US Catholics ready to follow Pope's 'marching orders' on climate change

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Sarcelle said:
So what concrete steps should we in the first world do? Give up our cars and go back to living like the Amish?
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He didn’t say that.

I think he expects us to use our common sense. We waste a lot in this country – food, power, “stuff.” We could start by cutting down on the waste.
 
This devout Catholic is not ready to follow the Pope’s “marching orders” regarding climate change.

I would think any reasoning adult would want to see fully presented and explained all the data and I mean all, not just what the insiders want us to see. There is far too much questionable data and process discrepancy for me to agree to hand over the political and financial structure of the entire world to a handful of “I know better than you rabble” would be tyrants. I have 38 years as an aerospace engineer, a degree in Anthropology - Magna Cum Laude, and am a member of Phi Beta Kappa so I have clearly demonstrated an ability to recognize a scientific con job when I see one.

When all the data is subjected to the proper scrutiny of the scientific method I will consider my view, until then it’s a scam of unprecedented proportions as far as I’m concerned. If these con artists have their way this planet will certainly become uninhabitable and not because of the climate.
 

  1. agnes_therese said:
    He didn’t say that.

    I think he expects us to use our common sense. We waste a lot in this country – food, power, “stuff.” We could start by cutting down on the waste.
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    I’ve noticed that the homeless throw their trash everywhere. Typically, it’s the extremely poor, who neglect their bodies as well as the environment. Maybe there should be tighter laws against the homeless who litter, and their waste washes into the ocean killing fish. That’s one way to help the environment. 🤷
 
As a matter of fact, poorer neighborhoods in America always seem to have more trash laying around. Just an observation. 🤷

Third world poverty stricken nations are the absolute worst polluters… Why?

Yet, it’s the first world nations who are blamed. 🤷

…So, what’s the plan again?
 
I have not read the encyclical yet, but have heard comments, 1 from Jimmy Akin that the comments Pope Francis made re climate change are not binding on Catholics since it doesn’t have to do with faith and morals.

This is a very good conversation to be having. Did anyone see The World Over last wk re the L .S. encyclical? I would like to see more panel discussions on it.

From Post #9:
I would like to see a clean, cheap renewable energy source too, but there is none on the horizon
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Oh yes, there is! Back in the 1970’s, there was some experimentation with thorium reactors, which seem to me to be quite safe. Innovations have been made over the yrs. China is way ahead of the USA in building them. We may be begging them for their tech in the future unless we gain some advantage in making them better here - but 1st, we have to manufacture them and test them. There is a resurgence of interest in thorium reactors:
Thorium nuclear reactor trial begins, could provide cleaner, safer, almost-waste-free energy
There are some excellent videos on youtube, too.

I read somewhere that it could even be possible for each homeowner to have a mini-reactor. Thorium is abundant all over the world. It’s safe, and cannot be weaponized (afaik).

Unfortunately, the anti-nuke crowd gets too nervous when some begin to promote anything with the word ‘reactor’ in it.

My $0.02
Mimi
 
Tsuwano said:
Why does it matter whether you believe in climate change or not? The Pope has called for us to initiate a new relationship with the Earth and our environment based upon a love and stewardship of nature, a realization that we share the planet with other creatures, a life of simplicity, an end to greed and consumerism, a conservative use of resources, a recycling of created goods, and a recognition of God as the source of all creation. I think this means that each individual should reasses his relationship with creation and take action to allign his life to realize this new relationship. It also means that Catholic institutions, such as seminaries, churches, schools, etc, must also take action to bring their policies and buildings in line with this new vision. You don’t have to believe in climate change to initiate this new way of seeing creation.
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Well said. 👍
 
sps49 said:
The encyclical cares not if we believe in AGW, but since it utilizes as a device AGW, knowing full well how politically charged it is, how polarizing it is in our time, it has in effect taken sides. Unless you have been living in a cave, you realize that this carries with it spectacularly political capital, which will result in even greater polarization. That’s why it matters to me, the fact that the intellectual liberty of people who dissent will be affected. This can not be looked at in isolation, that it was just one word, mentioned only a few times, it has been attached to a moral framework. It has already affected how we communicated with each other on this thread, and in the real world. It was a blunt instrument.
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I’m glad you mentioned “living in a cave.” Considering the damaging relationship we have developed with the planet over the years, we all may be seeking caves to live in one day. The issue of climate change does not carry political capital for the Pope. But you’re right that these issues, as clarified by the encyclical, are attached to a moral framework. I, for one, hope to seek changes in my life to allow me to fit within that moral framework.
 
