Minutes to Memories

Check out my addition to My Ocean Springs photo-project today HERE. (Click over - I really liked the picture, plus the caption tells you about GINS, one of the many neat things about Ocean Springs that a lot of people don't know about...)

Happy Earth Day to you,
Happy Earth Day to you,
Happy Earth Day dear everyone,
Happy Earth Day to you.

It has always struck me as odd that those associated with the Religious Right have generally been in opposition to environmentalists. On the surface it seems to me that religious folks would be all for anything that leads toward respecting nature. Even if some have a tendency to overdo it, it just seems to me that the religious would prefer erring on that side than on the other, but this is most definitely not the case.

After a bit of reflection, it seems somewhat obvious why this oddity exists, and it has everything to do with that confusing seminary word, eschatology (to oversimplify, the study of how the world will end). The religious world to which I refer believes in “a new earth” after this one, and as a result, aren’t desperately concerned about this one, while simultaneously believing that their opposition is so concerned about preserving this planet because they believe that this is our only hope.

Hence, you find predominantly religious folks sneering at the concept of global warming. And so on and so on...

But I don’t buy this outlook.

For one, it is glaringly inconsistent. This same belief in a “new earth” carries alongside a belief in a “new body,” too, but the same folks will lead the way in campaigns against smoking, drinking, etc. on the very basis that it harms the body (even going a bit overboard periodically). What’s the difference?

It just seems to me that followers of God would want everything respected.

I remember an odd thing from my high school days. When our National Honor Society went on our annual trip, Coach Watson would insist that we make our beds in our hotel rooms and clean them completely before leaving. This was silly, of course, because the maidservice would have to strip the beds anyway, but he insisted. And why? He was teaching us that it is our responsibility to clean up after ourselves, no matter what.

And he was right.

And the same concept extends to our planet.

So Happy Earth Day to everyone. I’m thankful for a day to remind us to respect the marvelous planet God gave us.