How Some Conservative Climate Deniers will Pivot – Extreme Weather Caused by Gay People, Abortion
January 6, 2015
2015 may well be the year when the retreat of climate denial turns into a stampede. The National Journal reports today on “Legislators to Watch if you Care About Climate Change”. These include some that I’ve already reported on here, and a few others. Clearly there is mounting concern among congressional staffers, who may have a boss who is wedded to denial, but who also know that 2015 is likely to be an El Nino year, all but guaranteeing yet another “hottest year” record, right on the heels of the 2014’s new mark.
I’ve reported before that, as changes in climate become all the more obvious, and extreme events more common, an easy pivot for a significant fraction of climate deniers, those not particularly interested in policy, will be to appeal the the base of fundamentalist religionists who wish to believe we are in Biblical “end times”, and that extreme events, sea level rise, and melting ice are evidence of one’s apocalypse of choice.
The “Prayer Guide’ for a coming conference of conservative Evangelicals in Louisiana, which, as noted above, was removed from the event web site after raising some eyebrows among local media, is still available online.
Prayer Guide for “The Response” conference:
Day 2–Locust plaguesCONSIDERATIONIn (Biblical prophet) Joel’s day Israel experienced the destruction of a massive locust plague. The nationʼs economy was crippled because of the decimation of the agriculture. The reason these plagues came was because of the peopleʼs negligence to worship and serve God with their whole heart. Because the people grew cold and eventually departed from God, they experienced incredible hardships. The result of their inner departure was multiple external crises.In America today we face a similar crisis. We have watched sin escalate to a proportion the nation hasnever seen before. We live in the first generation in which the wholesale murder of infants through abortion is not only accepted but protected by law. Homosexuality has been embraced as an alternative lifestyle. Same-sex marriage is legal in six states and Washington, D. C. Pornography is available ondemand through the internet. Biblical signs of apostasy are before our very eyes. While the United States still claims to be a nation “under God” it is obvious that we have greatly strayed from our foundations in ChristianityThis year we have seen a dramatic increase in tornadoes that have taken the lives of many and crippled entire cities, such as Tuscaloosa, AL & Joplin, MO. And let us not forget that we are only six years from the tragic events of hurricane Katrina, which rendered the entire Gulf Coast powerless.
Climate Denial Crock of the Week 
January 6, 2015 at 3:47 pm
afa: Good Christian Morality at its best!
Bryan Fischer Thinks Jesus Would Support The Use Of Torture
January 6, 2015 at 4:49 pm
Christian brainlessness at its best!
“Enhanced interrogation techniques are (…….not torture)”
Or fill in the (….) with any one of the endlessly repeated and mindless talking points from one of the biggest assholes on earth. The “torture” here is having to listen to Fischer for 9 minutes.
PS He makes Omnologos sound like Einstein. (Speaking of listening as torture, where’s Omno lately?)
January 6, 2015 at 9:07 pm
Here’s what I find fascinating about your video clip:
1) the ‘making mild’ ‘gentle Jesus’ is, by all accounts, the historical Jesus. As near as we can tell: this is who the guy (if he existed at all) really was. The Gospels made it D*MN sure, by multiple accounts, that we understood who this guy was!
2) the ‘warrior with robe dipped in blood’ (Romans) who has come back for JUdgment!… is somebodies fever dream with a 2,000 year history of failing to materialize. Right about now, you can set your clock by how reliably Romans has gotten ‘future Jesus’ wrong.
and yet demigogs like Fischer never fail to treat these two images of Jesus as if they had the same historical veracity.
January 6, 2015 at 4:26 pm
I find calling rightwing wingnuts “Conservatives” (note the capitalisation) strange. While they might call themselves that, they are in fact extremists. Their thinking is so far from normal it can’t be labelled anything but extreme. One might be tempted to suggest it as extreme an outlier as the 1998 el Nino.
January 6, 2015 at 4:36 pm
“How Some Conservative Climate Deniers will Pivot – Extreme Weather Caused by Gay People, Abortion”
Well, you do know that 9/11 was God’s punishment of America for allowing gays and abortion, don’t you?
If it makes you feel any better (it doesn’t actually make me feel better, but…) I’ve spent some time in Islamic countries, and I can assure you that Christianity doesn’t have a monopoly on spreading ignorance, stupidity and violence.
I don’t have much love for religion, especially big organized religions that wind up running a country, even if indirectly. Sadly, this human need for some sort of a religion is pretty ubiquitous. Even in countries that ban religion (ie North Korea), the government comes up with some sort of substitute (again, North Korea, google Kimilsungism). I’ve known people who broke with the religion of their childhood and declared themselves atheists, only in later life to adopt some new religion or cult. There is a strong human desire to believe in a magic force that governs our lives and provides us a means to live for all eternity.
I guess religion can do a few good things. Churches, mosques and temples are generally picturesque, and at least provide some social outlet, a sense of community, and occasionally charitable services like food banks or clothing donations. If only they could keep themselves out of politics, they might actually do more good than harm.
January 7, 2015 at 2:05 pm
Keep themselves out of politics! I have a hunch (based on history) that religion has always been a political tool. Keep the peasants in their place.
January 7, 2015 at 6:39 pm
yep, the opiate of the masses
January 8, 2015 at 12:49 pm
Represent! My old home town of Branson MO showing what a backward hick town it is. So glad my parents chose to move away in the 80s. The Ozarks are lovely to look at but too crazy to live in.