Page 2 RAIN Dear RAIN, The letter by Murray Bookchin depresses me, as do a number of other treatises in RAIN of April 1980. "We have met the enemy and they are us," as Pogo philosophized, and we are using the tools of literacy as weapons for destroying our basic human traits of being "cooperative, responsible, and loving." I agree with Bookchin's thesis that we should not allow bureaucracy organization to allow technology to solve technological faulty thinking; we should indeed encourage what he calls "people's technology," which is "appropriate technology," but his uses of these words as well as "democracy," "community," "libertarian," "non-hierarchical society," and "education," etc. are very unclear as to "the relations between living" (human) organisms and their environments" from my ecology of the spirit point of view. What kind of "appropriate technology" can correct our bastardization of such key words? If the ecology movement, including the buzz words " appropriate technology" (appropriate to what? The human being? Who he?) are to get anywhere, the first priority is that of forming a community. In every animal society the edge of a community is defined by where effective communications fail; it follows then that if there are no effective communications about what the real human relations problems are today (which I claim is the case about which I will say more later), then there is no community. If there is no community, there is no use in talking about effective "democracy." Why does Bookchin alienate Brown and Hayden (and Barry Commoner) followers in order to make a point that is systemic in nature? Indeed, why does RAIN kid itself, about an impossibility, a "dialogue" about the misnamed "population problem?" (The real problem is unwanted children, and the solution is an existing "appropriate technology" which exists but cannot be distributed, an abortifacient that free-will women can take in secret and thus avoid the arbitrary power of religious and other ignoramuses. Only local discussion can work this problem-solving situation out by knowing the characters of those who are dictating a law.) "Love thy neighbor," the basic law of all religions, is a law because it is not natural for us to love one another. It is tough going. If it were natural and easy for us to love one another, there would be no need for a law. And, lastly, love is the effect of inviting the best out of self and others. tools, methods, books, people, designs, etc., to the underlying philosophy that you would have shape and guide the brains that operate the hands that use_ the tools that do the work involved. I welcome and applaud such analysis as greatly needed and long overdue. But remember, to be radical means to cut to the roots of a matter, to examine everything critically. And if the Bible is right, the true roots of society, of family, of individual people as well as the Love, Albert T. Hapke, Jr. Mendocino, CA Love is the effect of inviting the best out of self and others. Dear Carlotta: I read with interest your review of When God Was a Woman in the April RAIN. As I have not read the book yet, I do not know what is your thought and what is Ms. Stone's, so I will apologize in advance if my criticisms of you ought to be directed to her instead . . . . I wish I had the time and education to refute all your erroneous views concerning Biblical thought you have presented here, but I can only point out that Christianity is not dualistic. God is sovereign and evil exists temporally at the sufferance of good in order to demonstrate long suffering, patience and glory. Man and woman are not dichotomies but rather equal fellow crea- ·. tures in God's image under God's dominion. Happiness is not antithetical to suffering but suffering is either the result of man's rebellion to the law of God or it is the means to refine the character of the saints to their greater happiness. But what I do have the time to say is that I have watched as you move from the nuts and bolts of appropriate technology, the RAIN purpose of,the cosmos is to be found in God and Him as revealed in the Bible. If the Bible is to be trusted, then the only possible means to reconstruct society along human and ecological terms is to understand that Word. In particular, it is obvious that our society completely lacks any conception of proper stewardship of resources. Why? Because if man is the measure of all things, then whatever man is in control (that goes for any women in control as well) will see himself as the ultimate judge of correctness and just as obviously choose whatever benefits him. Simply put, self-centeredness breeds contempt; this contempt allows for despotic usage of power over both people and-nature, which leads to where we are now. The only way that an ethic can be developed that will have the characteristics we desire of concern for people, conservation of material creation, efficient usage of resources, economics as fulfilling human needs, not filling garbage dumps and men's pockets, is to develop a concept of man's responsibility before an almighty God who Journal of Appropriate Technology RAIN is a national information access journal making connections for people seeking more simple and satisfying lifestyles, working to make their communities and regions economically self-reliant, building a society that is durable, just and ecologically soun~. . RAIN STAFF: Carlotta Collette, Mark Roseland, Becky Banyas-Koach , Jill Stapleton, Dawn Brenholtz, John Ferrell, Laura Stuchinsky RAIN, Journal of Appropriate Technology, is published 10 times yearly by the Rain Umbrella, Inc., a non-profit corporation.located at 2270 N.W. Irving, Portland, Oregon 97210, telephone 503/227-.5110. Copyright© 1980 Rain Umbrella, Inc. No·part may be reprinted without written permission. Typesetting: Irish Setter Printing: Times Litho 'Cover Photo: "Rivertown Porch Fronts" by Karen Gottstein
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