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Churches and synagogues going green

E-mail|Link|Comments (2) Posted by Michael Paulson October 26, 2008 06:07 PM

In today's Globe West, Erica Noonan and Brian Benson take a look at steps that religious congregations are taking to make their houses of worship more environmentally friendly. An excerpt:

Souls are saved in the sanctuary, but money is saved in the boiler room. These days, local churches and temples are taking a greenness-is-next-to-godliness approach to their sanctuaries, emphasizing environmentally friendly construction that ranges from low-flush toilets to solar power for religious lighting. It's a change in outlook for many religious leaders, who traditionally have been less than comfortable with the technical and financial nitty-gritty of making buildings more efficient.

(Photo above, by Suzanne Kreiter of the Globe staff, shows a worker at First Parish (Unitarian Universalist) in Needham, which had a "green renovation.")

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2 comments so far...

Who could possibly be against the green friendly measures written about in this article, both from environmental and money-saving angles.

But my concern, in this area still so influenced by Sts. Emerson and Thoreau, is that many think this is ALL there is to religion, worshipping creation, and forgetting the Creator.

Posted by gaudete October 27, 08 06:50 AM

Well, gaudete, Jerry Falwell and fellow fundies were and are against these and other green measures. Falwell was quite proud of his gluttony, not only in his prowess at the dinner table but also boasted how he and the missus both drove SUVs.

And your self-gratifying drive-by-swipe at, I presume, Unitarian Universalists is very telling. Would that Christians displayed the same level of civility, kindness and basic human decency displayed by Mr. Emerson and Mr. Thoreau. Sadly, too many Christians think believing in Christ "is ALL there is to religion," as witnessed by your perceived need to denigrate those who do not believe what you believe in.

I'm afraid to ask what you think about the recent cold-blooded murders at the UU church in Tennessee...

Posted by Arthur Two Sheds Jackson October 27, 08 12:55 PM

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Michael Paulson covers religion for The Boston Globe. He shared in the Pulitzer Prize in 2003, won the Mike Berger, Templeton and Supple awards in 2008, and is a four-time winner of the Wilbur Award.
E-mail mpaulson@globe.com.

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Harvey Cox, the Hollis professor of divinity at Harvard University, marks his retirement by asserting a little-used right of his professorship -- to graze a cow in Harvard Yard. Photo, by Barry Chin of the Globe staff, taken on Sept. 10, 2009 in Cambridge, Mass.