Al Gore:How Green Is He?

[scaeagles]

Again, what Gore does or doesn't do isn't the problem for me. If he weren't so apolocalyptic about the whole thing, it wouldn't be a story. It was like Jimmy Swaggart in the car with a prostitute and a playboy. Not the first man to do it, I'm sure, and not the last either, but in spite of his lack of infallability, it was a story because of his high profile status as some sort of moral leader.

Likewise, there was so much criticism of Bush for not going to Vietnam.....legitimate criticism. When it would come up, if I would dare to mention that Clinton not only didn't go, he spoke of loathing ithe military and now wanted to be commander in chief, I would be rebuked here about changing the subject from Bush to Clinton. "We aren't talking about Clinton!" was the repeated cry.

So, I completely respect, though disagree, with what Alex is saying. As far as justifying hypocrisy by pointing out that we are all hypocrits....it is an obvious thing to point out. I count myself among the worst as a professing Christian who does stupid and non Christian things daily.

[SacTown Chronic]

Apples to oranges, Leo. I wasn't defending Gore by mentioning Bush. I could understand the charge if I had brought up Bush's environmental record or some such. I was contributing to what I thought was a thread about political hypocrisy.



On the subject of Gore, I drive a hybrid but not one of the more fuel efficient models. Sometimes we ride our bikes to go get dinner but we usually take the car. i recycle but sometimes it's easier to throw my plastic water bottle in the nearest garbage can. Do these things disqualify me from teaching my children to be environmentally conscious? Should I be banned from speaking at the city council meeting where they will consider allowing housing developments in our wetlands?

Look at how Gore travels around the globe to preach his message. By jet. Has he ever heard of a satillite link or a phone call?

I remember you stating that seeing Reagan speak live in Sacramento shaped you politically. Do you believe you would have been similarly inspired by a conference call?

[Alex]

Originally Posted by scaeagles

So, I completely respect, though disagree, with what Alex is saying. As far as justifying hypocrisy by pointing out that we are all hypocrits....it is an obvious thing to point out. I count myself among the worst as a professing Christian who does stupid and non Christian things daily.

I'm not justifying hypocrisy by saying we are all hypocrites. I'm saying it is not hypocrisy when someone fails to live up to your standards of how they should live.

Gore does not say we should emit no carbon, he says we should be carbon neutral. This means he could be the biggest carbon emitter on the planet and still not be a hypocrite so long as he is also the biggest carbon reducer on the planet.

I'm also saying that failure to achieve perfection is also not hypocrisy. So even if Gore were proposing the lifestyle several people in this thread are erroneously trying to hold him to, it is not necessarily hypocrisy if he fails to acheive it 100%.

[scaeagles]

Originally Posted by Alex Stroup

I'm not justifying hypocrisy by saying we are all hypocrites. I'm saying it is not hypocrisy when someone fails to live up to your standards of how they should live.

I apologize for not being more clear on what I meant. You have not done that in this case, but others have (or at least that's what I think I read).

I didn't say Gore should live up to my standards. Not in the least. I clearly stated that I begrudge no one their wealth or private jets or large homes or whatever their extravagances may be.

However, again taking the example of Jimmy Swaggart, I don't believe he had ever said he was a perfect individual prior to his "fall". (As an aside, I am no Swaggart fan, it's just a good example.) However, didn't he lose his most of, if not all of, his credibility in speaking in terms of what is moral?

Sac, I cannot hypothesize as to if seeing Reagan in person vs. seeing him on TV would have inspired me any differently. I was inspired by him whenever I saw him speak. If you are passionate, that passion comes through a TV or a radio or a phone.

Gore can do whatever the he wants. He can preach his sermons, and I will fully admit that he has no credibility with me whether he preaches it or not or drives an Excursion. I just think it's humorous, really.

[Alex]

Originally Posted by scaeagles

However, again taking the example of Jimmy Swaggart, I don't believe he had ever said he was a perfect individual prior to his "fall". (As an aside, I am no Swaggart fan, it's just a good example.) However, didn't he lose his most of, if not all of, his credibility in speaking in terms of what is moral?

Again, this comparison makes no sense. It only makes sense if Al Gore is willfully failing to live up to a standard he claims to live to. So far, there is no evidence offered that this is the case.

Just evidence that he isn't living up to the standards that others have decided he claims to live up to but he has not.

You find this "humorous." Similarly I could find it humorous that you don't live up to Levitical law since you claim the Bible as the source of your morality. It doesn't matter that you make no claim that Levitical law is the ruling law of the modern Christian since Mosaic law was overturned by Jesus and the New Testament. All that matters is what I claim you should believe and act on based on my interpreation of what you actually believe.

Does me calling you a hypocrite because of this actually make you a hypocrite and therefore your hypocrisy is humorous?

You say you aren't judging him based on your terms but you are. Or else there would be nothing to find humorous here.