Comments on: Methodism in the madness

By: sillage

sillage — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 09:26:21 +0000

I didn’t mean to suggest that these issues haven’t been highlighted – it is more that in my experience nothing has reached the same level of social awareness, being so widely discussed with such passion. You are completely right of course that I could do a slideshow on preventable blindness – but I fear that without the awareness and media coverage few people would be interested in attending, so I simply give cash to Sightsavers

By: hatmandu

hatmandu — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 08:16:59 +0000

I suspect can offer a better answer to this than I, but… You make it sound as if people all round the world haven’t been campaigning to ameliorate all those things for many years. True, it’s difficult when the charity pot is thinly spread, and I’m sure no-one here would say that the causes you list aren’t deserving. Climate change is weirdly less tangible at the moment (though apparently becoming less so), but at least from a coldly utilitarian point of view preventing global disaster must have some importance.

Admittedly a lot of the impetus behind the climate change movement is because our own comfy lifestyles are threatened, which blindness etc don’t do; it’s always going to be easier for people to think of what’s near to them. Also, individual actions do seem minuscule. But part of it’s about trying to engender a sea-change of attitude. The heretic in the audience the other night in a way holds part of the core message: even if climate change isn’t a real threat, why are we wasting resources so much anyway?

In theory, carbon rationing systems would also provide more money to the poorer parts of the world that you mention, too, and hopefully help those other issues. If we forgot the climate aspect and simply proposed a redistribution of global wealth, might you be in favour?

Also, if you think preventable blindness is a cause to be more championed – what’s to stop you giving your own slide show, eh?!

By: sillage

sillage — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 19:48:39 +0000

…whilst I don’t take issue with the risks and future impact of Climate Change I guess I get a little irked (okay, okay, a lot irked) by the extent to which the issue (which will undoubtedly cause deaths in years to come) is starting to overshadow preventable causes of death now. I would love his evangelic spirit to be equally applied to the fight against malaria, preventable blindness, HIV, tyrants (Zimbabwe etc), famine etc.

These are by no means either/or choices, but I guess I think in terms of readily achievable material difference taking the priority. £17 spent on low energy lightbulbs (of which my house is filled) will reduce carbon emissions, but as an individual act will not make a material difference. £10 donated to Sightsavers (www.sightsavers.org)can restore someones sight through a cataract operation.

My point, I guess, is that we should be equally – if not more – passionate and active about making changes to benefit human lives now as about avert the risk of potential problems. We should be having slide shows about preventable blindess and steps we can take (financial, I know) to make a difference. I have some thoughts on why climate change has such a buzz about it, but I think I will save those until another post – certainly after House…

By: hatmandu

hatmandu — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 15:33:43 +0000

Thanks – indeed yes I’ve seen it. I ran out and bought the paper before emailiing them. Silence so far, unsurprisingly. Though I’m quite pleased with what I’ve written, I guess.

By: lisekit

lisekit — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 15:26:41 +0000

You may or may not find it interesting that the very same organ today ran thius article about faith and the environment. It's takes the angle that Christian faith has a role to play in protecting the environment, so it's not your angle, but it might tie in somehow. Or it might not.

By: drcosmos

drcosmos — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 15:23:19 +0000

Aren’t you a bit early? I thought that you were only supposed to form a new religion in 2017?

By: i_ludicrous

i_ludicrous — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 15:02:22 +0000

Momentarily, I read that as Peter Cook…

By: hatmandu

hatmandu — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 13:40:09 +0000

Well, in a spirit of optimism I’ve just pitched this to The Guardian…

By: hatmandu

hatmandu — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 13:09:27 +0000

These crossover things tend to go down a treat.

You’re kind, though I should probably explain that said commission is for a website I write loads for and happens to be edited by a mate – it wasn’t even my idea to write it, but I was mentioning my observation to him and he suggested a piece on it. I’m not very enterprising – I suppose bigger fish might be interested, but, well, um.

By: barnacle

barnacle — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 12:54:34 +0000

“We have always believed in homoousios.”