WHAT WOULD JESUS DRIVE?

website review
by stephen s4078770

New car sales figures for 1st century Bethlehem may be hard to find- so we can't be sure what Jesus himself would make of our obsession with the automobile but one web site is doing its best to guide today's Christians in their buying and driving habits.


'What would Jesus drive?' http://www.whatwouldjesusdrive.org/ is an initiative of the Evangelical Environmental Network (EEN) based in Wynnewood, PA in the United States. The founder of the movement is a passionate God-fearing and at the same time practical and down-to-earth man, the pollution-hating Rev. Jim Ball.

The Church's website has an environmental message that makes Christians and non Christians alike step back and think about their buying and consumption habits- especially when it comes to transportation. The website is dedicated to informing and guiding the public as to the virtues of environmentally based decision-making. By limiting your impact on your fellow human and on the environment, green decision- making according to the Reverend is just a new way to "love thy neighbour". The website details the purpose of the EEN as follows:

To help Christians and others (1) 'understand that our transportation choices are moral choices that for Christians fall under the Lordship of Christ' and
(2) 'take appropriate actions to address the problems associated with our transportation choices'.

The site has a very simple, user-friendly layout; no annoying ads for skin cream or holiday apartments, no pop ups, no gimmiks or other distractions. The title is the latest take on the hackneyed 'What would Jesus do?' Ball thus cleverly takes advantage of slogan-happy America to target that huge (and constantly growing) demographic of middle America- the evangelicals, credited by many as having been fundamental in putting Bush in the White House.

The website makes us aware that not all evangelicals in the United States are 'global climate change deniers'.
The environmental movement is often portrayed in mainstream and conservative Christian media as a modern day nature worshipping, pagan, liberal movement that (unwelcomingly) challenges a fundamental tenet of Christian doctrine; that God has given mankind charge of all of the earth's resources to do with as he pleases.

Born and raised in the Southern Baptist tradition, Ball, according to Laurie Goodstein of the New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/08/garden/08ball.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin is all too aware that conservative congregations have long been allergic- even openly hostile to environmental issues: passively allowing their leaders to lump greens in with hippies, communists, feminists anti-business groups and the anti-gun lobby. The EEN argues that environmentalism is actually at the core of Christianity.
Ball invites visitors to the site by saying:

'Here you will discover new ways to love your neighbor as we strive together to reduce fuel consumption and pollution from the cars, trucks, and SUVs we drive', adding, 'We believe the Risen Lord Jesus cares about what we drive. Pollution from vehicles has a major impact on human health and the rest of God's creation. It contributes significantly to the threat of global warming. Our reliance on imported oil from unstable regions threatens peace and security. Obeying Jesus in our transportation choices is one of the great Christian obligations and opportunities of the twenty-first century'.


The site provides an array of statistics that show America's obsession with individual car ownership is both environmentally unsustainable and goes against God's desire for us to use the earth's resources responsibly.

To be wasteful is thus to turn away from Jesus. Quoting Bible references that make mention of fundamental Christian virtues such as love, compassion, good-neighbour spirit and charity, Ball asks us to consider the following facts:

The largest source of global warming pollution in the United States is transportation (over 30 percent in 1998), and the United States is the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases.
In 1994, nearly 60% of U.S. households owned two or more cars and 19% owned three or more.
In 2000, 3 out of 4 workers drove to work alone, an increase from both 10 and 20 years ago. In addition, less than 5% use public transportation and less than 3% telecommute.

Ball asks Christians to support the cause by pledging a minimum $5 and by buying a bumper sticker. But much more than that he asks people, especially students, to make a pledge to honour the following:

'If my community is pedestrian-friendly and has good public transportation, I will choose an apartment/home that makes it easy to walk, bike, and use public transportation.
If I need a car, my first (or next) car will be the most fuel efficient, least polluting vehicle that truly fits my needs.
I will discuss the ethics of our transportation choices with others. I will contact government leaders to ask them to support public transportation. I will also contact automobile manufacturers and dealers and let them know my generation wants clean, efficient cars and trucks'.

In sum, Rev. Ball and the EEN urge Christians to organize their lives so that it is both easier and more desirable for them to walk, ride a bike, car pool and use public transportation. For example, if they do need to buy a new car, Christians should purchase the most fuel efficient one available. He targets the gas-guzzling off road market by saying SUVs should be purchased only by those who truly need them, such as rural people. Christian business leaders should encourage their employees to use public transport and participate in car-pools and avoid subsidized parking.

He makes one thing very clear:
Christian organizations should educate their members that transportation choices are moral choices. Ball is aware that this is actually a radical idea for many people, especially many Christians.

Unfortunately the website seems to have not been updated recently and the discussion forums are a bit thin on the ground. However there is a downloadable copy of EEN's "Creation Care" magazine-an interesting read.

In addition EEN proudly mentions how their campaign has impacted positively on government policy and public opinion, citing the fall in sales of SUV's since the campaign began and the rise in the popularity of small, more efficient cars. Ball also cites the fact that many Christian leaders have made pledges to support the EEN's efforts to raise awareness across America.

It is worth noting that Ball and the EEN have a great many detractors- often Far Right Christians but also other groups who label Ball and his organisation as crackpots who in fact denigrate not exalt the Word of God. They argue that these Christian environmentalists degrade Jesus to the level of a car salesman. One such website can be accessed at: www.av1611.org/wwjd.html

On the whole the EEN site is a good start for anyone interested in knowing how Christians can and are reconciling the issues of environmental awareness with their religious beliefs. The website shows quite convincingly how the two- environmentalism and Christianity are not at all in conflict but are in fact
complementary. Worth taking a look.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

http://www.av1611.org/wwjd.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/08/garden/08ball.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
http://www.whatwouldjesusdrive.org/