Confronting the Peak Oil Crisis

Here is your midnight movie. This is Mike Ruppert's lecture in Burlington, Vermont in May of this year. It is called Confronting the Peak Oil Crisis.

I have posted about Michael Ruppert many times including here.

It's pretty heavy duty. Before and after the lecture and Q&A, you really ought to sing the Galaxy Song to put it all in perspective.

Jesus Seminar in Elizabethton

I received word from Westar that we have about 30 signed up so far for our Jesus Seminar on the Road, October 29-30. I am anticipating we might triple that number. This is the third time our congregation has hosted a JSOR. We are very excited to welcome Bernard Brandon Scott and Arthur Dewey.



When I was in seminary we used Bernard Brandon Scott's book on the parables,


Hear Then the Parable, as the text for our intro to the New Testament. I still use it when preaching on the parables as I have been lately.





Arthur Dewey is a poet and wordsmith and is the co-author of a new book just released by Westar, The Authentic Letters of Paul.

This particular seminar is entitled, Jesus: Teller of Parables. Here is the synopsis and schedule:

LECTURE
Friday, 7:30–9 P.M.

What is a Parable?
Jesus played upon the stereotypes and tensions in his world and wove explosive stories, called parables, that called into question the everyday assumptions of his audience. For centuries, these parables have been routinely misread and largely underestimated. Now scholars are attempting to recover their irony, edginess, and effrontery. This lecture will describe parables, and show how they can destabilize their listeners' world even today.

WORKSHOPS

Morning:
Saturday, 9:30 A.M.-Noon

The History and Craft of Parables
To understand Jesus' parables one must begin with an overview of the art of story-telling and the several methods involved in the interpretation of stories, ancient and modern. Participants will examine the ancient craft of parable-making side-by-side with modern examples of transparent poetry and creative songwriting. This workshop will explore not only what a parable might mean, but also how it means to be taken.

Afternoon:
Saturday, 1:30-4 P.M.

Parables and the Kingdom
Jesus' parables are both a door and a mirror to the kingdom of God. But does the kingdom illuminate the parables (Matthew) or do parables illuminate the kingdom (Mark)? Better yet, do we unravel the parables, or do they unravel us? The parables of the Banquet and Unjust Steward, the Prodigal Son, the Good Samaritan, the Leaven, and the Mustard Seed will serve as the primary texts for this presentation.

Go to the Westar site for information on how to register. It is $60 for the lecture and the two workshops if you register by October 8th! It will be well worth it to hear these top scholars and excellent teachers present the parables of Jesus.

This is great continuing education and fodder for sermons for clergy. Seminary students and college students will enjoy this. More importantly, this is primarily for non-specialists, that is interested laypeople.

The Jesus Seminar exists in a large part because scholarly information about the New Testament and the historical Jesus was not reaching the pew. Either clergy were afraid of challenging their parishioners' "faith" or they couldn't figure out how to pass this information on or they were afraid of getting written up in the LayMAN (it's actually more fun than you might think!) or...well, you could ask your minister why.


Anyway, wear a disguise if you must, but come and hear the parable!

This is not something you get everyday in East Tennessee.

A Comedic Break: Robert Newman's History of Oil

And today's midnight movie is.....

...

...

...


Robert Newman's History of Oil.

Stand up comic, Robert Newman, offers reasons for war including WW1 and Iraq, tells us the meaning of the phrase:

G-8 Approves A Plan for America to Bring Democracy to the Middle East,

and explains Peak Oil with a laugh and a silly British accent.

Here you go...

Post-Petroleum Man

"I wake up every morning in a state of profound grief."

When I read that in the interview with Robert Jensen, A World in Collapse? I immediately resonated. I, too, have been in a state of profound grief for over four years now. I grieve profoundly for Earth and for Earth's children and for our immediate future. Yes, I grieve the death of Petroleum Man. Petroleum Man is the only human I know and he is watching (if he opens his eyes) his world collapse around him.

My grief has taken me through all of the "stages" and back around again and again: anger, depression, denial, bargaining, and slowly a dawning acceptance. Life is change and we are facing epochal change right now. When will we personally feel this?

