Fundamentalists Versus The Environment

Last updated on: March 18, 2011 at 3:26 pm by Jeffrey L. Falick

Fundamentalists Versus The Environment 2011-03-18T15:26:00-05:00 Jeffrey L. Falick

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Social scientists often use the example of “cargo cults” as a way of illustrating how religions form. Now comes James Wanliss, professor of physics at Presbyterian College in Clinton, S.C., who uses the cargo cult phenomenon to explain, of all things, the “religion” of global warming.

Wanliss is the author of “Resisting the Green Dragon: Dominion, Not Death,” the companion book to the wingnut DVD of the same name. Here’s a sample of his genius:

Global-warming federal-scientific partnerships form the basis for several cargo cults. Many billions of dollars are thrown at studying global warming, and recent Climategate scandals reveal prominent scientists failing (or forbidding) to ask critical questions that might challenge cherished beliefs, or threaten gravy trains. Annual federal funding to study global warming is around $4 billion and rising.

…For Christians, Truth is paramount. My book “Resisting the Green Dragon” explains how for pagans, what matters most is power, not truth. So it was in Vanuatu where pagans worshipped the Serpent as a spirit of evil. They lived in abject terror of his influence and directed all their worship toward pacifying his rage. In cargo cult science, are we unconsciously returning to the dark age of magic, in which truth suffers and people tremble for fear that their smallest actions may offend an “angry” Earth?

Oy vey. Look who’s talking about “the dark age of magic.”

I’m a skeptic. I’m the first to question anything and everything. So I’ve done a little research and discovered what most reasonable people already know. Global warming is a real threat. This is a consensus issue among CLIMATE scientists (as opposed to people with unrelated Ph.D.s like Wanliss). It’s also an incredibly complex issue and predictions of the damage we’re causing are firm, but not always specific. This is because they’re scientists, not prophets.

The religious opposition to environmentalism is a disturbing and insane twist in fundamentalist thinking. Here’s an example from the DVD’s website:

Without doubt one of the greatest threats to society and the church today is the multifaceted environmentalist movement. Although its reach is often subtle, there isn’t an aspect of life that it doesn’t see to force into its own mold.

Environmentalism has become a new religion.

Environmentalism’s policies are devastating to the world’s poor.

Environmentalism threatens the sanctity of life.

Environmentalism is targeting our youth.

Environmentalism’s vision is global.

Did you ever notice how fundamentalists always throw the word “religion” at atheists? Now it’s the environmentalists. I thought these people LIKED religion!

More to the point, I am seriously confused about exactly what it is they oppose. Are they in favor of using MORE oil? Are they working for Exxon-Mobile? Perhaps Saudi King Abdullah is a secret Christian…or was Jesus an oil magnate?!

There’s no evidence of this (yet) but I think the warming climate is melting their brains.

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