Philosophy Now Forum

I don’t believe that it’s but a coincidence that as ultra-conservatives come into power in the Western world, though especially in Canada and the U.S., global-warming and other serious environmental hazards are the last concern on most surveyed people’s minds, while the economy and jobs are the greatest consideration.
As I repeatedly, rhetorically ask: What good is creating or preserving businesses, jobs and a strong economy when the planet is deathly polluted and people are getting sick and dying because of mass industrial and vehicular pollution?
Regardless, heads remain bewildering very thick on these distorted priorities—perhaps thanks to the opinion-making of vast-majority, very pro-big-business and economy-orientated metro-daily newspapers.
But, still, why on Earth would so many governments go to such a resource-extraction, environmentally-apathetic (at best) extreme?
My theory, as one who’s spent some early years extensively consuming fundamental-protestant Christian preaching and teaching (on the local Christian radio station)—transmitted material including the evangelical sort towards which many ultra-conservatives claim to be devout—it’s crystal clear that such theology does not at all concern itself with a healthy, pristine Earth eco-system. For, according to the Book of Revelations, Earth is to eventually (perhaps, in many believers’ minds, sooner than later) be laid complete waste for a considerable period of time—if not permanently (depending on Biblical interpretation).
So, really, why the hell worry about an unhealthy state of the planet’s environment—especially when there are so many jobs to be had?

FrankGSterleJr wrote:I don’t believe that it’s but a coincidence that as ultra-conservatives come into power in the Western world, though especially in Canada and the U.S., global-warming and other serious environmental hazards are the last concern on most surveyed people’s minds, while the economy and jobs are the greatest consideration.
As I repeatedly, rhetorically ask: What good is creating or preserving businesses, jobs and a strong economy when the planet is deathly polluted and people are getting sick and dying because of mass industrial and vehicular pollution?
Regardless, heads remain bewildering very thick on these distorted priorities—perhaps thanks to the opinion-making of vast-majority, very pro-big-business and economy-orientated metro-daily newspapers.
But, still, why on Earth would so many governments go to such a resource-extraction, environmentally-apathetic (at best) extreme?
My theory, as one who’s spent some early years extensively consuming fundamental-protestant Christian preaching and teaching (on the local Christian radio station)—transmitted material including the evangelical sort towards which many ultra-conservatives claim to be devout—it’s crystal clear that such theology does not at all concern itself with a healthy, pristine Earth eco-system. For, according to the Book of Revelations, Earth is to eventually (perhaps, in many believers’ minds, sooner than later) be laid complete waste for a considerable period of time—if not permanently (depending on Biblical interpretation).
So, really, why the hell worry about an unhealthy state of the planet’s environment—especially when there are so many jobs to be had?

Although we can all sigh a sadness for the death of the earth, the problem with the levels of environmental decay and pollution have not in any sense harmed the health or longevity of the human race.
Life expectancy is at an all time high, and child mortality at an all time low. And it seems, that every instance of a new country technologizing always results in these trends being re-inforced. It appears then that the very thing that is causing what you warn as the end of the earth is the very self same thing that is improving the health and lives of humans.
In fact the most significant diseases have nothing whatever to do with pollution and the destruction of the environment - they are all the unintended consequences of affluence and longevity.
Cancer has always been with us, but most people would die of infection or malnourishment long before they were old enough to get cancer. Heart disease and obesity are also big killers that relate to long life and affluence.
Add to this the dominant ideology of Christianity and Judaism that demands that man be the master of nature and that it will all end in catastrophe - this leaves us little room to consider the earth.
We ain't gonna make it, and maybe we don't serve to. Earth will abide - even a nuclear disaster.

chaz wyman wrote:Add to this the dominant ideology of Christianity and Judaism that demands that man be the master of nature...

Where the hell did you ever get that crap, falling asleep and dreaming while trying to watch the BBC?

bobevenson wrote:

chaz wyman wrote:Add to this the dominant ideology of Christianity and Judaism that demands that man be the master of nature...

Where the hell did you ever get that crap, falling asleep and dreaming while trying to watch the BBC?

Genesis?

Genesis 1:26 wrote:And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

and

Genesis 1:28 wrote:And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

bobevenson wrote:

chaz wyman wrote:Add to this the dominant ideology of Christianity and Judaism that demands that man be the master of nature...

Where the hell did you ever get that crap, falling asleep and dreaming while trying to watch the BBC?

Have you never read the bible?

John wrote:

bobevenson wrote:

chaz wyman wrote:Add to this the dominant ideology of Christianity and Judaism that demands that man be the master of nature...

Where the hell did you ever get that crap, falling asleep and dreaming while trying to watch the BBC?

Genesis?

Genesis 1:26 wrote:And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

and

Genesis 1:28 wrote:And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

To say, "Christianity's dominant ideology that demands man being the master of nature," is a gross distortion of the above.

chaz wyman wrote:

bobevenson wrote:

chaz wyman wrote:Add to this the dominant ideology of Christianity and Judaism that demands that man be the master of nature...

Where the hell did you ever get that crap, falling asleep and dreaming while trying to watch the BBC?

Have you never read the bible?

For an atheist, you sure do a lot of Bible reading, except for the only book that counts, Revelation.

bobevenson wrote:To say, "Christianity's dominant ideology that demands man being the master of nature," is a gross distortion of the above.

Man being created in the image of God and therefore enjoying a pre-eminent position over the rest of creation is a pretty significant part of the ideology.

John wrote:

bobevenson wrote:To say, "Christianity's dominant ideology that demands man being the master of nature," is a gross distortion of the above.

Man being created in the image of God and therefore enjoying a pre-eminent position over the rest of creation is a pretty significant part of the ideology.

Except for cows in India, the rest of the world does not consider non-humans to have the same rights as humans. What planet are you from?

bobevenson wrote:

John wrote:

bobevenson wrote:To say, "Christianity's dominant ideology that demands man being the master of nature," is a gross distortion of the above.

Man being created in the image of God and therefore enjoying a pre-eminent position over the rest of creation is a pretty significant part of the ideology.

Except for cows in India, the rest of the world does not consider non-humans to have the same rights as humans. What planet are you from?

Are you even able to read properly? I just wrote that Christianity places man above non-humans.

John wrote:Are you even able to read properly? I just wrote that Christianity places man above non-humans.

And I said so does the rest of the world. So what's your point???

bobevenson wrote:

John wrote:Are you even able to read properly? I just wrote that Christianity places man above non-humans.

And I said so does the rest of the world. So what's your point???

I was responding to your claim that what chaz had written was a gross distortion of Genesis so don't try to move the goalposts by saying the rest of the world thinks the same. Even if everyone does think the same that doesn't mean the message isn't also in Genesis.

John wrote:

bobevenson wrote:

John wrote:Are you even able to read properly? I just wrote that Christianity places man above non-humans.

And I said so does the rest of the world. So what's your point???

I was responding to your claim that what chaz had written was a gross distortion of Genesis so don't try to move the goalposts by saying the rest of the world thinks the same. Even if everyone does think the same that doesn't mean the message isn't also in Genesis.

To call it "Christianity's dominant ideology" is ridiculous and you know it.

bobevenson wrote:To call it "Christianity's dominant ideology" is ridiculous and you know it.

It's arguable depending on how you interpret the significance of the divine nature of man. However, the Bible seems to view nature instrumentally with Man standing above it.

John wrote:

bobevenson wrote:To call it "Christianity's dominant ideology" is ridiculous and you know it.

However, the Bible seems to view nature instrumentally with Man standing above it.

The truth of that statement should be obvious to anybody who doesn't live in a cave and never comes out.