Piety is No Substitute for Technique

Thank you, Etienne Gilson.

This can be applied to so many things, "piety" being a metaphor. We can apply it to global warming, politics in general, or even the 13-year-old boy who recently lost a court battle to avoid chemotherapy.

I was watching the segment about the book "Money, Greed, and God" by Jay Richards on Book TV yesterday afternoon, it being a rainy day all day, and I was depressed about not being able to take my trash out without getting cold and wet. Anyway, he mentioned this quote, and I thought it could apply to a hell of a lot more than what he was applying it to at the time.

I was deep in thought about applying it to Obama supporters--those who think Their Man will get them through this tough economic time, so they "pray" and wait (mostly wait) for some sort of program to come through. Obama himself is practicing piety by designing these programs in order to capitalize on these down-and-outers (for heaven's sake, don't call them losers).

They hired a man who is large on piety and short on technique, just like we voted in Jimmy Carter so long ago, thinking our prayers were answered. Well, Jimmy showed us what he was made of, and Barack will as well--all hope and prayer, and no technique. Or rather, his technique will be to call in (or appoint) some crony from the Chicago days or Harvard days to come on and design a plan that will maximize power and charisma while minimizing perceived damage and the usual unintended consequences that crop up afterward.

Think of it this way: when a pope has a brain tumor, does he want the rest of the pointy-hatted crowd gathered around him to pray it away? Of course not! He goes to a brain surgeon just like everyone else--even he knows piety is no substitute for technique, and god doesn't have a medical license.

Now apply this to all those environmental do-gooders out there...especially Al Gore. Environmental piety by way of hybrid cars, solar panels, buying so-called "green power" and so on is no substitute for the techniques of conservation and efficiency, rather than just buying someone else's pre-fab way out of the box.