Tucson's God

Tucsonans worship the creation rather than the Creator. The god we worship in this city is the Environment. The great outdoors is the church of choice in Tucson and we make regular sacrifices to it by voting to buy up more and more land to prohibit its future use by people. Tucson has a history of passing and enforcing restrictive personal property laws. Many of the city reports spend a large portion of their text giving very detailed land and water use guidelines.

Tucson's blind worship of a false god is comparable to a situation found in the Bible in book of Acts chapter 19:21-41. The passage says:
When these things were accomplished, Paul purposed in the Spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, "After I have been there, I must also see Rome." So he sent into Macedonia two of those who ministered to him, Timothy and Erastus, but he himself stayed in Asia for a time. And about that time there arose a great commotion about the Way. For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Diana, brought no small profit to the craftsmen. He called them together with the workers of similar occupation, and said: "Men, you know that we have our prosperity by this trade. Moreover you see and hear that not only at Ephesus, but throughout almost all Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away many people, saying that they are not gods which are made with hands. So not only is this trade of ours in danger of falling into disrepute, but also the temple of the great goddess Diana may be despised and her magnificence destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worship." Now when they heard this, they were full of wrath and cried out, saying, "Great is Diana of the Ephesians!" So the whole city was filled with confusion, and rushed into the theater with one accord, having seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians, Paul's travel companions. And when Paul wanted to go in to the people, the disciples would not allow him. Then some of the officials of Asia, who were his friends, sent to him pleading that he would not venture into the theater. Some therefore cried one thing and some another, for the assembly was confused, and most of them did not know why they had come together. And they drew Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward. And Alexander motioned with his hand, and wanted to make his defense to the people. But when they found out that he was a Jew, all with one voice cried out for about two hours, "Great is Diana of the Ephesians!" And when the city clerk had quieted the crowd, he said: "Men of Ephesus, what man is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is temple guardian of the great goddess Diana, and of the image which fell down from Zeus? Therefore, since these things cannot be denied, you ought to be quiet and do nothing rashly. For you have brought these men here who are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of your goddess. Therefore, if Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a case against anyone, the courts are open and there are proconsuls. Let them bring charges against one another. But if you have any other inquiry to make, it shall be determined in the lawful assembly. For we are in danger of being called in question for today's uproar, there being no reason which we may give to account for this disorderly gathering." And when he had said these things, he dismissed the assembly.

The Bible calls us to be stewards of the creation not worshipers of it. Stewardship means that we manage it for God and for the benefit of people. The various reports conducted by our city leaders hint strongly that people moving to Tucson are the problem. By worshiping the creation rather than the Creator it causes our city to make decisions that remove large tracts of land from future development. This is not demonstrating love of our neighbors who are hurt by artificially high housing prices that exceed their ability to afford them. It will increase the tax burden on existing families to maintain Tucson's infrastructure. There is always a high price on the residents of a city that worships a false god.