Back in my wild n crazy undergraduate years, when I was a wee first-year at Antioch, I read a book that was called something like 'The New American Bible.' Before you click away thinking, 'Shit, Mysteria's gone and got religion!', hear me out. I can't remember the exact title of that book, which is unfortunate, but I remember it being stuck in with the other bibles for some reason that seemed inexplicable once I opened it up.

It definitely was NOT the bible. In fact, it was talking about how, if there were a god now, he'd want people to be environmentalists. That would basically be your way into heaven these days.

Reading the link Methybeth offered yesterday, which discusses how we are all rushing inevitably towards our oil-dependent doom, I was reminded of that book. At the time, I wanted to talk to the author, but I couldn't find any contact info on him. He had one of those plain, John Doe, sorts of names that made narrowing it down intensely difficult. Probably on purpose, since he'd undoubtedly be getting fire from the left AND the right. Anyway, I'm thinking maybe that book had something very right going on. It sounds kind of strange to say 'the key to getting into heaven is saving the earth!' because isn't that the exact OPPOSITE of what the Bible (the real one, I mean) tells us? We're not supposed to have any earthly concerns; we're just supposed to keep our eyes on the prize - Heaven.

Depends on the testament, I suppose, but ultimately, whatever you do here is only a means towards an end. Although once Jesus entered the picture, the message sort of switched to 'whatever you do to the least of my people, you do unto me,' and maybe that's a way of saying, 'Yo, don't FUCK with my creation, unless you want to burn in the eternal fire!'

I guess, on that perspective, we're all gonna burn one way or another, in the here and now or the afterlife. Take your pick.

Environmentalists do seem like the modern-day saints. After all, they're the ones mopping up the oil spills, chaining themselves to trees, and professing faith in something a lot of people think is heretical nonsense.

Maybe that book wasn't so far-fetched after all.

Maybe it's time to change my fucking major. Maybe this time for real. I'm pretty fed up with the hypotheticals, and since they don't give rise to action 99% of the time, what's the point of philosophy? Digging us deeper into an oil-dependent hole? No thanks. But then again, I've never been good at science, at math, at extremely precise thinking. So what can I *really* do, since it's not really an option for me to start over and get a degree in Environmental Science? How the fuck can *I* change the world? I don't really want to be the one chaining myself to a tree, but isn't there something more that I can do?

Suggestions, of course, are welcome.

And if anybody is holding on to those submissions for my e-zine? Now's the time to mail 'em.

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