TEPO said:


  1. I’ve noticed that the homeless throw their trash everywhere. Typically, it’s the extremely poor, who neglect their bodies as well as the environment. Maybe there should be tighter laws against the homeless who litter, and their waste washes into the ocean killing fish. That’s one way to help the environment. 🤷
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  1. You’re right! A law should be initiated to insure that every homeless person has a home! Perhaps then there would be no homeless to litter.
 
Tsuwano said:
I’m glad you mentioned “living in a cave.” Considering the damaging relationship we have developed with the planet over the years, we all may be seeking caves to live in one day. The issue of climate change does not carry political capital for the Pope. But you’re right that these issues, as clarified by the encyclical, are attached to a moral framework. I, for one, hope to seek changes in my life to allow me to fit within that moral framework.
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If you read what I wrote then you realize I did not say that the issue of climate change carries political capital for the Pope, I said that the linking of AGW as a fact with his ecological message to form a integrated moral framework is what imparts political capital to the Pope. It is already recognized that a messaging campaign has been underway for at least 10 years or more, so this would aid that campaign, which is political, and due to the established political synergy, the benefits flow to the one who does the messaging.

Why don’t you enlighten me and tell me exactly how, using empirical evidence that is independently verified, we will all end up end caves, and when that momentous event is to occur?
 
baliano said:
This devout Catholic is not ready to follow the Pope’s “marching orders” regarding climate change.

I would think any reasoning adult would want to see fully presented and explained all the data and I mean all, not just what the insiders want us to see. There is far too much questionable data and process discrepancy for me to agree to hand over the political and financial structure of the entire world to a handful of “I know better than you rabble” would be tyrants. I have 38 years as an aerospace engineer, a degree in Anthropology - Magna Cum Laude, and am a member of Phi Beta Kappa so I have clearly demonstrated an ability to recognize a scientific con job when I see one.

When all the data is subjected to the proper scrutiny of the scientific method I will consider my view, until then it’s a scam of unprecedented proportions as far as I’m concerned. If these con artists have their way this planet will certainly become uninhabitable and not because of the climate.
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Best post on this thread. 👍 👍 👍
 
Tsuwano said:
You’re right! A law should be initiated to insure that every homeless person has a home! Perhaps then there would be no homeless to litter.
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Why stop there. Don’t be stingy! Let’s also pass a law to give the homeless a billion dollars each, so they won’t be poor either!
 
Abynissa said:
theguardian.com/world/2015/jun/18/pope-encyclical-climate-change-catholics-us-response
Religious leaders say pontiff’s call for action brings urgency to existing support for environmental measures in Obama administrations’s climate plan
Suzanne Goldenberg US environment correspondent

Leaders of the Catholic church in America took their “marching orders” from the pope’s encyclical on Thursday, fanning out to Congress and the White House to push for action on climate change. The high-level meetings offered a first glimpse of a vast and highly organised effort by the leadership of America’s nearly 80 million Catholics to turn the pope’s moral call for action into reality.👍

“It is our marching orders for advocacy,” Joseph Kurtz, the president of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Archbishop of Louisville, said. “It really brings about a new urgency for us.” Representatives of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops said they would hold two briefings for members of Congress on Thursday and visit the White House on Friday to promote and explain the pope’s environmental message.

Personally, I believe Pope Francis should excommunicate from the Church any Catholic who disobeys or tries to undermine this encyclical. Pope Francis reference to killing Mother Earth and the people who live on it.

-The Heck with the Kock Brothers, we know where they’re headed in the next life. The Pope is the moral leader of the Catholic Church and must be obeyed by every Catholic!
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I wonder if you feel the same about abortion, contraception, and so called homo marriage?
Everything that I have read on this so far is that there really isn’t a lot new here. “We should look after the Earth.” This is no big surprise announcement. The last two popes pretty much said the same thing. PF does not go on to say that climate change is a given and that it is all the fault of humans. Do we need to look after the environment better?.. Sure! Are we better than most countries… Yes! Did the Holy Father come out and give us actual directions on what to do in order to “save the planet”? … No! So what exactly should I be excommunicated for? Because I don’t believe Global Warming is as dangerous as you believe. THe Holy Father indicated that it was alright for there t o be a difference of opinion. You make no sense!

