One of the world's most respected climate scientists is also an evangelical Christian

[doggie]

man this would be like being a spy among the enemy. I am surprised they don't kick her out of the church. 

 

Unfriendly Climate

Texas Tech’s Katharine Hayhoe is one of the most respected experts on global warming in the country. She’s also an evangelical Christian who is trying to connect with the very people who most doubt her research. Too bad the temperature keeps rising.

- See more at: http://www.texasmonthly.com/articles/katharine-hayhoe-lubbock-climate-change-evangelist/?utm_source=fark&utm_medium=website&utm_content=link#sthash.LPcfLWLk.dpuf

 

Quote

One clear day last spring, Katharine Hayhoe walked into the limestone chambers of the Austin City Council to brief the members during a special meeting on how prepared the city was to deal with disasters and extreme weather. A respected atmospheric scientist at Texas Tech University, the 43-year-old had been invited to discuss climate change, and she breezed through her PowerPoint slides, delivering stark news in an upbeat manner: unless carbon emissions were swiftly curbed, in the coming decades Texas would see stronger heat waves, harsher summers, and torrential rainfall separated by longer periods of drought. - See more at: http://www.texasmonthly.com/articles/katharine-hayhoe-lubbock-climate-change-evangelist/?utm_source=fark&utm_medium=website&utm_content=link#sthash.LPcfLWLk.dpuf

 

[Anonymousguest]

I have heard her on NPR. I think she's written a book about climate change for Christians. 

[PennySycamore]

I hope you're right @Anonymousguest.  Unfortunately, evangelicals are overrepresented among climate change deniers.

[Anonymousguest]

22 minutes ago, PennySycamore said:

I hope you're right @Anonymousguest.  Unfortunately, evangelicals are overrepresented among climate change deniers.

Yeah, I don't understand it. God told his people to take care of the earth. Christians should be the biggest environmentalists. Why do corporations weigh heavier with Christians than carrying for the earth. I tried reading Ken hands take on it, but I couldn't understand his logic either. something about evolution and young earth and it's not that they don't believe three climate is changing, just that people aren't the cause. (Which is not true of people in my own personal circles, they say it's not an issue at all). But I am unable to connect all the food. I don't see why believing in a young earth means we should not use less coal. 

[ScreamingIzzy]

3 hours ago, Anonymousguest said:

Yeah, I don't understand it. God told his people to take care of the earth. Christians should be the biggest environmentalists. Why do corporations weigh heavier with Christians than carrying for the earth. I tried reading Ken hands take on it, but I couldn't understand his logic either. something about evolution and young earth and it's not that they don't believe three climate is changing, just that people aren't the cause. (Which is not true of people in my own personal circles, they say it's not an issue at all). But I am unable to connect all the food. I don't see why believing in a young earth means we should not use less coal. 

To be fair, many Christians ARE environmentalists. My progressive Christianity so different from fundamentalist Christianity it is functionally a completely different belief system. 

I know there's a lot of religious diversity on FJ, and I think it's a huge benefit to our community (and serves as a valuable example) that we're all able to talk with one another, laugh with one another, and respect one another in the midst of that diversity. 

[SilverBeach]

1 minute ago, ScreamingIzzy said:

To be fair, many Christians ARE environmentalists. My progressive Christianity so different from fundamentalist Christianity it is functionally a completely different belief system. 

I know there's a lot of religious diversity on FJ, and I think it's a huge benefit to our community (and serves as a valuable example) that we're all able to talk with one another, laugh with one another, and respect one another in the midst of that diversity. 

+1000. My church is also progressive, I could not be a Christ follower if that meant being fundy. We stress reducing, reusing, and recycling, and care and respect for the earth as God's creation.

[formergothardite]

A lot of Christians do care, but I have noticed that it isn't something the churches around here really push. 

Some of the more fundie Christians around here don't care at all because they think Jesus is about to return so it won't matter if they screw up the world. 

[doggie]

the biggest reason I have seen to deny it is that to fix it is going to cost money it is going to t o take massive government intervention. thats the biggest fear so it is easier to deny it then face what it will take to fix it. 

 

[Helga G. Pataki]

3 hours ago, doggie said:

the biggest reason I have seen to deny it is that to fix it is going to cost money it is going to t o take massive government intervention. thats the biggest fear so it is easier to deny it then face what it will take to fix it. 

 

This. Which means that if they're wrong about climate change, they'll still be spending way more on damages they could have prevented. 

This issue has become my soapbox recently, because I've belonged to a church that rolls their eyes at the "liberal environmentalists" all the time. It wasn't until I started really thinking about their positions on other issues that I started realizing environmentalism shouldn't be a religious belief or a political one.

[sophie10130]

I've heard a lot of reasons for various evangelical christians to not be environmentalists

1. There's NO way God would allow us to ruin his creation! God will step in before it happens.

2. Jesus will come back soon.

3. It's the heathens who are doing this, not the Christians. (but these people still don't want to vote for any bills to change policy)

 

Also, the man who proposed the theory that the Universe is expanding which later turned into him theorizing the Big Bang was a Monsignor in the Catholic Church. It hasn't always been Jesus against Science.

[RosyDaisy]

Slightly off topic. My ministers had a choice of taking our youth group to the Creation Museum or the Space and Rocket Center. They chose the latter. It's kind of a tradition to go there anyway.

[princessmahina]

18 minutes ago, RosyDaisy said:

Slightly off topic. My ministers had a choice of taking our youth group to the Creation Museum or the Space and Rocket Center. They chose the latter. It's kind of a tradition to go there anyway.

The creation museum seems so dull. I can't imagine anyone getting excited to go, unless they're fundies with literally nothing better to do.

The space and rocket center kicks ass though. Even without the exhibits, it has fun rides and that nasty astronaut ice cream kids love so much.

[onlyme]

I think it depends on where you live. I know when I was looking for a church in the city, most of the churches there were at least environmentally conscious. Like not having bulletins any more, having recycling cans, re usable coffee cups, at least stuff like that. But even 10 miles out into the suburbs and that seems to evaporate. 

Another part of why many evangelicals deny is because environmentalism didn't start with them. And they can't be instructed by nonbelievers, they have to be the ones instructing. Yeah, they'll give you all the nonsensical reasons named above, but when push comes to shove I think that's it. If they acknowledge the truth that they didn't know until it was shown to them (either by materialist scientists, or pagans.) then their god, who is supposed to be all knowing and giving them all the lead info, didn't tell them something really major. And that would create a crack in their bubble. They can't handle that. 

It takes another generation having to come in and changing it. But they can't handle that either. Which is why they have to constantly indoctrinate. Not just on things pertaining to faith and church life, but science, politics, etc. 

Of course, I'm not saying all Christians. But you can't deny this is a major group in Evangelical Christianity. It seems like those having the oldest traditions seem to have more flex. Almost like, "Yeah, change, we've done it before." While newer groups are more like "No! We have to protect the purity of the Word of God!" when what they mean is we have to protect the idea that the Bible can be interpreted literally and as though the whole thing is consistent. But that's another topic. 

[louisa05]

One big factor is the intertwining of American Evangelicalism with Republican politics. 

[RosyDaisy]

My husband and I met at the Space and Rocket Center. We went back there for our 1st anniversary in March.