this post was submitted on 04 Sep 2023
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How conservative christians became the greatest opponent of environmentalism will likely forever remain a mystery for me. If there is one thing worth conserving it would be gods creation surely?
Same way they can look at the metaphor for capitalists are destined for hell a la stuffing a camel through the eye of a needle unharmed - by choosing to interpret the eye of a needle to actually mean a gate arch or some shit.
Instead of changing yourself to follow the beliefs in the word of your God, you change your God's words to follow your beliefs.
Well, on the one hand, you have an old book you might read all the way through once (but probably not) that says to be responsible stewards of the earth. But on the other hand, you have people on the TV every night telling you to support whatever makes corporations the most money.
Old ideas can have value but it's hard to compete with new ideas when those new ideas have a lot more money and can be crafted to appeal to a specific audience (regardless of what's true).
Considering that the part about being stewards of god's creation is mentioned in the first chapter of the bible it's a feat to have missed it. But here we are
There was a study linked around somewhere in the last few days that said that political ideology was a greater factor in people's religious choices than the inverse.
I always figured their reply would be “Well, if the environment is going to shit that that’s what God wants. Don’t question his master plan. He only does things or let’s things happen for a reason.”
The faster we ruin the earth the closer we get to the apocalypse the sooner Christ returns and Yadda Yadda Yadda or some shit.
I remember watching a news report a few years ago where a bunch of people were basically saying exactly that.
"the earth was always meant to be temporary" is one I heard. Which for one thing rests on some heavy assumptions but also it is murder according the Jesus to be ok with your actions killing some farmer in Angola
A chunk of my extended family buys into this and it is part of why I don't ever visit them anymore. A couple of them listen to radio stations that preach this 24/7. Grandma was really religious and was the kind of person to hire immigrants, underpay them, then complain about immigrants being moneyless sinners. That side of the family amazes me...
Well that's Calvinists for you. I don't know why anyone ever listened to that guy but I sure wish they would stop
Unfortunately a literal reading of Genesis 1:28 says to subdue the Earth (master or control in a few translations, and use all the resources for God's purpose in one). Those trying to paint a nicer picture might change it to being stewards of the planet (which is what I always heard as a kid), but that's not what's there. To be fair, it was written in a time where the world seemed endless and humans couldn't possibly destroy everything, a mindset that lasts to this very day. Even less than a century ago we were okay with dumping stuff into the water or burying it, or burning things because it was a huge world and the smoke disappeared into the sky.
The really wild one is the Ann Coulter reading:
“God gave us the earth. We have dominion over the plants, the animals, the trees. God said, “Earth is yours. Take it. Rape it. It’s yours.”
(Referring to Dominionism and Genesis 1:28, on Hannity & Colmes, 20 June 2001)
Because that would require a modicum of critical reasoning and the willingness to occasionally and ever-so-slightly sacrifice for the benefit of others.
Just remember that the group you're describing are conservatives first and foremost. Christianity and the GOP are just their current excuses for their selfishness.
You're right. They have their bubble. Nothing else matters.
Have you seen the episode of Avatar where the fortune teller said the village wouldn't be destroyed by the volcano?
We believe the world won't be destroyed by mankind.
And a lot of anti-environmentalists are hunters and farmers. Like... ¿¿¿What???