Slow Down on your Carbon Fast

California Catholic bishops, in their own laid back and chill out fashion, have suggested that Catholics do a carbon fast for Lent. Among their suggestions for each day of the season of penance: remove a light bulb and don't use it for the 40 days. Turn your thermostat down by one degree. Check the pressure on your car tires. Come on, Dad, let's hike to Mass rather than drive.

Wow. Those hungry children in Haiti are sure going to benefit from that. To all you AIDS sufferers in Africa: we feel you. We'll turn down the heat. The Catholic Climate Covenant is coming to your rescue with an entire, ahem, litany of how Catholics can make this world a better place for you. That's right, and action for each day of Lent which will reduce your ghastly carbon footprint.

What an absolute absurdity. With all the real trouble in the world, not to mention all the truly serious sins committed day in and day out, in this season of becoming more Christ-like all we have to do is gauge the air in our tires and we're one with the Lord. Incredible.

Have we become so complacent and jaded that we really think carbon fasts are the best we can do for the sake of the human condition? Here's a note to all you California prelates: it is better to save one soul than all of inanimate Earth. How much of that have you done in recent times?

The Church, which stands for all which is eternal and important, should not be in league with passing fads. Do we really believe that we cannot benefit the greater human family more significantly than by turning off a bulb? Can Church representatives become any more shallow?

It is actions such as this which marginalize the Church to a greater degree than opposition to condoms to fight AIDS or fighting gay marriage initiatives. If you want to become a historical footnote, maintain this course. But if you truly want to make people better people, get your head out of the California sand and talk about the things which really matter. Like salvation.