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Some Thoughts About an Oil Spill

A lot has been written over the past few weeks about the dreadful oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. This is one of those events that is really hard to get your head around. The amount of oil involved and the scale of the area polluted is enormous and it could be many years before we really understand the full extent of the disaster which has occured.

But, as Phil has pointed out, this is not the only enormous oil spill which is going on at the moment, there is a potentially more serious incident happening in the Niger Delta. Sadly, the Niger Delta doesn’t get as much media attention as the Gulf of Mexico. However, the argument over which is worse is probably futile – the point is that there are at least two major, man-made, catastrophes happening at the moment.

It is important that we realise that these events are man-made. We can’t blame God, nature, anyone or anything else. We did it. It is rather tempting to place the blame on those who have made “drill baby drill” a campaign slogan; believing falsely that we can exploit the planet without suffering the consequences. However, we all have a share in this problem (if we live in the rich world, at least). Our addiction to oil, a nasty, unpleasant, polluting poison is the cause of these oil spills, the oil spills in the past and the ones that will happen in the future.

Make no mistake, unless we change the way we approach our energy needs, there will be more oil spills and future ones will be worse. Romans 1 teaches clearly that God will let us follow our own path, if we want to be greedy and rape the earth, he will allow us to and we will have to suffer the consequences. It isn’t that God judges all of these actions, he just lets us live with our own choices – and the results can be nasty.

As Mouse has mentioned, we need to take the Gulf oil spill as a wake up call and to start thinking seriously about alternatives to our mad grab for oil. Sadly, many conservative Christians seem to equate caring for the creation with some sort of evil heresy –  Russell Moore has some good things to say on this question.

When God made the world, he said it was good – and we should keep it that way!

And no, I don’t want to get rid of my car, either, but we have to start looking for alternatives before it’s too late.

Edit: I’ve just seen that the Google Ad that shows up with this post suggests that President Obama is to blame for the oil spill. It’s that sort of simplistic thinking that gives politics a bad name!

3 replies on “Some Thoughts About an Oil Spill”

Getting rid of your car could be easier than it sounds: we’ve lived without one for ten years. As an alternative, try cutting down on those trips of up to three miles which typically form half of a cars mileage.

It can be done- we can reduce consupmption and care for God’s creation without returning to the dark ages. It can be a very rewarding and joy-filled journey. We need to start soon though.

The boat that has the cap on the oil! Got struck by lightning and caught on fire shut down the containment for 5 hours! Svientist just releast that 1.7 to 2.5 millions gallons is leaking when first so called estimates said 100 somthing thousand gall. leaking then scietist said no more is leaking so they raised it to 200 too 300 thousand gall… they knew but didnt want to scare the public 2.5 million gallons a vast contrast than the BP and gov..And yet try to get the public on the energy bill kick! a bill that they held off on cause most Americans said we are spending to much that we do not have! And now use the Gulf oil spill to promote it! What? You seen Americans frustrated with all the spendings so you held off and use this disastor to promote it! They do not care about us just their agenda! and want to get it past before nov. elections.Why not wait until we fix this problem and see why it happened and stop the spill! Then try pass this billions of dollar bill! Fear tactics once again oh if we don,t do this now! Why did this disaster happen why can’t we control it. And they want to pass a bill to us when we are in dept to our nose! Yes we need off oil! Yes we need other wind, Solar, My friend has just started a solar on houses company! I know it thereI know we have the power to do it thousands of companies waiting, Wind and solar!But if you see and hear correctly its for the study of these thing in which its here and waiting for us to use it!So billions for study what a lie and waist of our tax dollars the study been done for years and the tech is here no more study JUST DO IT! Thats how we should know it is a front for their greater Agenda not ours, To use this mabe greatest didaster ever and put money in the knowlege we already have! Like going back and putin billions on your tv to study we already know and have the people and teck to do it? Don’t Belive the lie!

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