Flying's a sin

[updated below]

According to Bishop of London, Richard Chartres (Daily Mail, UK, July 23):

Flying abroad for a foreign holiday is "a sin" against the planet, one of the country's leading bishops has declared.

Like murder, adultery and stealing, choosing to travel on jet planes has moral consequences, according to the Bishop of London because flights are doing too much damage to the environment.

In a highly controversial statement, Richard Chartres, 59 - who admits to regular visits to Russia - urged Christians to stop taking endless flights and to live a more 'eco-friendly' lifestyle.

He said: "There is now an overriding imperative to walk more lightly upon the earth and we need to make our lifestyle decisions in that light.

"Making selfish choices such as flying on holiday or buying a large car are a symptom of sin.

"Sin is not just a restricted list of moral mistakes. It is living a life turned in on itself where people ignore the consequences of their actions."

Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams seconded:

Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury who drives the eco-car, Toyota Prius, is also banging the green drum.

He has said: "We are not consumers of what God has made. We are in communion with it."

Al Gore is right: climate change is not a political issue, it's a moral issue, and it's an existential one to boot.

UPDATE July 24, 11:11 PM: Same story, other sources: Ekklesia, The Sun (UK), and The Sunday Times (UK). From The Times:

Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, said: "We stand before God’s judgment on these matters. In life we have to make moral choices over our sex life and over our domestic and financial affairs. We make choices of moral significance and our relation to the environment is no exception."