Jesus Wants You! (to save the environment)

I was inspired to write this after reading a great essay by Richard Louv entitled Replanting the environmental garden

In it, he writes about revitalizing the environmental movement. One of the most interesting ideas in this essay is the idea of pushing environmentalism through religion.

the MIT Press published the results of one of the most extensive surveys of how Americans think about environmental issues. The researchers were stunned by what they discovered.

A substantial majority of people surveyed justified environmental protection by explicitly invoking God as the creator, with striking uniformity across subgroups. "What is going on here? Why should so many nonbelievers argue on the basis of God's creation?" the researchers asked. "It seems that divine creation is the closest concept American culture provides to express the sacredness of nature. Regardless of whether one actually believes in biblical creation, it is the best vehicle we have to express this value."

If the MIT report is correct, spiritual arguments for the environment, seldom used by the environmental movement, will be far more effective than utilitarian arguments. Made on behalf of our children and our children's children, this spiritual argument is the most emotionally powerful weapon we can deploy in defense of the Earth and our own species.

I personally think this is a genius idea. Especially now, when religion and the government are becoming more intertwined than ever. Saving the environment could be among Terry Schiavo, The Ten Commandments, abortion, gay marriages, and many others.

More than 75% of people in the United States are some sort of Christian. Therefore this spiritual environmental movement would have a big backing.

It does not matter if you are republican or democrat, as long as at least 75% of the population thinks that God is the creator of all things in this world, no matter if it was through the creation of all things in 7 days, or 7 billion years.

Environmentalism needs to be looked at in a different light in order to grow and continue. I want to help create this spiritual push into environmentalism. I want to create some sort of religious environmental propaganda; I want more people to care about what is happening around them.

I am thinking an Uncle Sam like Jesus. With Jesus pointing and lettering beneath: “Jesus Wants YOU! To save the Environment”

If anyone can help me with this, or would be willing to run a banner like that, like the “there is no Crisis” banners, please tell me. We need to get this revolution a goin’!