There's an interesting little piece in today's Christian Science Monitor about an invasive species control method that I must admit I have never considered: prayer. The author of the article notes that global efforts to manage invasive species are stalled by politics and by social issues, and goes on to suggest praying as something that can be done right now and that could inspire folks to come up with potential solutions and lead to greater cooperation. Sort of like brainstorming with God I guess. The article comes complete with a parable about a farmer with an enemy who intentionally introduces a weed into his wheat field.
I have to admit, the idea of people praying for a solution to invasive species problems intrigues me. I would have guessed this issue would be much further down on the prayer totem pole, somewhere below praying for an end to global warming.
P.S. - I know you Pharyngula pholks are out there. Be kind, rewind.
4 comments:
As a pharyngula pholk, I am not sure that I see the value of using prayer, but if in the end it encourages people to wash their boats between lakes, well I guess the ends justify the means.
PZ wants people to vote for you. I hope it helps out!
Hi Doctor,
Not being a theist myself, prayer didn't readily come to mind when I was thinking about responses to the ever-increasing invasive species problem. I have however, come up with a tongue-in-cheek solution to a small part of the English Ivy and Himalayan Blackberry in the Pacific Northwest problem.
I posted it on my blog here:
http://carbonfish.blogspot.com/2006/11/invasive-species-biofuels-and-idle.html
I enjoy your blog and find it a fascinating read.
Thanks,
K. D. Cline
Hi Jenn. I've prayed for lots of reasons, but never for controlling invasive species. Like you said, I think its pretty far down the prayer totem pole.
:)
Oddly enough, I have myself prayed for divine help in ridding central Texas of several invasive plant thugs.
The prayer goes, "Goddamnit! There's some more of that damn bastard cabbage (or other exotic pest)! I wish God would send a plague on that stuff!"
So far, God hasn't seen fit to strike it . . . or me . . . with lightning. I do feel led by Him to continue my evangelical work with a shovel, however.
Leigh
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