Some already have, of course. One in seven live in poverty in the United States according to this article. There is no timetable. We could face major catastrophes in the U.S. in a year, or a few years, maybe a decade. Much of the world has been in catastrophe for some time.

For a long, long time, I couldn't talk about it. Who can you talk to about it? Family members and friends get scared for your sanity. "There he goes again with his end of the world schtick."

I wonder if that is what many feel now. It is too dark. Put the lid on it. Shut it out. We grieve:

• Deny it: "The tar sands in Canada will save us!"
  
• Bargain: "If I buy a hybrid car or those curly lightbulbs, will it be OK?"
  
• Get Angry: "We would have plenty of oil if it weren't for those environmentalists." Or "We would have green energy by now if it weren't for the greedy oil companies."
• Depression: You know the ways that is expressed...mostly silent suffering.
  

Denial is huge. When the light of awareness begins to shine, it is quickly snuffed out (usually by ridicule) and we get caught up in a distraction. I have to say that the Church has been ineffective for the most part. Our denominational leaders, denominational publications, seminary professors, and clergy have little to say. Nothing to say it seems.

They totally ignore the biggest event in all of our lifetimes, the collapse of industrial civilization. We are collapsing and our theologians cannot even acknowledge it. Maybe you know of some I have missed?

If it weren't for Robert Jensen I don't think there would be anyone in my denomination writing and talking about it.

And then, acceptance. Deep breaths.

It is what it is. Life is. Life is change.

We are alive at this moment. At the most interesting moment in the history of humanity, here we are. A new age is breaking in. From the ashes, oil slags, nuclear fallout, poisoned top soil, and coal slurries, a new human being will be born.

Those of us on this side, in the midst of Collapse, will contribute. The worst thing we can do is think we cannot do anything. It is true that we cannot save Petroleum Man. That is over. And it needs to be over. Petroleum Man lived by a very destructive myth: the myth of limitless growth.

What we do now will determine what is left for Post-Petroleum Man.

Now it is important to resist Empire and war, including the fictional "war on terrorism" that is nothing more than war for petroleum. As Petroleum Man collapses and as Empire does everything in its power to keep him on life support, we must not allow Empire to destroy Earth itself. We must do whatever we can to keep Empire from destroying forever what is on top of Earth to get to what is under Earth.

We must also continue our involvement in various movements for justice and peace of all kinds. As Robert Jensen said:

When we know so little about what’s coming, it’s best if people pursue a variety of strategies that they feel drawn to. In Austin, I’m working primarily with one group that advocates for immigrant workers (Workers Defense Project) and another that helps people start worker-owned cooperative businesses (Third Coast Workers for Cooperation). Neither group is focused specifically on the ecological crises, but there’s incredible energy and ideas in these groups, and they create spaces for advancing a coordinated critique of capitalism, white supremacy, and patriarchy, all with an understanding of the ecological stakes.

Finally, there is nothing more important now than to wake up and to wake others up. And as we wake up we will grieve. But we will also be joyful. Because we are working for a new day. A new day is coming that maybe our great-great-great-grandchildren will enjoy. The day of Post-Petroleum Man.

It's Only Depressing If It's True

Here is another midnight movie. This one is from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. ABC Four Corners Peak Oil 2006 Documentary. A rather bland title to be sure. Nevertheless, it is a very good film.

Now some may say that all this talk about Peak Oil is depressing. Well, it's only depressing if it's true. There are plenty of folks with official titles who say it isn't true.

Solution: Believe them and be happy!

I should add this: Even if it is true, one is not required to be depressed. One can--if one so chooses--become aware, informed, and flexible. Life is change. Adapt.

Religious Leaders for 9/11 Truth

I thought it was to time to add my name to the list of religious leaders challenging the official 9/11 story. It is Religious Leaders for 9/11 Truth.

There are only 124 so far on this list (125 when my name gets added). But I'm in good company. In addition to David Griffin, also signing are Walter Wink, John B. Cobb, and even a few Presbyterians. More important to me than the number of signatures is that I think it is the right thing to do.

The official account of what happened on September 11th, 2001 is a smokescreen and a cover-up. We need the truth if for no other reason than that truth matters.

Here is the statement:

The religions of the world share universal values of love, truth, and justice, and believe in helping those who are oppressed or otherwise in need. Many religious persons try to engage in activities to make the world a better place, and they trust in a Higher Power to assist them.

