Welcome to Street Prophets Coffee Hour! Thermal for the warmth of a good cup of coffee or your preferred beverage, as well as the warmth of a more progressive religion and community.
Or it’s still warm enough that you may want to pull up a comfy chair with a cold drink. Whatever perks you up for your afternoon without causing sleepless nights! Feel free to share in the Comments, if you’re so inclined. This is also an Open Thread for you to connect.
Here’s an indulgent recipe for your consideration:
A few DKos commenters often complain that progressive Christians don’t make enough noise, which I think is sometimes a valid complaint. So I’ll use this space to discuss progressive Christianity’s views on the issues. These are not my views alone. Note that there are and have long been progressive Christian religio-political groups, some of whom are trying to become more vocal and get more noticed.
Multiple passages in the Bible have been used to justify stewardship of the Earth but also its destruction for our own purposes. The Bible begins in Genesis by telling us to “have dominion over the Earth,” but elsewhere makes clear that this means to tend and protect it. In fact, Revelations predicts that God will destroy “the destroyers of the Earth”. Of course, that particular verse is ignored by those who wish to exploit our resources and ignore climate change.
The modern US Christian environmental movement seems to have begun in the 1980s. There are details at the link:
Although there were scattered statements made in the 1970s, it was against the backdrop of the anti-environmentalism of the Reagan administration that church and religious organizational activity focused on the environment began to increase dramatically.
More recently, several left-wing Christian groups are working to further the cause of environmental protection and fighting climate change. As explained by the Progressive Christianity website (bolding mine):
Progressive Christians are perfectly comfortable holding faith and science in harmony. For example, they believe God created the world but did so through the process of evolution. Rather than being in conflict, they argue that faith and science can peacefully coexist.
-snip-
Although progressive Christians take the Bible seriously, they don’t always take it literally. For them, affirming “biblical inerrancy” would require impossible beliefs including God’s support of slavery, genocide, and oppression of women. Like most Christians throughout most of church history, when progressive Christians do theology, they turn to Scripture—but also to reason, tradition, and experience.
-snip-
Progressive Christians care deeply about social issues. For example, most of them support common sense gun safety laws. They advocate full equality for women at home, work, and church—including the right to serve as clergy. In the spirit of Jesus the healer, they seek to expand health care to as many people as possible. They think America should warmly welcome immigrants, as Scripture clearly teaches. They believe racism is deeply embedded in society and that Christians should do everything in our power to eradicate it. Although they affirm individual rights, they also believe in the common good, so they encourage widespread adoption of vaccinations and other safety precautions in the face of pandemics. And they acknowledge the destructive reality of human-made climate change and seek to mitigate its worst consequences.
Elsewhere, one of their authors suggest “walking the stations of the Cross” during Lent whilst contemplating climate change. These include seeking a deeper understanding of the links between climate change and racism, poverty, species extinction, migration, disease, hunger, conflict, and so on. With each “station” is an observation, a prayer, and recommended actions — such as joining with 350.org or the Poor People’s Campaign, or cutting back on utilities and vehicle use.
You may have heard of the Poor People’s Campaign’s but may not have realised that one of their priorities is climate change (bolding mine):
Enact a federal jobs program to build up investments, infrastructure, public institutions, climate resilience, energy efficiency and socially beneficial industries and jobs in poor and low-income communities:
Prioritize rural and urban areas that have been hit by deindustrialization, climate disasters and economic crisis. Invest in:
- socially beneficial sectors (care economy, health care, long-term care, teaching, service sectors)
- environmentally sustainable infrastructure jobs that expand and retrofit public and affordable housing, water / sanitation systems, public transit, utilities / broadband access, and sustainable food production and distribution
- expand health care and public health infrastructure, training and capacity, including rural hospitals and community care clinics, nursing capacity, EMT, long-term care, mental health and substance abuse
- convert vacant properties into affordable public housing
- repair and retrofit schools to be energy efficient and climate resilient and otherwise build up teaching and school capacity
What a terrific wish list! This is the movement co-led by Reverend William Barber and recognises that environmental destruction is linked to racism and poverty:
The Campaign challenges the five interlocking issues of systemic racism, systemic poverty, the war economy, ecological devastation, and the distorted moral narrative of religious nationalism and seeks to build an agenda rooted in love, justice, and a moral framework.
And Reverend Barber has the ear of this President. During his inaugural prayer (full text at the link), he focused on the many injustices but linked them and mentioned again:
Grant us wisdom and courage for the facing of this hour until, together, we make sure there is racial justice and economic justice and living-wage justice and health care justice and ecological justice and disability justice and justice for homeless and justice for the poor and low-wealth and working poor and immigrant justice—until we study war no more and peace and justice are the way we live.
Even many right-wingish Christians, although unfortunately not the majority, equate Christian faith with taking action on climate change. The link is to a long but readable article on “conservative” Christian environmental activism. They point out that reaching people to change their views on environmental issues can be difficult when their identity is wrapped up in their politics:
How strong are these political influences? For a large segment of evangelicals, “their statement of faith is written primarily by their politics, and only secondarily by their faith,” said Katharine Hayhoe, the prominent climate scientist and herself an evangelical Christian, who was named one of Time Magazine’s most influential people for her work bridging divides. “If the two come in conflict, they will go with their politics over what they claim to believe.”
