Do Catholics believe that God will handle the "difficult things" for us?

[Laurence_of_PA]

I know I did a while back, and my belief in this was for insecurity-related reasons.

Namely:

1. Within a hundred years everyone would become Godless apostates.

2. Technology such as robots would overpower and we’d all be subjugated in a mechanical world unless God intervened and flew us all to heaven.

And of course, the kicker:

3. If we allowed another hundred years to pass and global warming (man-made or not) took effect, we might suffer a major global catastrophe full of war, death, and suffering, and God would never allow that to happen to us!

Okay, enough hiding…this is a Global Warming thread dealing with personal responsibility!

So the final question is something like this:

**Are Catholics apathetic about the idea of AGW ultimately because they believe that praying to God will grant us greater security from climate change than decisive action?

I apologize ahead of time if I can’t keep up to do date with this one.

 

[Newbie2]

Okay, enough hiding…this is a Global Warming thread dealing with personal responsibility!

So the final question is something like this:

**Are Catholics apathetic about the idea of AGW *ultimately ***because they believe that praying to God will grant us greater security from climate change than decisive action?

I apologize ahead of time if I can’t keep up to do date with this one.

:tsktsk: If you wanted this to be a global warming thread, then it should have been titled as such.

In any case, my guess is that many Catholics, like myself, believe “global warming” to be a political scheme rather than a scientifically valid hypothesis.

But for the sake of discussion, let’s assume that it real. Why would we need “security from climate change”, as if it’s a bad thing? We’re humans. We have God-given intellect. We’ll adapt.

Ever see the movie “Waterworld”?

 

[BlaineTog]

Newbie2:

Do Catholics believe that God will handle the “difficult things” for us?

I do, sorta. I don’t consider those sorts of things at all under my purview, so I generally don’t worry about them. Maybe there are people out there who can fix them, or maybe God himself will need to intercede. Either way, it has nothing to do with me, so I leave it to those better equipped.

 

[Newbie2]

Um…that wasn’t my OP.

 

[Neil_Anthony]

**Are Catholics apathetic about the idea of AGW *ultimately ***because they believe that praying to God will grant us greater security from climate change than decisive action?

No, we shouldn’t be apathetic. The Pope has said that we have to take this seriously and that we have a moral responsibility to preserve the environment for future generations.

 

[puzzleannie]

I like man totally do not get OP
is he asking
“do Catholics disregard the threat of global warming (asteroid strike, terrorist nuclear attack, whatever panic-of-the-month is) because of their faith in God’s power?”

if so, the answer is Catholics know they are going to die someday, whether in a global catastrophe or just in the ordinary boring undramatic way through age, accident or illness, and have been preparing for death since the day of their Baptism, and their Faith directs them to keep their souls always prepared for death, as Christ taught us. For that reason, we do not go into a flip flap whenever some idiot commentator or group posts some new threat on the web.

 

[maryj]

I live in northern minnesota. Anywhere you go in the great outdoors here you see evidence of Glacial activity. We were once covered by miles thick glacial ice. Now just how did those glaciers melt and reveal the beauty of minnesota?? Was it industry spewing carbon into the atmosphere? Where the native americans driving around in SUV’s? Wait maybe the wolves were expelling too much “natural gas”. Or maybe, just maybe, is it the natural ebb and flow of the earth. I go with newbie2, POLITICAL!!

 

[Laurence_of_PA]

:tsktsk: If you wanted this to be a global warming thread, then it should have been titled as such.

Since I don’t have very high expectations for a global warming thread here, I decided this would be better for venting my frustration.

In any case, my guess is that many Catholics, like myself, believe “global warming” to be a political scheme rather than a scientifically valid hypothesis.

Like the ExxonMobile fellers who run to the Sun for a scapegoat…

But for the sake of discussion, let’s assume that it real. Why would we need “security from climate change”, as if it’s a bad thing? We’re humans. We have God-given intellect. We’ll adapt.

DUHH…Why not use our “God-given intellect” to prevent it? :doh2: And even if some could, it’s the epitome of arrogance to fence yourself in within the world’s most CO2-rific nation while the rest of the world is inundated with rising sea levels…or is that why Rome was built on hills .

Ever see the movie “Waterworld”?

“Waterworld” is highly improbable, in my opinion, NOT because of all the water and weird costumes, but because in such a situation as that, the world would’ve been blown to shreds by nuclear war ages earlier.

Honestly, listening to ExxonMobile’s take on Global Warming is like listening to Planned Parenthood’s take on abortion.

 

[Laurence_of_PA]

I do, sorta. I don’t consider those sorts of things at all under my purview, so I generally don’t worry about them. Maybe there are people out there who can fix them, or maybe God himself will need to intercede. Either way, it has nothing to do with me, so I leave it to those better equipped.

But do you at least *care *about them?

And if an influx in freshwater were to mess up ocean currents, as a member of the world I think it would have a lot to do with you.

This is the sort of attitude that I’m talking about: the attitude of “driving faster than your guardian angel can fly because you’re overconfident in its protection.” Whether you believe in God or not, humans are ultimately the masters of their own destiny. Apathy will kill us all.

 

[Laurence_of_PA]

No, we shouldn’t be apathetic. The Pope has said that we have to take this seriously and that we have a moral responsibility to preserve the environment for future generations.

