According to yesterday’s Sydney Morning Herald, Australia’s most influential catholic, Archibiship George Pell, in a speech to US Catholic business leaders, said Western democracy was … suffering a crisis of confidence as evidenced by the decline in fertility rates and that:
“Pagan emptiness” and Western fears of the uncontrollable forces of nature had contributed to “hysteric and extreme claims” about global warming.
“In the past, pagans sacrificed animals and even humans in vain attempts to placate capricious and cruel gods. Today they demand a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions.”
Jennifer Marohasy BSc PhD is a critical thinker with expertise in the scientific method.
“In the past, pagans sacrificed animals and even humans in vain attempts to placate capricious and cruel gods. Today they demand a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions.”
LOL! That’s priceless, thanks!
Meanwhile on the other side of the pond…
http://www.google.com/search?q=evangelicals+%22global+warming%22
Interesting that his criticisms were limited to “extreme” AGW claims – not disputing the general science of AGW per se.
He’s also rightly identified the pagan tendencies inherent in the ” western civilisation’s a pestilence” colouring inherent in a lot of supposed environmentalism.
You have just proved Pell’s point Coby, when confronted with a dilemma you just google and link link link
Full text of speech; http://www.sydney.catholic.org.au/Archbishop/Addresses/200627_681.shtml
How things have changed in the Catholic Church. Not so long ago Pope John Paul II in a General Audience on 17 January 2001 called for conversion to ecology.
He stated:
“Unfortunately, if we scan the regions of our planet, we immediately see that humanity has disappointed God’s expectations. Man, especially in our time, has without hesitation devastated wooded plains and valleys, polluted waters, disfigured the earth’s habitat, made the air unbreathable, disturbed the hydrogeological and atmospheric systems, turned luxuriant areas into deserts and undertaken forms of unrestrained industrialization, degrading that “flowerbed” – to use an image from Dante Alighieri (Paradiso, XXII, 151) – which is the earth, our dwelling-place.
We must therefore encourage and support the “ecological conversion” which in recent decades has made humanity more sensitive to the catastrophe to which it has been heading.”
As a result of this the Catholic Church in Australia enthusiastically adopted the Grreen mantra.
The Bishop’s conference established Catholic Earthcare Australia, the executive was supported by an advisory council. This council comprised of prominent activists including Green politician Christine Milne who was also the Wilderness society’s nomination to and a Vice President of the IUCN.
http://www.tsv.catholic.org.au/organisations/earthcare.html
In 2002 this group produced a 20-minute educational video, The Garden Planet, sponsored by the Bishops’ Committee with assistance from Caritas Australia and the Franciscan Order. It was distributed to parishes and schools throughout Australia. Refer http://www.catholicweekly.com.au/02/jul/14/20.html
An early indication of this association emerged in September 2002 when the Catholic hierarchy made the extraordinary decision that the theme for 2002 Social Justice Sunday, 29 September, should be the Australian environment. Its statement was titled: A New Earth: The Environmental Challenge. See http://www.ad2000.com.au/articles/2004/aug2004p14_1705.html
Archbishop Adrian Doyle in Tasmania attended a Liturgy in the Forest, on 17 November 2002 in the so called Cathedral Tree in the heart of the Styx Valley with the Wilderness Society and green leaders.
In 2005 the Catholic Earth care Australia’s National conference was all about… you guessed it Climate Change:
This major National Conference brought together diverse members of the Catholic Church as well as representatives of public bodies, other faith communities, NGOs and international guests. Refer http://www.catholicearthcareoz.net/conference.html
Archbishop Pell’s comments appear to be a major change away from Ecological Conversion. Perhaps he has questioned the need to convert to “paganism”.
Sorry, rog, what dilema? Seriously though, don’t you find comparing pollution controls to human sacrifice to be a bit, well, hysterical?
The link was just to provide topical evidence of another religious take on this issue. You know, to show readers that environmental protection is not necessarily a pagan desire.
Pell sees it as pagan, but Michael Crichton draws similiarities to Christianity:
“Today, one of the most powerful religions in the Western World is environmentalism.
Environmentalism seems to be the religion of choice for urban atheists. Why do I say it’s a
religion? Well, just look at the beliefs. If you look carefully, you see that environmentalism is
in fact a perfect 21st century remapping of traditional Judeo-Christian beliefs and myths.
There’s an initial Eden, a paradise, a state of grace and unity with nature, there’s a fall from
grace into a state of pollution as a result of eating from the tree of knowledge, and as a result
of our actions there is a judgment day coming for us all. We are all energy sinners, doomed to
die, unless we seek salvation, which is now called sustainability. Sustainability is salvation in
the church of the environment. Just as organic food is its communion, that pesticide-free
wafer that the right people with the right beliefs, imbibe.
Eden, the fall of man, the loss of grace, the coming doomsday—these are deeply held mythic
structures. They are profoundly conservative beliefs. They may even be hard-wired in the
brain, for all I know. I certainly don’t want to talk anybody out of them, as I don’t want to talk
anybody out of a belief that Jesus Christ is the son of God who rose from the dead. But the
reason I don’t want to talk anybody out of these beliefs is that I know that I can’t talk anybody
out of them. These are not facts that can be argued. These are issues of faith.
And so it is, sadly, with environmentalism. Increasingly it seems facts aren’t necessary,
because the tenets of environmentalism are all about belief. It’s about whether you are going
to be a sinner, or saved. Whether you are going to be one of the people on the side of
salvation, or on the side of doom.
Whether you are going to be one of us, or one of them.
How truthy.