When faced with actions that conflict with the universal moral principle that we should not do to others what we would not want done to ourselves or our loved ones, members of faith communities have a responsibility to voice their opposition to those actions. Many religious leaders throughout history have publicly challenged morally unacceptable practices---recently, for example, in the civil rights and anti-apartheid movements.

A significant moral challenge has emerged due to glaring discrepancies between the official version of the events of September 11, 2001, and the results of extensive independent research by individuals with relevant scientific or professional expertise.

“Independent” here means independent from the U.S. administration that was in power at the time of the 9/11 attacks. The official reports about 9/11 were not independent in this sense. The 9/11 Commission was run by its executive director, Philip Zelikow, who was closely associated with the Bush administration. The official reports on the World Trade Center were produced by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, which, as an agency of the U.S. Commerce Department, was run by people employed by the Bush administration.

The independent research, which has led to conclusions that differ radically from the official account, has been carried out by scientists and professionals in many relevant fields. It has led to the creation of several professional organizations, including Veterans for 9/11 Truth, S.P.I.N.E.: The Scientific Panel for the Investigation of Nine-Eleven, Pilots for 9/11 Truth, Scholars for 9/11 Truth and Justice, Architects and Engineers for 9/11 Truth, Firefighters for 9/11 Truth, Lawyers for 9/11 Truth, Healthcare Professionals for 9/11 Truth, and Political Leaders for 9/11 Truth.

As a result of this extensive research carried out by scientists and professionals, it can now be seen that the official account of 9/11 is false beyond any reasonable doubt.

This conclusion presents a significant moral challenge because this false account has been used as the pretext for the so-called War on Terror, which has had enormous negative consequences, including:

• the killing and maiming of millions of innocent people;
• the portrayal of Islam as an inherently violent religion, of Muslims as especially likely to be terrorists, and of Muslim nations as devoid of any right not to be attacked;
• the employment of torture, extraordinary rendition, and other practices---including curtailment of the civil liberties of American citizens---that violate the US Constitution, international law, and the moral conscience of the world;
• the expenditure of hundreds of billions of dollars for militaristic, imperialistic purposes; and
• the acceleration of the ecological destruction of our planet, including widespread radioactive poisoning caused by depleted uranium munitions.
  

Because the false account of 9/11, besides being an enormous lie told to the American public and the world as a whole, has led to all these evils, it is incumbent on religious leaders, once they realize that the official account is a lie, to speak out, because to fail to speak out is to acquiesce to the cover-up.

Religious leaders from every tradition are encouraged to sign the petition and thereby become members of Religious Leaders for 9/11 Truth. "Religious Leaders" are here defined as people who exercise (or have exercised) a leadership role, whether in a lay or professional capacity, in or on behalf of some religious community or organization, or who teach (or have taught) religion from a faith perspective.

Becoming a member of Religious Leaders for 9/11 Truth will not necessitate any further action other than signing the petition---although further action to spread 9/11 truth is certainly encouraged.

If you are ready to join Religious Leaders for 9/11 Truth and would like to sign the petition, go to the Sign the Petition page and state your name, religious affiliation, and leadership role, along with (optional) anything you would like to say about your reason for signing.

PETITION

WHEREAS religious leaders seek to promote various universal values, including love, justice, and truth; and

WHEREAS religious leaders throughout history have spoken out on moral issues; and

WHEREAS the official account of 9/11 has been shown by scientists and professionals in relevant fields to be false beyond a reasonable doubt; and

WHEREAS the official account of 9/11 has been used as a pretext for wars that have killed and maimed millions of innocent people and caused enormous ecological damage to our planet; and

WHEREAS the official account of 9/11 has been used to increase military spending and thereby to withhold needed spending for health, education, welfare, infrastructure, and the environment; and

WHEREAS the official account of 9/11 has been used to indict Islam as an inherently violent religion and to justify discrimination against Muslims and attacks on Muslim countries; and

WHEREAS the official reports about 9/11 have been produced by individuals closely affiliated with, or even employed by, the Bush administration;

THEREFORE we, the undersigned members of Religious Leaders for 9/11 Truth, ask President Obama to authorize a new, truly independent, investigation into the attacks of 9/11 immediately, because such an investigation is long overdue, being owed to the 9/11 families, the American people, and the peoples of the world---especially the peoples of Afghanistan and Iraq.

