"NEW ORLEANS -- Where would Jesus drill?
Religious leaders who consider environmental protection a godly mission are making the Gulf of Mexico oil spill a rallying cry, hoping it inspires people of faith to support cleaner energy while changing their personal lives to consume less and contemplate more.
'This is one of those rare moments when you can really focus people’s attention on what’s happening to God’s creation,' said Walt Grazer, head of the National Religious Partnership for the Environment.
Activists in the movement -- often described as 'green religion' or 'eco-theology' -- are using blogs and news conferences to get the word out. Some are visiting the Gulf, inspecting oil-spattered wetlands and praying with idled fishers and other victims. And believers in the stricken coastal regions are looking at the consequences of the oil’s reach and asking what good can come out of it.
During worship services on a recent Sunday, Pastor Eddie Painter of Barataria Baptist Church in the fishing village of Lafitte told his congregation a silver lining in the tragedy might be renewed government commitment to restoring the region’s battered coastal marshlands."
John Flesher reports for the Associated Press July 7, 2010.
SEE ALSO:
"BP's Gulf Oil Spill Is a Sin, Visiting Clergy Say After Touring the Coast" (New Orleans Times-Picayune)
"Gulf Spill Seeps Into Spiritual Life" (Beliefnet News)
"Spill Spreads Anxiety Among Vietnamese" (AP)
"An Armada of Faith Leaders Tours the Gulf Spill Zone" (CNN)
"Local Christian Leaders Hold Service for Gulf Spill Victims" (Boston Globe)
"Right-Wing Religious Group Says Gulf Oil Spill is God’s Punishment for Barack Obama" (FreshXpress)
"Obama Seeks God's Blessing in Gulf Storm" (Washington Post)
"When Asked About Obama’S Prayer for the Gulf, Gingrich Says He 'hopes He Means It'" (ClimateProgress)
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