The Green Dragon : Is Global Warming a Religion?
How can a book go wrong with this introduction by Publius Redux? “Now, here is a novel analysis of the undercurrent of urgency and irrationality characteristic of climate doomsayers’ prophecy. This explains the haunting familiarity of the preaching and proselytizing we have endured from the climate change fearmongers.” (1)
Publius is introducing The Green Dragon by Dr. James Wanliss (2), a book about how environmentalism is committed to “the reconstruction of a pagan world order” and “rejection of Christian spirituality.” The author argues that the environmental movement “is a religion with a vision of sin and repentance, heaven and hell. It even has a special vocabulary, with words like ‘sustainability’ and ‘carbon neutral.’ Its saints are Al Gore and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.”
That would certainly add to Al Gore’s list of accomplishments, Vice President, acclaimed movie director, Nobel Prize Winner, now possibly a Saint. I’m not sure how you can Canonize the entire IPCC, or Al Gore while he is living, but reality is apparently not a problem here.
Dr. Wanliss is upset by the strength of the Christian environmental movement which is based upon good stewardship. He blames this on the National Council of Churches as he goes on “Both professing Protestants and Roman Catholics bear a burden of guilt for the current political mess we are in with the global warming and other hysterias,” he argues. “If the church had not turned from the gospel of Jesus Christ it is unlikely the Green Dragon would have been able to so deeply sink its fangs into our lives.”
Perhaps that’s a bit dramatic, but there’s more: “There has been, in past decades, a cosmic shift towards a social climate that begins to favor the environment — polar bears, trees, and bugs — over human beings.” Well, where would we be without the bears, trees, environment, and umm … bugs?
He continues “environmentalists have infiltrated Christian higher education by careful placement of teachers and teaching materials on environmental activism in schools associated with the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities. Little by little the wolves try to douse Christian resistance and lead sheep by troubled waters to accept the inevitability of a divine environmental movement.” And, according to him, they want to “synthesize a Christian environmentalism that can succeed “only by exorcising truth, and ultimately, by expelling Christianity.”
It’s hard to argue with that. Instead we’ll just fast forward to the reception Dr. Wanliss, Pablius, and their followers get when they stand before the Pearly Gates.
St. Peter: Why are all of you here?
Dr. Wanliss: We exposed the Global Warmists as pagans. We have saved Christianity from their influence. We’re here to claim our rightful place in heaven.
St. Peter, looking into a large black book: Hmmm. It says under Dr James Wanliss – “Poor stewardship, led a movement whose followers damaged the Earth that God had given man.”
Dr. Wanliss, looking nervous: We didn’t know it would turn out that way. Pollution is invisible – the changes to the Earth were so small at first – and we thought CO2 was only a plant food.
St. Peter: We gave you Science so you would understand those things. Didn’t you study it?
Dr. Wanliss: You know how those Global Warming scientists are, always going around casting doubt on our beliefs. You can’t be a Global Warmist scientist and be a Christian.
St. Peter, peering over his glasses: I don’t know. We’ve let a lot of them into Heaven. Who are you to judge them? And, he thundered, God is a little upset about that damage to the Earth.
Dr. Wanless, looking distraught: Are you going to send us to, to …?
St Peter: No, no. That’s not the punishment for poor stewardship. We’re going to send you back to Earth so you can clean up the mess you helped make of it.
Dr. Wanliss: But, but.. it’s hot down there and it’s certainly not a pleasant place to live. How would we know what to do?
St Peter, with a dismissive gesture: Some of you are scientists. Maybe you’ll get it right next time. We’ll check on you in 50 years. Poof!
(1) http://depantzd.newsvine.com/_news/2009/12/24/3674500-climate-the-new-god-of-left-wing-christianity (This article is now listed as “removed by the Newsvine community”).
(2)http://www.worldtribune.com/worldtribune/WTARC/2009/ss_politics0954_12_10.asp
Tags: al-gore, Climate Change, council-for-christian-colleges, global Warming, green-dragon, james-wanless, national-council-of-churches, religion
Posted on December 18th, 2010 at 10:28 am
I can certainly use some lighthearted laughter Dr. Moore. Your narrative is very attractive. The content is excellent. However, now Christianity does not seem to hold environmentalists pagans anymore. Rather there is rise of Christian Environmentalism.
I simple feel anxious when an essentially scientific fact (Climate Change) becomes insufficient to move people and a religious push becomes necessary to make us proactive.
Posted on December 18th, 2010 at 10:57 am
In the U.S., there has been much confusion about climate change because of the misinformation being spread for economic and political purposes. For most people, their religion stands for truth, so when the religious leaders or the Church supports a position, then the people will feel strong enough about it to act. Your article at http://climatechange.thinkaboutit.eu/?URL=http%3A%2F%2Fwe.thinkaboutit.eu%2Fprofiles%2Fblogs%2Fclimate-change-1 certainly adds to our understanding.
Posted on February 23rd, 2011 at 3:32 pm
Dr. James Wanliss has been been kind enough to place a critique of the above article at his web site: http://www.wanliss.com/2011/01/the-green-dragon-is-global-warming-a-religion/ .
Please note that the article was based on, and the quotes taken from, the two references given. Both were proponents of his book and neither seems to be a liberal news source.
Posted on March 4th, 2011 at 12:51 pm
Apologies for the delay in replying to you. I am rather swamped at my regular job (I’m sadly not a recipient of any big oil money to support my green initiatives). The preface explains my reasons for writing this book, and maybe my blog posts on post-normal science will add rationale.
Would you please send me your address, and my publisher will send out a book for you to review on your blog, as you offered, and anywhere else you please. I’ll be happy to clarify anything I can. My personal favourites are the last 2 chapters, so I pray you will slog your way through to there.
Also, I was not claiming anything political, as you seem to have assumed, when I wrote
“1. a liberal smattering of an article that a newspaper wrote about my book in December 2009”. I meant simply that you took a liberal smattering from that news article. Liberal meaning generous, and smattering meaning bits and pieces.
James
Posted on March 8th, 2011 at 10:34 am
Dear Dr. Wanliss,
Yes, teachers often do for free what others are paid handsomely to do. I am curious as to what led you to write your book. Thank you for the offer of a book for review.