Even the Catholic Church is Down With Conscious Lifestyle

The idea that one of the most important contributions to social change that Westerners can make is to embrace a shift in lifestyle has been supported over and over again. I remember when people would dismiss my decisions to boycott certain companies. They argued that one person's consumer decisions doesn't accomplish anything. What they didn't realize is that each one of those "small" acts have shaped my lifestyle and affected the consciousness of those around me and visitors to consciouslifestyle.org.

Here's another piece of the puzzle. In 1991 Pope John Paul II authored Centesimus Annus, an encyclical on our economy. Here's the wisdom:

We must "create LIFESTYLES in which the quest for truth, beauty, goodness and communion with others for the sake of common growth are the factors which determine CONSUMER CHOICES, savings and investments."

Yet another random organic video....

"Store Wars...May the Farm be with you."

Ummmm, yeah. "Darth Tater," "Obie One Canolli," "Ham Solo," "Chu Broccoli," and "Princess Lettuce."

Like the Mouth Revolution video below the cheesey-ness kinda gets to you and makes you laugh.

http://www.storewars.org/flash/index.html

Mouth Revolution

Cheesey or funny? You be the judge.

http://www.mouthrevolution.com/

Holy Land Christmas Brings Joy Despite Conflict and Death

From America Magazine...

Once again Christmas in the Holy Land is faced with “circumstances of death and frustration,” but the holiday still brings joy and announces salvation to all, said Latin Patriarch Michel Sabbah of Jerusalem in his traditional Christmas message. “Christmas is coming to Bethlehem with the wall and the checkpoints on the ground,” he said in the message read to journalists at a press conference Dec. 20. “The occupation and deprivation of freedom on one side and fear and insecurity on the other continue as before,” he said. “Gaza remains a big prison, a place of death and of internal Palestinian dissension.” Though the West Bank city of Bethlehem should be a city of peace, it is a place of “conflict and death,” Patriarch Sabbah said. Peace could be reached if those responsible were “sincerely determined,” he said. Life in Bethlehem has become “very difficult to endure” despite the numerous solidarity initiatives, for which Palestinians are grateful. Palestinians’ “fundamental need” is for “peace, justice, freedom and an end to the occupation,” the patriarch said.

How Green is Your Sanctuary?

In the fall I wrote an article that was published in The Other Journal, which is a progressive Christian theological journal. I've been meaning to post it here for months, so I finally did so. Click on the paragraph below and enjoy.

The first time I visited Yale Divinity School was in 2005, on Earth Day. Chapel was filled with the language of creation. As we proceeded into the quad to enjoy the beautiful spring day, the songs, sermon and even silence seemed to be filled with environmental images. This theme of eco-awareness was palpable, like the feeling of grass beneath bare feet. Hearty organic bread was broken and organic wine was passed from worshipper to worshipper. A list of 10 practical things one can do to love God’s creation was distributed and a brown bag lunch with Cal DeWitt of the Au Sable Institute was enjoyed after the service. This was a very green sanctuary.

Vegan Chic

I recently added an article to consciouslifestyle.org about a growing trend of consumers becoming conscious about cruelity-free clothing. You can check out the article here. I also found a slew of vegan sites that I thought I would post. Such as...

Vegan Essentials
Vegan Store
Moo Shoes
And even Vegan MySpace

Since I started Conscious Lifestyle in 2005 many new sites about conscious consumerism have popped up. Keep checking consciouslifestyle.org for regular updates, inluding new companies, articles, and videos. We'll be adding Fair Trade products to the site this spring, and perhaps vegan products after that.