For many on the left, environmentalism has become a religion, no real surprise there. But the reason for the need of some religion, any religion, to fill the spiritual void on the left is rarely discussed. This article will examine some of the implications, and complications, of the new green creed -- which is, in fact, an ancient creed. It was once called "paganism."
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As an eminent environmentalist, I have to say he's right. I do feel shame at my anger for God and in it's place I worship nature.
Have you heard the good news of Jesus Christ? It's too late for me, but I hope you guys don't walk down the path to hell that some call "science" - believe me, it isn't fun.
I believe in protecting the environment because we all have to live here, but also because I believe it is a religious imperative. For me, it is part of tikkun olam (repairing the world), along with supporting struggles for social justice.
Judaism also stresses bal tashchit, that we are not to waste or unnecessarily destroy anything of value. It teaches that the earth is the Lord's and that we are to be partners with God in protecting the environment. It also teaches that a wise person considers the long-range consequences of his/her actions and that we must plan for future generations.
Most non-fundy Christians would agree. Fundy death cultists don't care because they either believe God will magically fix everything, or that they are about to be raptured out, so who cares if the planet suffers.
So my daughter likes to go through the yard and on the driveway and play with rocks and leaves. I wonder, is this a religion for her? Not everything is a religion. If you'd actually look up the word "religion" in the dictionary, you might actually understand the concept. But I doubt you'd do that. It goes against your fairy tale agenda.
So. Is "Environmentalist" a new troll or just horribly inept at sarcasm?
And worship of nature is the oldest, and only halfway logical, religion. You see, those who worship nature at least worship something real.
Two hundreds years ago, people said the same thing about sanitation and the need to deal carefully with garbage and human waste. Of course they changed their minds after massive cholera outbreaks started killing thousands of people. I imagine the anti-environment people will need to start dying before they'll change theirs, too.
It is not a surprise that anyone is concerned and interested in environmentalism, it's no real surprise that fundies are not. Do not conflate concerned interest and religion you bonehead. I know that's difficult for you to do since you see everything in terms of religion.
So entwined is fundiedom with right-wing politics that you preach whatever it's convenient for them to have you preach.
You stupid evangHELLical tithe-payer.
There is no god.
Belief is a stupid thing.
The bible is a poor guide to life.
Fundiedom has become the home of lying, deceitful, hypocrites, and the home of the political right-wing.
Anytime someone is passionate about an issue- the environment, reducing poverty, helping struggling countries- anything other than Teh Lord, they say it becomes their religion.
Just what is a religion to these people? According to the dictionary, a religion is a dogmatic belief system based on the supernatural and has some sort of hierarchy and clergy. Environmentalism has none of this so I guess religion is just another word to throw around for these people, like communist and Nazi and Hitler.
In a way they're right. Environmentalists are almost as nasty to people who disagree with their beliefs (especially in the "facts" in Al Gore's movie). Of course, Communism was also a religion (Communism was actually a secularized version of an extremist variant of Christianity that replaced the Christian Trinity with Marx the Father, Engels the Holy Ghost, and Lenin the Son). In a sense, Obama is running a religious cult as well.
This is why skepticism of any belief system that includes hierarchical structures is such an imperative. Numerous people have been killed in the past by religions such as Christianity, Islam, and Communism, although the deadliest religion in history has been Archism.
On an unrelated note: Where is this 'Fundie Word Redefinition Project' that the main page has been promising for ages? This idiot has just given us a flying start!
As for the actual content, one word:
"scientists"
I have visions of all these fake scientists plotting together, wearing borrowed white lab coats and wearing ludicrous joke-shop disguises and 'bald pate' wigs, lest they be uncovered by the 'real' scientists
*Sigh really come on now, since people in the past worshiped the Earth does that mean we have to destroy it so it doesn't compete with God? you know of all the things you could worship out there, worshiping the Earth makes more sense than most. We are here in fact because it exists, and without it we die. O crap there I go showing my true pagan colors again.
@#869909: "This is why skepticism of any belief system that includes hierarchical structures is such an imperative. Numerous people have been killed in the past by religions such as Christianity, Islam, and Communism, although the deadliest religion in history has been Archism."
As much as I agree with your point that hierarchical structures should be treated with due scepticism, I dispute your conflation of political systems with religious ones. Communism is not a religion, nor is archism a religion (although it is of course an eventual aspect of many religions). Religion is a separate word with a specific meaning and it helps no-one to apply it as a description of systems which might engender popular acclaim but which do not contain a supernatural element and all of the associations which that carries.
And now that I've paused to check the dictionaries for 'archism' I realise that it's not a properly recognised word. But, fair enough, it's clear what the poster meant by it; it's an understandable neologism.
We don't need "some religion, any religion", but we DO need the environment. If we fuck it up too much, we will become extinct.
On the left? Is that everyone to the left of Ann Coulter, or what?
Confused?
So were we! You can find all of this, and more, on Fundies Say the Darndest Things!
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