The Banner Really Missed It
The Christian Reformed Church’s official publication, the Banner, recently devoted an issue to the problem of global warming. I had several reactions to items in the issue ranging from world view concerns to simple issues of common sense. Here are just a few:
First, amongst all the rhetoric the issue contained one fact upon which all of this seemed to be hinged. The fact was that the “past nine years were among the warmest 25 on record in the contiguous United States.” The author then goes on to state that the record began in 1895. My questions are: Has the method of measuring temperature changed in any way? Has the data source change? Are there more reporting weather stations now than there were in 1895? Is the methodology exactly the same? Has the technology changed in any way (better or worse)? If any of this is true, then what value is their data? Also, what value is knowing that within the last 25 years nine of the warmest years of the last 115 years have occurred? One can hardly project a global trend from this.
The article states that this statistic is “unprecedented in the historical record.” Of course it is. There is almost nothing of a historical record. Remember figures never lie…but liars sure can figure.
Second, much was made over the fact that lots of climatologists think there is a climate crisis. So, because lots of people think that it might be true, then it is true? Wouldn’t a climatologist tend to inflate the importance and crisis of his or her life work? We are all myopic and wish to have people listen to our crazy ideas. We all want to tell others how they should live their lives, and climatologists are no exceptions.
I should note that I absolutely love the insanity of arguing like this. “I did a web search and found lots of people are concerned.” If this kind of drivel substitutes for real meat of argument, then every position on every issue has plenty of backing.
Third, the issue stated that if we don’t accept the climatologist’s dire predictions and drastically alter our lives, we will “undermine the foundation of a sustainable world.” When I read that I had to close the magazine and read the cover again just to make sure it was Christian and Reformed. I can’t imagine any Christian let alone one with a healthy view of God’s sovereignty saying something like that. Of course, I guess that calls into question the author’s world view and his theology. Would God allow us to destroy the world? Hardly.
The earth is the LORD'S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.
Psa 24:1
The Christian Reformed Church’s official publication, the Banner, recently devoted an issue to the problem of global warming. I had several reactions to items in the issue ranging from world view concerns to simple issues of common sense. Here are just a few:
First, amongst all the rhetoric the issue contained one fact upon which all of this seemed to be hinged. The fact was that the “past nine years were among the warmest 25 on record in the contiguous United States.” The author then goes on to state that the record began in 1895. My questions are: Has the method of measuring temperature changed in any way? Has the data source change? Are there more reporting weather stations now than there were in 1895? Is the methodology exactly the same? Has the technology changed in any way (better or worse)? If any of this is true, then what value is their data? Also, what value is knowing that within the last 25 years nine of the warmest years of the last 115 years have occurred? One can hardly project a global trend from this.
The article states that this statistic is “unprecedented in the historical record.” Of course it is. There is almost nothing of a historical record. Remember figures never lie…but liars sure can figure.
Second, much was made over the fact that lots of climatologists think there is a climate crisis. So, because lots of people think that it might be true, then it is true? Wouldn’t a climatologist tend to inflate the importance and crisis of his or her life work? We are all myopic and wish to have people listen to our crazy ideas. We all want to tell others how they should live their lives, and climatologists are no exceptions.
I should note that I absolutely love the insanity of arguing like this. “I did a web search and found lots of people are concerned.” If this kind of drivel substitutes for real meat of argument, then every position on every issue has plenty of backing.
Third, the issue stated that if we don’t accept the climatologist’s dire predictions and drastically alter our lives, we will “undermine the foundation of a sustainable world.” When I read that I had to close the magazine and read the cover again just to make sure it was Christian and Reformed. I can’t imagine any Christian let alone one with a healthy view of God’s sovereignty saying something like that. Of course, I guess that calls into question the author’s world view and his theology. Would God allow us to destroy the world? Hardly.
The earth is the LORD'S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.
Psa 24:1
3 comments:
Amen brother. There is so much hysteria surrounding this whole thing and very little reasonable thinking.
I should have noted that had the article been pointing out our duty as stewards and our continuing duty to help redeem the earth, I would have been very open minded about my responsibilities as an environmentalist. It was written with an apocolyptic, man-centered, and doomsday point of view though.
It actually reminded me, just as all these doomsayers, of the chicken little on the street screeching about the sky falling. Why aren't these people laughed at? If we believe his comments on the editorial page the Banner editor is obviously a true believer in the end of the world scenario. I would expect more from a 6th grader.
I noticed today that there is an article where climatologists are decrying rice production in Asia as a major contributor to greenhouse gases. The bacteria breaking down animal manure is a problem.
These people are drowning in their own stupidity. I guess the only people who listen all watch Survivor, American Idol and Nanny 911.
It is amazing I know of these shows without owning a television or having ever watched them. I have a vivid imagination.
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