2]

Many people already recycle from home with their own little special bins for each type of recycleable material. I guess for them it would just be a matter of convincing them to haul it in their cars to church.

 

[RC_NewProtestants]

I suppose if there was no other recycling programs around it makes sense. But our city has curbside recycling of course we pay more for that privilege not that there is a choice though. We also have recycling bins at several stores parking lots. Every municipal dump I have seen has those recycling bins also.

 

[Moriah_Conquering_Wind]

Yeah we have curbside recycling as well. VERY convenient though sometimes it wonders whether the trash company REALLY recycles or only pretends to in order to charge more $$$ ...

 

[ListenerFriendly]

Very few in our church recycles many things and programs like that don't exist. The idea isn't for the program to replace something else, but instead have them think about recycling so they use other options. I guess I'll bounce the idea around a bit more, that's just what it is... an idea. thanks for the thoughts so far.

AND MAY RAW ROCK KILL YOU FOREVER AND EVER, AMEN.

 

[JulySheMustFly]

Check it out. servegodsavetheplanet.org

This book/website sounds right up your alley.

For me recycling happens at home but getting the larger congregational body aware and involved is important. There are also suggestions on how to raise awareness within your congregation and larger community.

 

[mva1985]

We should be good stewards. That being said, I don't think the environment is as fragile as many people make it out to be.

 

[Sophia7]

We should be good stewards. That being said, I don't think the environment is as fragile as many people make it out to be.

I agree. I think that we should be good stewards, but I also think that a lot of the fuss about global warming and the destruction that we're supposedly causing to our planet is just environmentalist propaganda.

 

[Moriah_Conquering_Wind]

I agree. I think that we should be good stewards, but I also think that a lot of the fuss about global warming and the destruction that we're supposedly causing to our planet is just environmentalist propaganda.

Disagree. The view that it bes "environmentalist propaganda" actually itself bes propaganda from big business interests that do not want to be accountable for disproportionate levels of pollution they COULD be doing something about and HAVE the technology to improve but REFUSE to because oh, boo hoo, the CEOs would have to only bring home TWO billion dollars next year instead of FIVE billion if they had to actually -- gasp -- put money into improving their operations to be more environmentally-friendly.

The scientists who study this stuff -- NOT the ones bought & paid for & tucked into the pocket of this despicably corrupt administration from the past 8 years but the GENUINE ones who make a career out of studying global and localised environmental changes -- do not have an axe to grind or a horse in this race. They have only the integrity of intellectual honesty and a sense of responsibility to the human race to make them accountable for their results, and their concerns bes very real.

Haven't any of you ever read the 7 last plagues in Revelation and given consideration to how several of those could be seen as symbolic for various environmental disasters the human population and the planet itself faces already and will face irrevocably if we do not, literally, clean up our collective act??? But even aside from all this, a major disinformation campaign to call truth spin and spin truth has been underway for a decade already in this regard, the ball of which bes carried by those who have wrecked our system of government for the past 8 years laying groundwork for the total annihilation of civil liberties in this nation and pursuing their own filthy little agendas. There bes no truth at all to the propaganda which states environmental concerns bes nothing but "environmentalist propaganda". For pete's sake what agenda do environmentalists have other than keeping the "nest" from becoming so foul it cannot sustain those who must share it?

 

[Moriah_Conquering_Wind]

Being good stewards begins with NOT swallowing the propaganda and rhetoric peddled by the greedy and selfish corporate moguls which discourages productive efforts and activism in this area. Beware of those whose political interests bes inextricably intertwined with these.

It bes ALL devices of propaganda you know -- the whole flap created over so-called "Political Correctness" and the big frowny-face stuck on that straw man AFTER building that straw man and tar-babying it to those who wanted to break out of the iron grip of political punditry spin and propaganda advocating a head-in-the-sand approach to the real issues in this world (socially and environmentally among other things) ... we needs bes stopsy a minute (all of us) and really consider the ideas and concepts we takesy for granted as "axiomatic" because TRUST daimonizomai whats got some reason to know ... they ALL bes manufactured and spoon-fed you through whatever channels could be obtained to spread them opportunistically, like viruses in the brain and the consensus reality-construct.

 

[JulySheMustFly]

I agree. I think that we should be good stewards, but I also think that a lot of the fuss about global warming and the destruction that we're supposedly causing to our planet is just environmentalist propaganda.

We should be good stewards. That being said, I don't think the environment is as fragile as many people make it out to be.

