Optimistic about the future of the planet ?

I am enjoying reading Rosemary Radford Ruether. She writes:

"I am often asked if I am optimistic about the possibilities for change. The assumption behind this question seems to be that we have two ideational stances towards these crises: optimism or pessimism. But I am inclined to think that both these stances get us off the hook. If we are optimistic it suggests that change is inevitable and will happen in the natural course of things, and so we need not make much efforts ourselves.. Someone else will take care of it. If we are pessimistic change is impossible and therefore useless to try. In either case we have the luxury ... to question the present system without being responsible for it. What we need is neither optimism or pessimism but committed love. This means that we remain committed to a vision and to concrete communities of life no matter what the trends may be." (1)

A good thought - and a warning to us preachers who sway between cheap optimism or dark pessimism !

(1) P273 Gaia and God - an Ecofemist theology of Earth Healing, Harper Collins, 1992.

Authentic Religion ?

Leonardo Boff speaks in his book Faith on the Edge: Religion and Marginalised Existence about authentic religion. It's an interesting idea. To what extent is our religion thin on authenticity ? He says:

"Religion is authentic only when it expresses the reality of justice, the realty of love characterrised by solidarity,, and the reality of mercy, all lived an experienced and not merely proclaimed or symbolised in ritual".

Our ministry - works of love and mercy flowing out of the Church - will be as important as our worship. The two are fed by each other.

David Bellamy and George Monbiot

It's interesting to see the discussion on Channel 4 news between these two. What Bellamy says is not supported by evidence and he is reluctant to accept Monbiot's well attested arguments. Why is this ? I have to think that Bellamy's lack of argument is beacuse he has built up a world view, almost a faith, and he will not let evidence change it.