Keep it Up: Sustainability

Modern society seems like Alice in Wonderland when she needed to run faster and faster, just to stay in the same place. We have put our heads down and run for so long, that we no longer know where we are on the map. We cannot keep going at the pace we have been keeping, trying to reach an ever-receding horizon line. Now is the time for a return to common sense: to do what is in our reach, to live within our means, to consider the impact of our choices have for the earth. The Great Generation has wisdom to share with us in the regard — of necessity, they had to make do, reuse, recyle, or do without. Let’s move toward sustainability for the long haul, getting our lives in balance and appreciating the value of simple living. Let’s hear it for quality of life over standard of living.

Community, Ready or Not

The American culture of individuality leads us to believe that we must do it all ourselves. The wild, wild West was built self reliance. Contrast that attitude with that of the Samoans, where the basic unit of society is the extended family. One silver lining of the current financial meltdown may be that we will get through it by practicing increased reliance upon one another, sharing resources and helping each other out. In this global reality, we sink alone, but we can swim together. I guess a community organizer for President is very timely.

Pascal’s Bet for the 21st Century

Pascal wrote that If you erroneously believe in God, you lose nothing (assuming that death is the absolute end), whereas if you correctly believe in God, you gain everything (eternal bliss). But if you correctly disbelieve in God, you gain nothing (death ends all), whereas if you erroneously disbelieve in God, you lose everything (eternal damnation).

When we look around us at the earth, we have a similar wager to take. If we believe that global climate change is a threat and we act, we win. If it IS a threat, then we have taken right action. If it isn’t, we still have cleaned up our act. However, if it IS a threat, and we do nothing, we are doomed. So, what’s your wager?

No! on Prop 8

We here in California have a funny thing called the Initiative process, where Anyman can collect signatures for Anything. Right now we have a constitutional amendment up to abolish marriage rights for same gender couples.

You can see the proposition using this link: http://www.voterguide.sos.ca.gov/title-sum/prop8-title-sum.htm

My basic quarrel with this proposition is that it is bringing out ALL the erroneous opinions and prejudice of homophobic people: “It’s a choice, it’s a lifestyle, it’s a mental illness.” As far as I can tell, gender/sexual orientation is part of the way God made us, how we were born, and until this basic fact is accepted, we talk at cross purposes.

A marriage license is a civil license like a business license or a fishing license, and as such, needs to be available to every citizen. End of story