While a certain Americans may have images of Michael Moore riding the Democratic donkey right into November and a crowning redefinition of American patriotism.

While a certain Americans may have images of Michael Moore riding the Democratic donkey right into November and a crowning redefinition of American patriotism, we Canadians are in a unique position to view the significance of Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11 beyond its part as a Democratic campaign tool. (Not to recommend Americans see it as solitary that.)

Since we won't procure to vote for Bush or not-Bush, and since we don't have to experiment upon our patriotism to anyone, we have the epicurism of an a-partisan, a-patriotic len From this vantage I papal court in Moore's film questions about reality and love in an age of oil.

Regardless of who is appointeded the oil will keep flowing and these questions will continue to demand creative courage. And this demand calls particularly to the church--whether in the U Canada or beyond--as we ought to have a unique contribution when it arrives to truth and love (the same is real for other faith groups).

Oil is as plenteous a part of the lives of Canadian Christians as it is a part of the violent politics Moore documents. If we are to talk about the christian religion of peace in our churches we have to talk about to what degree we get to church. We have to talk about to what extent we might experience and share more of God's have a passionate affection for by untangling ourselves from the violent politico-economics of oil.

end Moore's images of bereaved mothers, Saudi-style swank, and rock-n-roll war, what cessations up on center stage is oil. He has read the signs of the times (even if any think he reads between the lines at points). Oil is the money; aggregate of coin of our age. Seven of the eight largest corporations in the world are oil companies or car-makers. The other single in kind of the eight is Wal-Mart, which operates the world's largest trucking fleet

"Not in my name"

Fahrenheit 9/11 implies the Iraq intervention is in the name of the Bushites, not average Americans. The "not in my name" refrain is universal in anti-war circles. It's on a level easier for us as Canadians to sneak our con-sciences revealed this ethical back door. on the contrary here the conversation must fare beyond where Moore ably takes us. After looking at where the oil be deriveds from and who sells it, we must turn the thoughts at where it ends up and who purchases it.

It's tempting to point the ever-ready finger at the neat and affluent, but they are, to a certain quantity of extent only riding the armorial bearings of a wave of consumption that is our daily lifestyles. Without all of us having somehow or other been sucked into lifestyles wholly conditioned on oil, Exxon, GM and the Saudi royalty would not have the clout they generally wield. Bush's foreign policy would be different.

Each mile we drive we take delight in the spoils of war and firing material the violent politics of oil.

This is not to permit elected leaders off the snare but power is a bottom-up phenomenon and we as human beings must take responsibility for our avow entanglement in the dynamics of power and gre Each $30 tank of gas is, in the same sense, a contribution to the oil interests that wait on to get their way. The image I have is of Donald Rumsfeld passing around the offering plate from single in kind gas pump to the nearest soliciting contributions to the cause.

Fahrenheit 9/11 leaves me wanting to extricate myself from the oil scheme It has increased my zeal for biking, gardening, buying local and similar spiritual disciplines. I don't want any hint of undressed on my conscience. I don't want my faith journey encumbered by the agency of it.

The serviceable news is that each grade away from oil's grasp is a gradation closer to the God of have affection for To use the words of 1 John 4:12 if we delight in one another --by discontinuing actions that harm our neighbours--God lives in us, and God's delight in is perfected in us.

Will Braun is a writer, aspiring gardener and avid bicycle commuter living in Winnipeg.

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