Discussion Paper

Action Principles

Empowered by grace and guided by the Holy Spirit, Christians are called to fulfill the Great Commandments to love God and neighbor, indeed to love sacrificially with a humble desire to serve others, and to act as Jesus' ministers of reconciliation of all things (2 Cor. 12:9; Mt. 22:37-40; Mk. 12:28-34; Lk. 10:25-28; Rom. 13:9; Gal. 5:14; Jas. 2:8; Dt. 6:5; Lev. 19:18; Jn. 13:34; I Jn. 4:7-8; Phil. 2:5-8; Col. 1:15-20; 2 Cor. 5:18).

We are to do the will of God by following Jesus ­ the Creator, Savior, Lord, Great Physician, and Prince of Peace.

How should we do this in light of the five moral concerns highlighted in Section II and the transportation options available to us? What transportation choices would Jesus choose?

Based upon the Scriptures and words of Jesus presented thus far, we provide three principles to guide Christians when choosing transportation options. These principles are to help us discover what Jesus might be counseling us in our hearts today.

1. Principle One - Choose the least polluting, most fuel-efficient transportation option available for the task at hand.
2. Principle Two - If a personal vehicle is essential, purchase the least polluting and most fuel efficient vehicle available that truly fits your needs.
3. Principle Three - Advocate for and support policies of governments and practices of businesses that provide citizens and consumers with the most pedestrian-friendly, fuel-efficient, least polluting and safest transportation options now and in the future.

Action Suggestions

The following action suggestions are based upon the three principles articulated above. These suggestions help Christians fulfill Jesus' teaching of the Great Commandments and the Golden Rule.

• Christians should organize their lives so that it is easier and more desirable to walk, bike, car pool and use public transportation more, and use personal vehicles less.


• When they move to a new location, Christians should choose a place that makes it is easier and more desirable to walk, bike, or take public transportation.


• When a new passenger vehicle is required, Christians should purchase the most fuel efficient and least polluting vehicle available that truly fits their needs and does not significantly threaten their safety or the safety of others.


• Christians could donate a significant portion of the money they save from fuel savings to missions.


• SUVs should only be purchased by those who truly need them, such as individuals in rural areas and those genuinely needing 4-wheel drive.


• Christian business leaders should encourage their employees to use public transportation and participate in ride-share programs, avoid subsidized parking, and purchase fuel-efficient business vehicles.


• Local churches should educate their congregations about public transportation options available both for their daily activities and for church services, and create ride-share programs to transport members to worship services and church activities.

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