Peace!👍
 
BigBlueCane said:
Every right wing catholic will try to discredit him or say he shouldn’t get involved because he’s bringing issues to the table like living wage, environment that really shame their political beliefs.
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That is a ridiculous assumption. Can you please show me where the Holy Father explained eacactly what is wrong with the environment and what the average Catholic is supposed to do in order to stop Global Warming? Can you please show me where it says I have to be behind everything he says in this encyclical. I can show you where he says that we are free to disagree with certain assessments on the Climate issue.

I can however show you where every Catholic needs to believe that Divorce is wrong. HOmo sex is wrong, Abortion is wrong. Do you agree with all of these statements?
 
DaddyGirl said:
He *seems *to believe it?
That’s how it reads to you? As if he seems to believe it?

He sounds very passionate, assertive, and urgent on this topic IMO.

.
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Yes he does sound urgent on it… He has also said in the ency. that is is “OK” to disagree with the science and pol;itics of the GCC. He does believe it but what does that amount to. He is not endorsing any given scheme to correct this so called issue. What is it you think us as Catholics should do to prevent Global warming?
 
Tsuwano said:
Why does it matter whether you believe in climate change or not? The Pope has called for us to initiate a new relationship with the Earth and our environment based upon a love and stewardship of nature, a realization that we share the planet with other creatures, a life of simplicity, an end to greed and consumerism, a conservative use of resources, a recycling of created goods, and a recognition of God as the source of all creation. I think this means that each individual should reasses his relationship with creation and take action to allign his life to realize this new relationship. It also means that Catholic institutions, such as seminaries, churches, schools, etc, must also take action to bring their policies and buildings in line with this new vision. You don’t have to believe in climate change to initiate this new way of seeing creation.
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More flowery words that mean nothing. Do you know how the UN sees the CLimate change issue? They see it in terms of population. THe wold has to many people and that has to be remedied. Take a guess what that means. How should we go about changing our institutions to reflect a more loving attitude towards creation?
 
Abynissa said:
Personally, I believe Pope Francis should excommunicate from the Church any Catholic who disobeys or tries to undermine this encyclical. Pope Francis reference to killing Mother Earth and the people who live on it.-
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Really? There’s an awful lot of ‘catholics’ who vote for politicians who support contraception, pro abortion and redefining marriage policies. And anyway the Pope doesn’t excommunicate anyone. They excommunicate themselves.
On the other hand, it is troubling that, when some ecological movements defend the integrity of the environment, rightly demanding that certain limits be imposed on scientific research, they sometimes fail to apply those same principles to human life.
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Since everything is interrelated, concern for the protection of nature is also incompatible with the justification of abortion. How can we genuinely teach the importance of concern for other vulnerable beings, however troublesome or inconvenient they may be, if we fail to protect a human embryo, even when its presence is uncomfortable and creates difficulties?
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Environment and abortion are interrelated. One can care about the poor and the environment and still be skeptical of ‘climate change’. But if you claim to be caring about only some of God’s creation (environmental issues) but not all (pro abortion, etc.) then it seems you have placed more importance on your political ideology than on the teachings of Jesus.
 
Tsuwano said:
I’m glad you mentioned “living in a cave.” Considering the damaging relationship we have developed with the planet over the years, we all may be seeking caves to live in one day. The issue of climate change does not carry political capital for the Pope. But you’re right that these issues, as clarified by the encyclical, are attached to a moral framework. I, for one, hope to seek changes in my life to allow me to fit within that moral framework.
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Are you saying because of this encyclical you are going to do things that are less harmful to the environment? That would indicate you have been not doing these things for the upteen years the environment has been an issue. Interested to see what more the American people with good conscience can do. Recyle: do (costly adventure I must add); Water conservation:done; Watch my electrical use: Done; No littering: done; Try not to waste gas; Anything else you can think of I’m sure I and most people are implementing in their lives.
What I am not doing: jumping on the AGW band wagon. Will not trust the Un or the Obama abmin to do the right thing with regards to the AGW.
 
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