A lot is being accomplished, however, especially with younger evangelical Christians. Young Evangelicals for Climate Action, for example, are taking the Faithful Action Pledge and volunteering to write, speak, advocate, meet with elected officials, and involve their churches:
We are young evangelicals striving to live out what Jesus said was most important: loving God fully and loving our neighbors as ourselves. Climate change is already impacting our neighbors and God’s creation here in the United States and around the world. We believe God is calling us to faithful action and witness in the midst of the current climate crisis. Therefore, we commit ourselves to living faithfully as good stewards of creation, advocating alongside those who are poor and have been historically oppressed, supporting our faith and political leaders when they stand up for climate action, and mobilizing our generation to join in.
The parent group of the young evangelicals is the Evangelical Environmental Network. Their website can be found here:
Indeed, one cannot fully worship the Creator and at the same time destroy His creation, which was brought into being to glorify Him. Worshiping the Creator and caring for creation is all part of loving God. They are mutually reinforcing activities. It is actually unbiblical to set one against the other.
So there you have it: Don’t let anyone tell you that “Christians don’t believe in climate change”. There are many Christian groups who not only believe in climate change but are actively working to combat it. And if it’s your primary issue of concern, you may want to join one of these progressive Christian groups. Or at least read all the actions they are taking so that you can do likewise!
Ceiling Cat says Make It So:
And finally, let’s elevate our Community Cred and repost The Needs List! From Aashirs nani (with permission) on Helping Humpday, with some variations on bolding for variety’s sake (and of course, with a pootie):
When sending via PayPal, be sure to select “Send to family/friend” to avoid fees on either end. Be aware, both donor and recipient, that GFM not only charges fees, but also money received through that platform is treated as taxable income.
Community Needs List as of 9/14/22. Fundraisers who want a diary to be or stay on the list: PLEASE kosmail requests and donations received to njm5000 by Tuesday evening to be included on the Wednesday morning updated list.
Living on the financial edge—need help? Check out the Helping Directories before your next emergency.
Housing and Living Expenses Fundraisers and Other Links
morgansmom—needs help towards major car repairs and moving to a better environment. $8000 7950 7900 7850 7750 7725 7615 7605 7565 7465 7415 7375 7275 7175 7025 6920 6820 A generous contribution from a Kossack has allowed scheduling of the car alignment. :-) • Visit the KoFi page to see some cool artwork & donate! • PayPal: wingednag at gmail dot com.
DHfromKY—is looking to raise $2450 1950 1830 1720 1685 1585 1385 1285 1180 1170 960 for rent and other necessities. Against the wall, again...• PayPal is dharden40219 at yahoo dot com—select “Send to a friend”, and PayPal doesn’t charge a fee.
J Graham—"Your child has mental health issues." But you're a fighter. "It's cancer." But you're a fighter... • She’s sleeping in a tent! (Cats, music, and a chance to help a deserving Daily Kos member). The goal is $14,000 9944 9534 8884 8859 8709 8684 4448 4348 4323 to cover first and last month rent, security deposit, some medical expenses, utility bills, and moving costs. She has a Mighty Cause fundraiser, and PayPal at: jgraham4healthcare at gmail dot com
HarpPlayer posted a diary—I Really Need Some Help (updated this am) asking for help with various expenses that have accumulated. HarpPlayer is a retired RN with health problems, but this help can provide a fresh reset. Total needed about $2100 1700 850 PayPal bluessingerrn at aol dot com.
michelewln—needs help for September for food, cat food, utilities. Michele is in her new apartment but has no money left for food.
PayPal: michelewilson327 at gmail dot com.
Wired Wolf—needs about $3000. Helping support Mom “…on one fulltime retail wage…and living on credit cards through Covid have suddenly caught up with us bigtime--I'm in way over my head right now. I need about $3000 to get my credit cards to a safe level that I can maintain… we're still waiting for our utility-assistance appeal and my student loan servicer never paused IBR payments. Paypal is paypal dot me/WiredWolf
rexymeteorite—Woot!
ZenTrainer—Woot!
The Kos Katalogue 2021 is here. Updated by CathyM.
I’m in for a mickle. I hope you’ll join me. Please note that rexy and ZT had big needs that have been met! Great job, DKos readers!
If helping financially isn’t the right choice for you at this time, you can still help. Tip and rec the diary so it stays visible. Share on social media: Twitter, Facebook, whatever platform you use, to bring the attention of others outside our daily readers. And offer words of encouragement to people who are struggling. It can be scary to be struggling, and it can feel lonely. Let them know we understand and are here to help.
I hope this isn’t tl;dr! I severely cut my original draft, believe it or not! If you have time, please visit the diaries above and leave comments for their authors. Those words of encouragement are vital!
If you don’t like fundraisers, please just move along. They are a longstanding tradition at DKos — Until we vote in enough progressives to create a much stronger social safety net!
Please note: I take care of my 90ish-year-old Mom and something could come up, so I am scheduling this to auto-publish. If possible, I’ll be here to engage in Comments. However, if I’m not here, please chat amongst yourselves, take a coffee break, post aminal photos, spread the word and invite your friends, etc.! Thanks to all!