In Oil We Live and Move and Have Our Being

Time for your midnight movie. This is The Oil Factor: Behind the War on Terror. Filmed in 2004, it connects some dots regarding the Project for the New American Century and the U.S. grab for oil in Iraq and Central Asia. In October 2004 Democracy Now! did a show about it.

It didn't do so well in explaining Peak Oil, but it did point out that these "wars on terror" are really "wars for remaining oil resources" and they will not end in our lifetimes.

Unless, of course, Americans become Americans and get our heads out of our behinds and refuse to cooperate with all of the killing, drug dealing, lying, and stealing done so that our so-called non-negotiable "American way of life" will continue.

More and more movies, books, websites and so forth are talking about Peak Oil. As they should, of course. I hope more and more people will

1. Connect the dots
2. Resist
3. Get local
   
4. Build lifeboats
5. Be kind
   

While you still have internet watch this film on Google Video.

A Slow News Week for the LayMAN

The LayMAN has decided to take a few shots at the new vice-moderator of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Rev. Landon Whitsitt.





In a meandering post that moves from wikipedia to crowdsourcing to Phyllis Tickle, former editor of the LayMAN, Parker Williamson, has gone on a Whitsitt hunt.

The Holy One of Lenoir explains Whitsitt's "world":

What’s lacking, of course, is our refusal to acknowledge any authority above ourselves. We’re talking here of a world without God, a world that does not – will not – hear “Thus says the Lord,” a world where “crowdsourcing” is all there is.

This is the world that the Presbyterian Church (USA)’s vice moderator embraced when shortly after the General Assembly adjourned, he opined that “Scripture is no longer an authority.”

To get what Parker is talking about, you have to follow his link to another LayMAN article entitled: PCUSA Vice-Moderator: "Scripture is Not the Word of God".

I have to say the title alone is enough to make me admire Whitsitt. At most "Word of God" is a metaphorical combination. I personally think it does more harm than good and that we should stop using it as I wrote here.

I am not sure that is where Landon is. I'd hate to see the poor guy sent to hell because I have praised him. Finally, after working through the links I find the the source of the damning quote, an interview with Whitsitt shortly after he took office, A Leader Rethinks Church. Yet this is all I found:

'Sola Scriptura' is dead most places, and dying rapidly in others. So where do we lodge the authority of our faith? That's the real battle we see fought in the church. We're not really arguing about LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) inclusion, we're arguing about how we read the Bible.

I still haven't found where he said, "Scripture is not the Word of God."

Maybe he said, "Scripture is not the Word of God" somewhere else or maybe the LayMAN is just telling an Appalachian tall tale. They are common in these parts.

Landon's quote about sola scriptura is interesting. I personally think he is doing a good thing for the church. I wonder if the difference between the "worlds" of Parker and Landon is the difference between understanding faith as clinging to a slogan and repeating it vs. reflecting on what it means and making some decisions about its usefulness.

Good job, Landon. These are questions the church needs to talk about even if it is brought into the conversation kicking and screaming.

UPDATE: OK, I think I found it. At the end of the first LayMAN article, it reads:

Whitsitt added that he believes Jesus Christ is the final authority, and the disagreement over Scripture is on how it’s read and at what point it should be authoritative.

“What I’m trying to do is place Scripture at a specific point in the process of trying to discern what the Word of God would have us do,” he said. “Scripture is only a reference point to the Word of God, it’s not the Word of God, you know, capital W. It’s only a reference point.”

That is not the same as declaring as the title did: "Scripture is not the Word of God."

What Whitsitt is saying is pretty standard stuff. I mean what else can a metaphor do but point?

It's Cause I Love Ya

That I think you might want to watch this film and share it with family and friends. Then ask if you are ready spiritually and emotionally for

A Crude Awakening: The Oil Crash

You can watch it on your computer right now:

Meaning of Life, Part 61

Mike Ruppert has condensed his core beliefs into four "compass points" that provide direction for the "map" of the global industrialized society. This is his view in a nutshell of where we are and where we are going.

