Via Digby, a quote that really captures the issue with modern theologians:
“…the earth will end only when God declares it’s time to be over. Man will not destroy this earth. This earth will not be destroyed by a flood…. I appreciate having panelists here who are men of faith, and we can get into the theological discourse of that position, but I do believe God’s word is infallible, unchanging, perfect.”
– John Smircus, head of House Subcommittee on Environment and Economy
In short, the earth can’t break because God wouldn’t let it.
While I can give some obvious arguments why this is fallacious (like, if he exists, maybe God believes we are “grown ups” who can take care of our world – after all didn’t God us “dominion” over nature? That sounds awful like a “care-taking” job), however the more important point is the mindset. That mindset is: we don’t have to worry because God will make it all ok.
That’s scary, and as I’ve argued with the faithful, I’m fine with people believing what I don’t consider true as long as that difference of opinion doesn’t lead to the suffering of myself, or more importantly my family. In this case, given those effectively in charge of our future are largely religious, their faith effects my future. So here I do have a real problem with religion.
In the end it’s as if we’re stuck in the backseat of a car with the driver, one of the faithful, voluntarily being asleep at the wheel heading for a cliff – all the while us screaming from the back for them to please wake up!
Can one of us non-believers take over the wheel? At least long enough to turn the damn thing in a different direction?
UPDATE:
I should note I believe some of the faithful are actually ok with Global Warming et al because they see the destruction of the Earth as a necessary part of the coming Rapture. That delusion in some ways is worse to me, but in the end it doesn’t matter – the effect is the same. No matter what, my family and I are screwed.
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