Climate Rant

OK, people. It has been a weird winter here in the southern US. I haven't seen this much snow in one winter since I was a child, and that's been a few years ago. But if I hear ONE MORE PERSON say that all this snow negates climate change (global warming), I am going to lose what's left of my snow-frazzled mind.

As one can easily find with a little research, "global warming" is actually one part of the overall discussion on climate change. While research shows that overall, the average temperature is increasing, there is a recognition that these changes are having impact on extremes of weather as well. In other words, our having an unusually heavy snowfall is not a surprise to climate scientists.

One of the arguments I've heard against climate change is that humans are taking themselves too seriously if they believe they can influence God's created world in such a devastating way. How do these folks rationalize, though, that humans have created enough nuclear weapons to destroy the earth several times over? If we can create those kinds of materials, why is it such a stretch to imagine that our daily actions, multiplied by billions of individuals, could not have their own devastating results for our planet?

In Genesis, God asks humans to be good stewards of the creation. Attempting to absolve humanity of the rights and responsibilities of stewardship, then, is an affront to God.

Rasslin' with Jesus

I had not intended any kind of follow-up to my last post, but sometimes the headlines call out. This article suggests a fight (pardon the pun) between female and male, masculine and feminine, that I find unhealthy. They seem to be suggesting that Jesus himself must have been "all man" and because of that fact be someone they should consider following. WWJD - What Would Jesus Do? is being replace by another WWJD: Who Would Jesus Deck? This dualism suggests that Jesus himself had no feminine side, that all of his statements about peace can be thrown out because Jesus was a "fighter."

Of course, I hate being placed in a position where it is presumed some traits are feminine and others masculine. If forced to choose, into which of these columns does justice worker go? How about peacemaker? Healer? Friend to all marginalized persons? I would hope that all persons would aspire to embody these distinctions regardless of how we assign their biological gender.

And in a recent advertising campaign Dockers is not-so-subtly suggesting that a lack of manliness has led to many societal problems, difficulties that apparently would not exist if men - presumably white and straight men - had been wearing the pants they way they are supposed to. Maybe the next campaign should be WJWD...Would Jesus Wear Dockers?

If 21st century men need to re-create a 1st century Jesus into a rough and ready, bare-knuckles fighter so that they can follow him, then Jesus' wardrobe of choice will pose problems, not to mention all those pesky sayings of his noted in scripture.

I'm tapping out.