First words…“There is plenty to be afraid of right now.”  Well, so much for the plethora of exhortations in the Bible not to fear or be afraid.

It is really rather wonderful that we have Dr Williams to explain our duty to the planet, the benefits of sharia law, Dostoevsky, and banking and economics.  It would be even more wonderful if he could find time in his busy schedule to explain to the nation what the benefit of being a Christian is, why they should believe in God and how their lives might benefit from following Christ.

The planet hasn’t been in such good shape for at least the last 350 years, probably much longer. About all that $#|+ going into the Thames without even removing the floaters ... has that been a problem recently? Any rivers caught fire? Is it still impossible to hang laundry in Liverpool for fear of it turning black before noon?

The facts are that wild Atlantic salmon are running in the Connecticut River for the first time since about 1680. Oysters are flourishing in Long Island Sound to the extent that oystermen there are desperate for new markets. Lobsters are flourishing. The polar bear population is burgeoning. The Alaska caribou herd has roughly doubled since the pipeline was constructed. The world has been cooling since 1998. The Amazon rainforest is expanding almost 50 times faster than it is being cut down. Any slaughterhouse wastes in any river in Britain? London pea soup smog still a problem?

Prosperity enables stewardship. +++Cantuar is befuddled.

Slightly edited by elf.

Bart Hall, your statement is partially correct.  In the west, perhaps we have better environmental stewardship.  But the oceans have been increasing in temperature - and that’s most of the world.  The polar bear population is a bit more complicated than you insinuate:  http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2006/1337/

But yes, thank the state and environmental stewards who have encouraged better treatment of the earth. 

Pageantmaster, I think Williams is doing precisely that:  telling us what a Christian should be doing in these situations.  And his book on Dostoyevsky is quite brilliant.  It’s about Christ.

So a Christian should be encouraging sharia law? That’s certainly a unique reading of the Bible, John, but then you always do give a novel twist to Christiianity. Those in the Episcopal /Anglican communion who actually fly the Unitarian banner quite happily would be quite pleased with it too, no doubt.

Can anybody tell me which religious order the brothers belong to, next to Bishop Chartres?  They are not Franciscans (no white cord).  Nor are they Community of the Resurrection ( =  Mirfield) because they wear black, sometimes with a scapular and never with a hood.  Society of the Sacred Mission?  Melanesian Brotherhood?  Something else?  Answers please.

RE: “But yes, thank the state and environmental stewards who have encouraged better treatment of the earth.”

Lol.

I’m thanking our excellent market that gave us the big dollars that allowed us to focus on other issues—something, for instance, that Russia did not have for so long.

Another wonderful victory for capitalism.

I have to admit that His Grace is right.

RW’s comments about “going with the grain of creation is actually very helpful - not only environmentally, but also (surprise…) in terms of sexual ethics. In a very few words RW has helpfully stated on of the pillars of the natural law position on ethics.