I never thought I'd find it, but this news article is an example of everything that's wrong with America. At the intersection of religion and consumerism we have a energy strategy so ridiculous that I can't believe Bush hasn't already made it his official energy policy.
The half-dozen activists -- Twyman, a former Miss Washington DC, the owner of a small construction company and two volunteers at a local soup kitchen -- joined hands, bowed their heads and intoned a heartfelt prayer.
"Lord, come down in a mighty way and strengthen us so that we can bring down these high gas prices," Twyman said to a chorus of "amens".
"Prayer is the answer to every problem in life... We call on God to intervene in the lives of the selfish, greedy people who are keeping these prices high," Twyman said on the gas station forecourt in a neighborhood of Washington that, like many of its residents, has seen better days.
"Lord, the prices at this pump have gone up since last week. We know that you are able, that you have all the power in the world," he prayed, before former beauty queen Rashida Jolley led the group in a modified version of the spiritual, "We Shall Overcome".
So instead of putting fuel standards into place, or putting money into alternative fuel standards, or passing mass-transit legistlation, these people have decided to take it upon themselves to pray to a higher power to enable them to continue their consumerism. It's been a while since I read it, but doesn't the bible specifically warn against praying for stupid and selfish reasons?
If you have to pray, use it on something good. Pray that the next administration choses a science based energy policy, instead of a faith based one.