NORTH – A NEW, SUSTAINABLE HUMAN PARADIGM MUST BE ROOTED IN LOCAL, CHEMICAL-FREE FOOD PRODUCTION, EXTENDED FAMILY AND COMMUNITY

The two primary and most visible points of contact between humans and the earth are where one sleeps and where one’s food originates. Our future relations with each other and the planet will be governed by distance and a return to ways of life that allowed our species to survive in a pre-industrial world, and preserving and adapting technology to a new set of priorities. Local food production will become the foundation of human experience, art and culture.

Chemical-free agriculture and Permaculture are the most effective, direct and unfiltered forms of exchange with the planet. They will enable the largest numbers of people to survive the transition between old and new paradigms. Since everything that we eat and wear was once alive and since all life originates from the earth, it follows that our relationship with our ecosystem is of primary importance.

There will be bigger risks, pain, suffering and loss throughout the transition. Yet there will also be a rediscovery of infinitely greater possibilities for joy and the fullest-possible expression of the human soul.

SOUTH – UNTIL THE WAY MONEY WORKS CHANGES, OUR SPECIES IS TRAPPED IN AN INFINITE-GROWTH PARADIGM WHICH THREATENS ALL LIFE

There is a 96% correlation between GDP growth and greenhouse gas emissions resulting from the burning of fossil fuels. – The current economic paradigm centered around the “personhood” of corporations and founded upon fractional reserve banking, compound interest and fiat currency is, by definition, a pyramid scheme and unsustainable. – It is more profitable to destroy life under this paradigm than it is to save it.

This dying monetary paradigm is for now the dominant factor governing relationships with the planet. There are but two options for those wishing to survive: Change that paradigm or disengage from it to the maximum extent possible and allow the old paradigm to wither and pass. It is not possible to change the monetary paradigm. Therefore, disengagement is essential as the old paradigm collapses. Disengagement to whatever degree possible will become a matter of life and death, and perhaps the survival of our species.

Money will be completely redefined. Establishment of local and regional currencies or mediums of exchange outside the control or influence of the current paradigm is an essential step in disengagement.

EAST – INFINITE GROWTH ON A FINITE PLANET IS NOT POSSIBLE

Everything humans eat, breathe, drink, wear and consume is taken from the earth. There is an inherently sustainable balance point for human population – influenced by its lifestyle – and the earth.

Cheap and easy-to-obtain fossil-fuel energies (coal, oil and natural gas) are depleting rapidly. Energy that has allowed for the extraction, manufacture and transportation of everything consumed by humans is disappearing. Oil and natural gas are not just energy sources. All plastics, fertilizers, pesticides and most pharmaceuticals, lotions, paints, resins, cosmetics and many other products depend on chemical input from oil and natural gas. These chemical inputs cannot be replaced by alternative energies. – There are ten calories of fossil-fuel energy in every calorie of food consumed in the industrialized world. Food production, with fossil-fuel input, has enabled the earth’s population to grow by more than five billion people in the last 150 years. If the fossil fuels go away, the food goes away, leaving depleted, chemically-dependent topsoil behind. – All other life-essential resources, especially fresh water, are under severe stress.

It is not possible to change the energy infrastructure to an unknown combination of alternatives because we have waited too long and there is no combination of alternative energies capable of supporting the edifice built by fossil fuels.

Population and ecological balance will be restored whether humans participate or not. Active, conscious participation can mitigate consequences. Destroying the ecosystem we live in and failing to adjust and reprioritize our use of resources is, therefore, suicidal behavior. Change must happen from the bottom up and individually from the inside out before it can happen from community and cultural levels with increased effectiveness.

WEST – HUMAN POPULATION WILL INEVITABLY REDUCE BY BILLIONS OF PEOPLE AMIDST GREAT SUFFERING AS THE SUN SETS ON INDUSTRIAL CIVILIZATION

The Die Off, as it is called, is an integral part of the irreversible collapse of human industrial civilization. It cannot be avoided. It can only be mitigated. It may be that from this Die Off and transition, a new consciousness will arise among humans or in fact, a new kind of human species: Post-Petroleum Man.

--Michael Ruppert's Collapsenet