Link removed: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truthiness
” Today, one of the most powerful religions in the Western World is environmentism”.
I have heard the opposite-that environmentalism unfortunately is out of fashion.
For example , Erika Augustinsson, former Greenpeace media officer wrote in an article , that environmentalism needs to be more trendy!
She continued:” There is nothing as boring as a person on a party or in a bar complaining how bad it is to eat shrimps and making people to feel uncomfortable. The environmental movement needs a makeover or a faclift”. However, I don’t know if this statement reflects the reality?
While environmental care is undoubtedly a good thing, I too, Anna, have noticed that there are some ‘environmentalists’ who are boring, or even sinister.
I am old enough to remember the hippy movement of the 1960s. It was started by some gentle and loving, if a bit impractical, people. Love and understanding, who could argue with that? However, it soon was infiltrated by some nasty characters, who adopted the dress, walked the walk, and talked the talk, man. Free love turned into sexual exploitation, impregnation and abandonment, venereal disease, and even rape. Passive resistance turned into violent attacks on police – “let’s barbecue some pork”. Smoking pot turned into a nastier scenario of drug dealing, and the threats, greed and violence that go with that.
While there are plenty of good and gentle people in the environmental movement, I suspect that a few are there to exploit, seek media attention (sometimes by lies, half-truths, or exaggerations), smugly adopt the moral high ground, collect money, stage noisy demonstrations with megaphones and drums, etc.
Totalitarian group-think is encouraged by slogans, and massive emailing. I have noticed some very strange personalities – remember Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde?
Both politics and nationalism have been described as the last refuge of a scoundrel. We might add environmentalism to the list. Some strident environmentalists have a history of failure in other careers. This is the real danger for environmentalism – corruption from within, by attracting dubious characters, who will work their way up the ladder to power.
We have a very small local bushcare group (search on ‘roleybushcare’), and I am involved. If it ever became eco-fascist (highly unlikely) I would quit. In the mean time, I will try to inject some simple truth into the debate.
Some archbishops are enough to drive anybody to paganism.
My short answer to your Pell snippet is: right man, right country, right audience.
Going into more detail: are our fears and emptiness pagan? Maybe, it seems hard to find a true Christian these days, especially in the established churches. However I don’t think I would put the hollowness of the contemporary West down to our following the false god of environmentalism. I would put contemporary emptiness, low birth rate, etc., down to the pressures of modern living, which is dominated by that great, unexamined religious dogma, the belief in the free (selfish, competitive, dog-eat-dog) market which we must placate at every turn as if our economic health can be equated to spiritual health (religious leaders of the past would not have been afraid of naming its name, Mammon I think it was). Not that I think that the free market is a bad thing but these days it seems THE ONLY THING and the followers of those other minor religions such as environmentalism are be crushed beneath its juggernaut as it rolls on towards economic nirvana.
IMHO, in times gone by religious leaders would have been more concerned with matters such as corporate morality (perhaps perorating on the moral peril faced by businessmen of the AWB ilk) rather than pontificating upon those who were concerned about the fate of the little furry animals and how warm it will be next summer. It is strange, that, but perhaps I am dreaming of an Arcadian past where the village pastor shared such views and I am discounting the history of a clerical hierarchy that always tended to pander to the big end of town with whom they mixed.
Is the extent of your contribution, Jennifer, going to be quoting a pot-boiling author, whose scientific bloopers have given me many laughs in the past (although I admit that he can spin a rattling good yarn). He now seems to have become a little tin god in some circles, whom I presume formerly never bothered to read his works. I think that you are guilty of SLOTH of the worst kind and the good archbishop will have a penance for you.
Hey Davey,
I checked out the website, you’re doing a very good job ! I think it is very important to support local environmental groups and not just big NGOs. We have a wetland project where I live , a nature reserve for mostly migrating Arctic birds.
Ian K,
Since Peter Cullen was made an environmentalist of the year, and Ian Lowe an emertitus professor at various Australian Universities, and now me (or should it be I) an atheist have started quoting the ultra-conservative George Pell … one could perhaps be forgiven for believing we might all now be damned.
But slothful, never been accused of that before!
Who do you suggest we should all read to achieve salvation?
Tusen Tack Ann. Do you have a web site? At Goteborg University I remember a very big Arctic Gull (?) used to tap on the window for a biscuit. One of your friends? Today I burned off some leaf litter and dead grass near my house at Roleystone. It was a very mild fire, flames only 20cm high, and the magpies loved it. They stood around the flames in a half circle, warbling, and snatching up the fleeing spiders and beetles. I have seen a similar association between fire and birds in Africa. There the Maribou Storks stand in a line waiting for something tasty to run out of the grass, and other birds swoop about in the smoke to catch insects. Do Swedish birds like mild fires? Maybe Archbishop Pell could tell us something about St. Francis of Assisi and his sermon to the birds, linking it to the fires of hell and Global Warming. Could be a novel theological angle there.
Hey Davey your Swedish is very good!! Unfortunately I don’t have a website but this wetland project is north of Stockholm, in the middle of Sweden , where I live. It is in the middle of an old landscape that used to be roamed by the Vikings, there are many runestones here, about 1100 year old.
Interesting to hear about the fires and the birds and insects, I have never recognized that in Sweden, probably because I have only been near very small fires.
The wetland project is in Angarnsjöängen, which means ” the Angarn lake wetlands”. I found some pictures from Angarn, unfortunately they are not very good. The gull you saw in Sweden could have been a herring gull!
http://www.naturproduktion-bh.se/05/05-12/vallen/angarn3.html
Keep up the good work!