 

[Laurence_of_PA]

I like man totally do not get OP
is he asking
“do Catholics disregard the threat of global warming (asteroid strike, terrorist nuclear attack, whatever panic-of-the-month is) because of their faith in God’s power?”

if so, the answer is Catholics know they are going to die someday, whether in a global catastrophe or just in the ordinary boring undramatic way through age, accident or illness, and have been preparing for death since the day of their Baptism, and their Faith directs them to keep their souls always prepared for death, as Christ taught us. For that reason, we do not go into a flip flap whenever some idiot commentator or group posts some new threat on the web.

Then you have no quams about Planned Parenthood, do you? Because under your reasoning, God simply chooses to take our little “children” a little “sooner”.

Direct or indirect: genocide is still genocide!

 

[Laurence_of_PA]

I live in northern minnesota. Anywhere you go in the great outdoors here you see evidence of Glacial activity. We were once covered by miles thick glacial ice. Now just how did those glaciers melt and reveal the beauty of minnesota?? Was it industry spewing carbon into the atmosphere? Where the native americans driving around in SUV’s? Wait maybe the wolves were expelling too much “natural gas”. Or maybe, just maybe, is it the natural ebb and flow of the earth. I go with newbie2, POLITICAL!!

On a molecular level, Methane (your “natural gas” I believe) is a greater trapper of heat, yet its presence is significanty less than that of CO2.

However, every so often, even a little rise in CO2 can set off a massive chain-reaction. The slightly warmer temperatures release massive stores of frozen methane (such as Siberian bogs) and before you can say PeeYou the temperature can rise threefold. From there it’s not just sunburns, it’s the disruption of the Gulf Stream and other warming ocean currents which in turn screw up the whole world climate. It’s called “climate change” for a reason: parts of the world get warmer while other parts can become cooler, wetter, dryer, and of course more predisposed to hurricanes.

Yes the world works in cycles, but it’s strapped to fatal triggers as well, and compared to most of world history, we’ve pumped enough greenhouse gases in the air to fire a bazooka.

Sure it’s all political, that’s why the darling-demon Al Gore isn’t running for president!

 

[maryj]

Since I don’t have very high expectations for a global warming thread here, I decided this would be better for venting my frustration

“natural gas” venting. couldn’t help myself.

 

[Laurence_of_PA]

This is pretty cool:

I say something…

I don’t have very high expectations for a global warming

And you make my case for me…

“natural gas” venting. couldn’t help myself.

 

[Newbie2]

DUHH…Why not use our “God-given intellect” to prevent it? :doh2: And even if some could, it’s the epitome of arrogance to fence yourself in within the world’s most CO2-rific nation while the rest of the world is inundated with rising sea levels…or is that why Rome was built on hills .

The point is the “proof” that we’re causing it is highly suspect and not at all definitive, especially regarding CO2. CO2 is a byproduct of metabolism. If everyone took one less breath, a day, we’d have less CO2, right? Just kidding, but that makes about as much sense as some of the “fixes” that have been promoted.

Personally, I’ve yet to see convincing proof that anything we’re doing is causing “global climate change”. The notion that we can do much of anything to significantly affect the global climate seems to be arrogant to me. Likewise, building sea-side cities under the level of the ocean, as if we could ever build a levee strong enough to contain the ocean’s power, seems arrogant as well, no?

 

[Ilroy]

Personally I wouldn’t mind a little global warming…with the price of electricity and gas these days who can afford to heat the house in the winter…and besides, I never much liked the cold anyway…

 

[maryj]

On a molecular level, Methane (your “natural gas” I believe) is a greater trapper of heat, yet its presence is significanty less than that of CO2.

However, every so often, even a little rise in CO2 can set off a massive chain-reaction. The slightly warmer temperatures release massive stores of frozen methane (such as Siberian bogs) and before you can say PeeYou the temperature can rise threefold. From there it’s not just sunburns, it’s the disruption of the Gulf Stream and other warming ocean currents which in turn screw up the whole world climate. It’s called “climate change” for a reason: parts of the world get warmer while other parts can become cooler, wetter, dryer, and of course more predisposed to hurricanes.

Yes the world works in cycles, but it’s strapped to fatal triggers as well, and compared to most of world history, we’ve pumped enough greenhouse gases in the air to fire a bazooka.

Sure it’s all political, that’s why the darling-demon Al Gore isn’t running for president!

But did Al use flawed research?? If you dare take a look at this.nsstc.uah.edu/atmos/christy/2007_Dougless_etal.pdf

 

[Scottgun]

No. We trust God will treat us with love and justice, and we also know the world ends somehow.

My objections are thus:

The earth is getting warmer overall. No one should be offended at anyone believing this at all.

Human activity is contributing to global warming. I can believe that with reservation.

BUT

That human activity is contributing to global warming to a degree that we must start the process of turning every national economy into a socialist quadroplegic. I reject that out of hand. It’s no longer science it’s politics. Now some are going to bleat that no one has suggested this. Puuuleaze, we can all read a map. We already have otherwise serious minds advocating mass sterilization.

If one wants to go back to an agrarian society, so be it. Argue for it for it’s own merits, not because of listening to people saying we are all going to die.