Humboldt County environmentalists have God on their side, according to the Vatican.
Destruction of the environment is one of the “new sins” warned about by the Pope.
The mention of the environment reflects growing interest by Pope Benedict XVI in saving the planet. Last summer, officials announced the installation of 1,000 solar panels in the Paul VI Audience Hall, the main auditorium in Vatican City. The city-state has joined a reforestation program to offset its carbon emissions. And at a youth festival with the pope last year, participants were given prayer books made with recycled paper.
If, by chance, the Pope came to town, he’d probably have some things to say about our denuded forests and the toxic Balloon Track.
“In other words, if you work for a company that pollutes the environment, you have something more important to consider for Lent than whether or not to give up chocolate,” said Father James Martin.
March 14, 2008 at 12:21 am
Why doesn’t he just wear a cap like everyone else does now-a-days.
March 14, 2008 at 7:49 am
the photo says it all – environazi.
March 14, 2008 at 8:21 am
They want to cut Redwoods,
dump dirt into streams.
The fish are all dying,
and there go our dreams.
They love only money,
for the earth they don’t care.
If you are on our side,
God please make them share.
March 14, 2008 at 8:35 am
“new sins”
I wish the Vatican would release a pamphlet each year explaining all of the new sins.
-boy
March 14, 2008 at 8:40 am
Hell, I still don’t understand some of the old sins.
March 14, 2008 at 10:04 am
Peace be with you
What I find weird is how something can be a “sin” today and then magically become a “non-sin” tomorrow or visa-versa. What does the catholic’s “perfect god” say to the pope “oops I fucked-up?”
I remember from the catholic’s bible Jesus saying something to the effect “woe to those who destroy the Earth.” The catholic church failed to miss this, but somehow found reason to chastise gays which Jesus never said one word about. Essenes (Jesus’ religion) teach that the Mother Earth holds the same perfection and glory as the Father in Heaven – perfection begets perfection.
love eternal
tad
March 14, 2008 at 11:46 am
I can remember my grandma frying chicken, and telling us that the part of the chicken that went over the fence last was called……….the pope’s nose. We always fought over it.
March 14, 2008 at 12:47 pm
OK, ex republican: In my family the two “nuggets” of meat on either side of the chicken’s back were called the “Pope’s eyes”. We children figured out by ourselves what part of the chicken was the pope’s mouth !
Seriously, my family was Jewish and Pope Pious XII was held in contempt. In light of subsequent Popes John XXIII and John Paul II, I haven’t carried on this “family tradition”. But I haven’t forgtten either.
March 14, 2008 at 1:00 pm
Religious leaders are like CEO’s. There are new recruits to be gathered, and there is always corporate restructuring, which includes changing policies and philosophies.
-boy
March 14, 2008 at 1:57 pm
Say Boy: What you got against new revelations, especially religious ones? Whether its a prophet, charismatic leader, individual adherent, or learned scholar, some person has to divine a deity’s intent. After all its a matter of faith/belief for each individual. Why can’t inspirations be relevant to the time and place they are perceived?
March 14, 2008 at 1:59 pm
Maybe Pope Ratz has his Prada’s tied too tightly. I mean, who the fuck cares what the delusional old Nazi thinks?
March 14, 2008 at 5:15 pm
“What does the catholic’s “perfect god” say to the pope “oops I fucked-up?”
Tsk tsk. Poor Tad. Doesn’t he know that God only speaks to Protestants?
March 14, 2008 at 5:16 pm
What you got against new revelations, especially religious ones?
I do not have anything against religious anything. I hope Not a Native is going to tell that I do.
I am just comparing Religious Leaders to CEO’s.
-boy
March 14, 2008 at 5:21 pm
Doesn’t he know that God only speaks to Protestants?
Alright Ranger! Starting a religious flame war! Ha! Funny Stuff.
-boy
March 14, 2008 at 7:12 pm
Peace be with you
I’m just glad that “mind-changing” god don’t speak to me. It seem if the pope’s god changes its mind, then it must be a liar on one side or the other. If god’s a known liar, then what does “in god we trust” say for our gullibility? I don’t think this pope dude really knows god. I think he’s a fake. I’m doubly glad that the pope’s not responsible for my soul.
love eternal
tad
March 15, 2008 at 9:49 am
actually, jesus would have been considered a total leftist in today’s political terms.
jesus supported helping the poor and unfortunate(he healed and fed people)
jesus was anti-war(turn the other cheek)
jesus did not like greed(he said that rich folks have a better chance of fitting through an eye of a needle than getting into heave)
and now it turns out that jesus supports environmental causes……
how in the world did the right wing get exclusive rights to use jesus as a political tool? they dont even follow his teachings!!!! people on the right who claim to be christians have always seemed like the ultimate hypocrates to me…
March 15, 2008 at 9:52 am
tad,
god is worse than a liar, he/she/it is PURE EVIL……
think about it: a god that has the power to create an entire universe filled with an almost infinite amount of complexity cant be bothered to help people out on earth?
god is either uncaring, or is not powerful…..either way, god doesnt seem worthy of worship. i wouldnt sell my soul to an evil god that cant even bother to help alleviate suffering in the world. i wouldnt sell my soul to a god that is powerless either…..
March 15, 2008 at 10:24 am
There was a very good case made in Zeitgeist (I stopped watching when they started on 9/11) that the god the majority of the world worships today is the same god the Egyptians worshiped, the anthromorphized sun god Horus. Makes perfect sense that people would worship the “god” that is visible and brings the safety of light, warmth, and without which food doesn’t grow.
March 15, 2008 at 10:25 am
*Anthropomorphized
March 15, 2008 at 1:45 pm
Believe in God or not, your choice. I’m not a theologian but my point is that while the Christian God is considered immutable, God’s will is not immutable. I think that’s Catholic dogma, the basis for continuous revelation.
So when circumstances arise, it seems that religious(believer)folks can receive “revelations” from God that are contrary to a precedent revelation. That’s not the same as a CEO who changes policy based upon his/her personal choices. For a non-believer, its impossible to differentiate between the two. But if you’re a believer, its a no-brainer.
March 15, 2008 at 4:20 pm
Peace be with you
First I should say I have my own god, as I believe everyone should.
I think the god described in this thread is what I call a “satan,” or “devil,” or a lesser god. A perfect god would not set up a system that failed on its own. Here on Earth we have a failing system, because we traded personal morality for profits. Despite thousands of years of inhabitation the Americas were a garden before this failing system was exported here. The force behind it all, the E in E=mc squared if you will, is perfect. It’s the lack of balance that destroys and that lack of balance comes from “believing” in illogical gods that change their minds.
I’m not a “believer,” I’m a gnostic.
love eternal
tad
March 16, 2008 at 4:58 pm
I think it’s great that religious leaders are taking note of globalism and the new ethical challenges that it brings. So far it’s been corporations that have spurred globalism with an eye toward new possibilities for exploitation both social and environmental. For the Pope to come and point to the responsibility that we all share as our relationship to one another take this new form is huge. It makes perfect sense for a religious person to consider that an act against our shared environment or an act that is ruinous to our environment is also an act against God.
March 16, 2008 at 5:03 pm
Too bad there’s seems to be so much cynicism in response to this. The only thing I find disheartening about the Pope and the Church’s new pronouncements is the fact that they are responding to our use of our human creativity to devise newer and better ways to make things worse for ourselves and our neighbors for the sake of greed.
March 16, 2008 at 11:49 pm
The Pope is against pollution? How can that be? He and his predecessors have been stinking up this world with their corruption and hypocrisy for hundreds of years.