“President Obama once said he wants everyone in America to go to college. What a snob.”
-Climate denier Rick Santorum
Climate change’s Pharisees reassure us that the global-warming science is still settled. Never mind recent revelations of gross misconduct on the part of Britain’s Climatic Research Unit. Never mind its repeated refusal to release vital climate data. And never mind the legitimate questions that climate-change skeptics have been asking for some time. There’s nothing to see here; move along.
To remind myself what a Pharisee is, I checked my daily Bible lesson.
Daily Bible Study: Who Were The Pharisees:
The Pharisees perhaps meant to obey God, but eventually they became so devoted and extremist in very limited parts of The Law (plus all that they themselves added to it), that they became blind to The Messiah when He was in their very midst.
He who has ears, let him hear – Matthew 11:15
Santorum’s head-in-the-sand anti-sceince is bad enough but it’s a shame that dismissive and derogatory Christian propaganda/theology about the Pharisees and messiah (and “The Messiah”) are introduced either by Santorum or in response to him.
I agree. I appreciate that fools like Santorum make an easy target but, please, can we attack the psuedo science without attacking the misguided Churchianity that people like Santorum hide their anti-intellectualism behind?
I think all such denialism is not actually driven by any real faith in God that these people may have (apart from an almost subconscious ascent to the idea that we humans have a right to dominate nature rather than a responsibility to be good stewards of it).
For the vast majority, their denial of reality is driven by adherence to libertarian ideology and free market economics. However, because this would be immediately seen as them not acting in the public interest, a bit like members of the KKK, they hide behind a veil of pure white religiousity instead.
it’s not an attack on Christianity – I am commenting on ignorance, hypocrisy, and lies.
All well and good then. Santorum should take note that it would seem more likely that he and the Tea Party are behaving more like Pharisees; i.e. brood of vipers, blind leading the blind, etc..
I don’t see an attack here on Christianity. In general, though, I’d say it is hard for it to not get dragged down and misunderstood when Santorum is making a point of using his moment on the national state to associate it with his wacko ideology.
Sorry, that should, of course, be “the national stage.”
“If you think education is expensive, try ignorance”
I don’t think there is anything nobler than striving for and getting an education and achieving wisdom and understanding of the environment we share.
Although I’ve travelled far along that path, it still seems that I’m still at the beginning, and more discoveries and revelations await.
Santorum’s comments are ignorant and embarrassing in the extreme and do not reflect the world we live in.
He should take a look at a Chinese maths exam for 16 year olds, that would leave many US graduates just scratching their heads.
Unless America gets its act together, tackles fossil fuel addiction, “Taliban Tea Party” (so apt) and embraces renewable technologies – it will continue to become an intellectually impoverished 3rd world country.
Due to its greedy ideology, it has allowed itself to be hung by its own rope. Ridiculous credit, ponzi schemes, globalization, outsourcing and becoming an extreme importer of cheap goods has bankrupted the economy, given vast wealth to China and India and relocated its CO2 emissions to where there is less consideration of the environment.
Now is the worst time to turn against science and victimize scientists – they could just emigrate to China and receive the respect and remuneration they deserve, further impoverishing America.
China has the might, the money and the will to tackle climate change and sell its technology back to the West, and further increase its standard of living.
America has lost its way, and its grip on reality. 🙁
Seems like Santorum and his ilk are the true Pharisees, so obsessed with biblical literalism that they overlook the apparent message of Christianity of love, generosity, kindness, tolerance and understanding.
And never mind the legitimate questions that climate-change skeptics have been asking for some time.
Genuine skeptics have been asking legitimate questions for nearly 200 years: that’s how science has arrived at the current level of understanding of global climate.
I think what he meant to say was “And never mind the legitimate and foolish questions that climate-change deniers have repeatedly been asking and scientists have been answering time after time after time after time after time, until they’re sick of repeating themselves.”
Never mind multiple investigations found no
grossmisconduct on the part of Britain’s Climatic Research Unit. Never mind itsrepeated refusal torelease of vital climate data. Never mind that Santorum would not know what to do with the data, if it was given to him wrapped up with a pretty ribbon. Never mind that this is another example of a person seeking high office, without having any connection with the real world.Government of the people, by the
peoplemendacious, for thepeoplewealthy.