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 [italics in original].
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.
Aren't these people supposed to believe we are stewards of god's creations?
ReplyDeleteThe Reform Deist
My book "Resisting the Green Dragon" explains how for pagans, what matters most is power, not truth
ReplyDeleteThe symbols or signs used for Jesus in the first couple of centuries after his death was of a Shepard or the fish. Meaning he was the Shepard who brought the flock of mankind from the age of Aries (Sheep/Goat) to the age of Picies (Fish). Before him was mithra who brought mankind from the age of Taurus and he is always shown with a bull. The Cross was not a symbol of Christianity until Constantine saw a Cross with a spear in it in the Sun before a great battle. It was Roman imperialism that put Jesus on the Cross. Jews were scapegoated by the Catholic Church to protect the Power of Roman authority. Hitler used Martin Luthers flawed reasoning to do the holocost to give him the religious authority for German Imperialism. The reason why the Christian right hates Muslims is that the Prophet Muhommad said that when Christ comes back he will break the cross, thus ending the Power and Authority given to those christian pastors by the false idol of the Cross. Thier flawed reasoning has turned the second coming of Christ into the anti-christ in order to protect thier authority.
The issue with environmentalist go deaper into a false reasoning of Pauls. He stated that anybody who believes in Jesus will get ever lasting life because the wood that made the cross that Jesus died on was from the Tree of Life itself. Thus by his blood being tied to the tree of life believing in him brought everlasting life. But with that everlasting life comes the Power and Authority of the Cross over all non white peoples of the world. The Hatred of Environmentalists is because the Tree of Life is the Earth Herself and believing that protecting the Earth is like protecting the tree of life that gives everlasting life is a threat to the Power and Authority of White Christianity.
I've never met a Pagan who worships power or became a Pagan because they feared the power of the devil. And I spent part of my childhood on a Commune. Now the Christian Right, that's another story.