It is NOT about the condition of our planet but about the condition of the least of these, people. We are like canaries in a coal mine. The rise in asthma among young children, along with the increase in food allergies are connected with the condition of our environment. These are also not exclusive to the developed world. Fortunately those who suffer in the developed world are able to have access to live improving medications. Those in still developing nations do not. They should not be forced to suffer due to our own excess. (Yes, I include myself.)

 

[mva1985]

It is NOT about the condition of our planet but about the condition of the least of these, people. We are like canaries in a coal mine. The rise in asthma among young children, along with the increase in food allergies are connected with the condition of our environment. These are also not exclusive to the developed world. Fortunately those who suffer in the developed world are able to have access to live improving medications. Those in still developing nations do not. They should not be forced to suffer due to our own excess. (Yes, I include myself.)

You'd be surprised at the number of people that suffer from asthma to find out it is a milk allergy.

Alot of our problems we bring on ourselves.

 

[mva1985]

For pete's sake what agenda do environmentalists have other than keeping the "nest" from becoming so foul it cannot sustain those who must share it?

MONEY.

Take for instance Al Gore. He is huge on the environment yet does not want to make changes in his life style to make it better for the environment.

And how much money has he made off of this very scare tactic?

 

[JulySheMustFly]

You'd be surprised at the number of people that suffer from asthma to find out it is a milk allergy.

Alot of our problems we bring on ourselves.

I'm all too familiar with the milk issues. I have 3 in my home who cannot have milk, two of whom are asthmatics. However that doesn't cover the entire problem. You cannot deny air quality's connection to the rise in respiratory illness and infections.

 

[mva1985]

I agree. I think that we should be good stewards, but I also think that a lot of the fuss about global warming and the destruction that we're supposedly causing to our planet is just environmentalist propaganda.

Gen. 8
21 The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: "Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done. 22 "As long as the earth endures,
seedtime and harvest,
cold and heat,
summer and winter,
day and night
will never cease."

 

[JulySheMustFly]

MONEY.

Take for instance Al Gore. He is huge on the environment yet does not want to make changes in his life style to make it better for the environment.

And how much money has he made off of this very scare tactic?

I think Al Gore is the exception to the rule, not the rule.
While my experiences only provide anecdotal evidence I'm certain the experience isn't exclusive to my life. Every Christian person I've known who has made any effort to be a proper steward of God's creation (which includes people) has done so because that is what God expects of them, not for income or profit. Actually many of those people live off the smallest annual salary of those I know.

 

[Sophia7]

It is NOT about the condition of our planet but about the condition of the least of these, people. We are like canaries in a coal mine. The rise in asthma among young children, along with the increase in food allergies are connected with the condition of our environment. These are also not exclusive to the developed world. Fortunately those who suffer in the developed world are able to have access to live improving medications. Those in still developing nations do not. They should not be forced to suffer due to our own excess. (Yes, I include myself.)

I think Al Gore is the exception to the rule, not the rule.
While my experiences only provide anecdotal evidence I'm certain the experience isn't exclusive to my life. Every Christian person I've known who has made any effort to be a proper steward of God's creation (which includes people) has done so because that is what God expects of them, not for income or profit. Actually many of those people live off the smallest annual salary of those I know.

As I said, I do think that we should be good stewards, and I also think that we should do what we can to help people who are not as fortunate as we are, such as people who don't even have clean water to drink.

Anyway, I'm not saying that we don't cause any harm by our actions, just that I don't think that God will allow us to destroy our planet completely.

 

[JulySheMustFly]

I don't think that God will allow us to destroy our planet completely.

I absolutely agree. We cannot destroy what we did not create.

 

[ListenerFriendly]

The discussion is interesting. I like to notice the two extremes of the issue and how people percieve these two groups. First are the supposed "environmentalists" who do so just for the sake of publicity, money, "it looks good", etc... they're hipocrites who don't seem to care a thing for the Earth. The other extreme sees this group and feels that any attempt to help the environment is extreme, radical, stupid, and "environmental." The idea is that we have been commanded to take care of the Earth. We are to be good stewards. Basically, the Earth's health is our health and this is something we need to be concerned with.

We are like canaries in a coal mine.

Quite true, and in response to the idea that our Earth isn't as bad off as it seems... this isn't really the case. Like previously said, people want you to believe this as much as Al Gore wants you to believe he is helping the environment. If you take a good look at the situation our Earth is in right now compared to about 70 years ago (ozone layer of our atmosphere proves to be a startling study), it is startling. No, the Earth isn't going to burn up tomarro. But if we don't do something, the health of the Earth, and our health, is going to get much worse.