Tuesday, April 22, 2008

A New "Green Day"

There is much talk about "mother earth," being "green," and preserving our environment.

Use better light bulbs. Turn off the lights early. Turn off the TV. Turn off the computer. Drive less.

Going out to eat means using more resources (which already exist at home), especially fast food restaurants with disposable products. Entertainment means more driving and more electricity usage.

In fact, working around the house every day--yard work, car work, basement repair--all use energy.

What if we, as a nation, decided to take a day off from all this energy consumption and disposable waste. An entire day could be "green" and make everybody feel better (both from the liberal guilt and from work in general).

If it got popular enough, it could be a weekly "green" day.
One day in seven.
Hmmmm....

How about the Christian Sabbath--Sunday?

Although not the central point of the day, it turns out those ornery Puritans had something right after all.

SDG

8 comments:

james3v1 said...

so are you going to find a place to live within walking distance of your Sabbath worship?

I like your application of the 4th Comm--but being consistent with it is also good.

polymathis said...

Mmmmm...I think you took the post too literally (especially given my WCF/Puritan belief--not Jewish belief). The fact that the day is "green" is incidental to the spirit of the Day and my post is a way of putting my thumb in the eye of liberal greenies.

polymathis said...

Maybe I should use a sarcasm emoticon? :-)

james3v1 said...

I don't remember any cars being around during the puritan days.

So the resting your ox and your manservant? No application there?

I actually think that, assuming for a moment that pollution is a problem and that greenhouse gases may be also (which I'm not ready to grant the second, btw) that your sarcastic suggestion is a nice way to talk about God's creation.

See, the Sabbath is a day for rest, including rest for creation, and if the world shut down (including highways and cars and such) one day out of seven we might find all kinds of good things happening.

And so you and I can argue later about whether the puritans would have driven cars on the Sabbath or not (and neither of us will win) but what you meant as sarcasm I actually think is a fine suggestion.

polymathis said...

(Nice photo).

Well, we are partially talking past each other: I do acknowledge the "green effect" of the Lord's day ("The fact that the day is "green" is incidental"), but I do believe it is incidental to the day. Many good benefits can happen (and do not necessarily have to happen) in obedience to God's law. "Incidental" does not mean "inconsequential". It is sarcasm insofar as it dovetails with the language of the idols of greenism ( a new word!).

I just wish we could find another word than "green"--its already been hijacked!

Nancy Reyes said...

how do you cook without either using electricity, natural gas, or a wood/charcoal fire that produces pollution?

Do you wear clothes you spun and wove yourself? Do you dig a hole in your garden so you don't waste water flushing the toilet?

Your heart is in the right place, but you obviously have never seen people living without harming creation using your definition...

You need to learn another word: Stewardship. You use but not abuse nature.

Live simply, get rid of excess

But I've worked in Africa where people lived very poor and very basic...and it sucked.

Benjamin P. Glaser said...

{sarcasm}

Promoting the Sabbath? That is just legalism!!!


{/sarcasm}

Wes White said...

Shawn,

I think this is a great point. I know that you were being sarcastic (in part!), but it does help make the point of the usefulness of the Sabbath.

I will use this as part of my presentation in making the Sabbath. One reason I think this is particularly helpful is because so many younger people are "green" conscious (sp?).