Serve God, Save the Planet (part one)

Written by J. Matthew Sleeth, a former ER doctor, Serve God, Save the Planet is Christian call to action. I think Francis Shaeffer put it best, "If I am going to be in the right relationship with God, I should treat the things he has made in the same way he treats them."

I'll be honest, this book is a personal challenge for me. I tend to disregard large portions of the global warming argument, and find myself frustrated that the concern is more for creatures and less for humans. However, I am concerned about the environment, and would like to be a more contentious consumer who contributes positively to the world (socially, politically, spiritually and environmentally). So, reading this book is me easing my way into a more informed position and life style.

Right off the bat, page 1 of the forward Rev. Richard Cizik sets the tone and position for the rest of the book. "The earth is on the verge of ecological collapse, and we are the cause." I know that this is a hotly contested issue, potentially the dividing line between two opposing groups. I tend to be one to disagree, that we are not the sole cause of this pending ecological collapse, however that does not negate our role in being better stewards of the planet.

In Chapter 1 Sleeth describes the things he and his family have done to live a less materialistic, more environmentally friendly life. They sold their big house and downsized, instead of leaving 2 barrels of trash every week, they now leave 1 bag every few weeks, they hang their clothes out to dry, and grow a vegetable garden. Sleeth wrote, "Because of these changes we have more time for God. Our spiritual concerns have filled the void left by material ones."

Caring for the environment as the responsibility of each and every individual is something I can get on board with! "...as those who consider themselves people of faith-grow in their understanding that God holds people accountable for care of his creation, we will begin to see positive changes on an unprecedented scale."

It is time that we begin to care and think critically about the consequences of our choices.

Sharia law in Britain

Through out Britain there are dozens of sharia courts or councils established in mosques, Islamic centers and schools. These courts have no basis in British law and hold no legal binding; however, with the growing number of British Muslims wishing to follow Islam the need for and use of these councils are growing.
For example, an Islamic marriage is not recognised by British law and therefore many couples will have two ceremonies - civil for the state, and Islamic for their faith. "Dr Hasan, who has been presiding over sharia courts in Britain for more than 25 years, argues that British law would benefit from integrating aspects of Islamic personal law into the civil system, so that divorces could be rubber-stamped in the same way, for example, that Jewish couples who go to the Beth Din court have their divorce recognised in secular courts."
I generally am opposed to the idea of of sharia courts or the establishment of any court outside of a countries national laws. However, in the area of personal law, I can see how beneficial it may be.
The article makes an interesting distinction between the various aspects of sharia law, worship, personal law and penal law. "Penal law is the duty of the Muslim state - it is not in the hands of any public institution like us to handle it. Only a Muslim government that believes in Islam is going to implement it. So there is no question of asking for penal law to be introduced here in the UK - that is out of the question."
The question remains for me, how far? How much leeway should the sharia courts have in British society? And what of Dhimmitude, the relationship of Muslims and non-Muslims at the theological, social, political and economical levels?