I’ve been pondering this one for a while–is there such a thing? Somehow, I seem to also ascribe a “saving grace” to preserve my own desire for whatever I feel guilt about. If there were a list of things I feel guilt about include:
- Enjoying my motorcycle too much (guilt: gas/environmental impact/pollution; saving grace: smaller footprint than a car)
- Computing (guilt: environmental impact for cheap construction/labor, hazardous materials, digital divide; saving grace: less paper use, greater equality among who controls media sources)
- Television/Movies (guilt: less focus on interpersonal relationships; saving grace: greater storytelling possibilities)
- Listening to my iPod (guilt/saving grace: see television/movies)
- Living in a city (guilt: greater impact on the environment, dependence on “the grid”; saving grace: options for transportation, smaller “footprint”, shared resources and systems)
- Working in a private school (guilt: separate school for money; saving grace: ability to openly combine religion with education)
My Quaker guilt seems to have less to do with Scripture and righteousness and more to do with whether I am living equally with others and within a sustainable, environmental life for the Earth.
27 Wishes 