Republican and Enviroment Committee candidate: God will save us from Climate Change

[CptStern]

U.S. Representative John Shimkus, possible future chairman of the Congressional committee that deals with energy and its attendant environmental concerns, believes that climate change should not concern us since God has already promised not to destroy the Earth.

Shimkus, an evangelical Christian and a Republican member of the House from Illinois, on Tuesday signalled his desire to become chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

The Energy and Commerce committee is among the most powerful in the U.S. Congress, with a wide-ranging purview over legislation touching on energy policy, environmental initiatives and public health

"I'm not an expert, I just spent the night at a holiday"

Shimkus already serves on the committee. During a hearing in 2009, he dismissed the dangers of climate change and the warnings of the scientific community by quoting the Bible.

this is why I'd never vote for a religious politician

On Tuesday, Shimkus sent a letter to his colleagues burnishing his credentials by saying he is “uniquely qualified among a group of talented contenders to lead the Energy and Commerce Committee.”

I'd say he's dangerously underqualified



http://www.thestar.com/news/world/a...ave-us-from-climate-change-u-s-representative

 

[Nabobalis]

*facepalm*
*facepalm*
*facepalm*

What is wrong with people?

 

[Krynn72]

*facepalm*
*facepalm*
*facepalm*

What is wrong with people?

Religion.

 

[Escaep]

Religion.

New record.

 

[Matorbogl]

Excellent, everything is going according to plan.

 

[Solaris]

I don't blame religion here. I think the man is evil and in the pockets of big corporations, religion is a ridiculous excuse.

 

[Asknoone]

I don't blame religion here. I think the man is evil and in the pockets of big corporations, religion is a ridiculous excuse.

Yeah, evil and corporate conspiracy is much more plausible. I don't deny that corporate sponsorship has a hand in it, but the problem of religion here is not a "ridiculous excuse"; it's plain as day that it's the external issue.

 

[blackout]

Religion.

why do so many atheists tarnish us theists all with the same brush? just because there are some silly people who make themselves so because of their religion, that makes all religion a problem then?

 

[Eejit]

Well religion is kinda silly regardless, people like him just give it a worse reputation.

 

[lord_raken]

Religion is also one of the most powerful forces in human history and calling it silly is like calling war inconsequential.

Whether you believe in something or not it is foolish to dismiss religion.

 

[Eejit]

Just because it has been and still is important doesn't mean it can't be silly. Which it is. Religion is nothing more than superstition, but more organised.

One of these threads, awww yeahhhh

 

[blackout]

Just because it has been and still is important doesn't mean it can't be silly. Which it is. Religion is nothing more than superstition, but more organised.

One of these threads, awww yeahhhh

here we go again...

spirituality (I.E belief in a higher power) is not superstitious; the fact that you don't agree with a certain belief does not make it superstition. when will so many (but thankfully, not all) atheists accept that and stop being so narrow-minded?

 

[Eejit]

How exactly is it different from superstition? I think you simply object because of the negative connotations attached to 'superstition', despite marked objective similarities. Aside from, as I said, that religion tends to be more organised and dogmatic.

 

[Krynn72]

Definition of SUPERSTITION
1
a : a belief or practice resulting from ignorance, fear of the unknown, trust in magic or chance, or a false conception of causation
b : an irrational abject attitude of mind toward the supernatural, nature, or God resulting from superstition

2
: a notion maintained despite evidence to the contrary

When will so many (but thankfully, not all) theists accept that and stop being so narrow-minded?

 

[Mr Stabby]

The alliance between corporate greed and religious nuts, is the worst thing that ever happened.

 

[blackout]

yes I agree that much of religion is too organised and dogmatic, but the reason I'm irritated is that you're so insistently working on this idea that there is on evidence for God, which, many people would argue, is not true. you may not agree with or accept that evidence but at the end of the day it's not true that there is no evidence for God. watch the following video as an example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQQ_fXDZohk&feature=related

 

[Escaep]

yes I agree that much of religion is too organised and dogmatic, but the reason I'm irritated is that you're so insistently working on this idea that there is on evidence for God, which, many people would argue, is not true. you may not agree with or accept that evidence but at the end of the day it's not true that there is no evidence for God. watch the following video as an example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQQ_fXDZohk&feature=related

Theres really no point bro, you're not going to change their views and they aren't going to change yours.

 

[Solaris]

Theres really no point bro, you're not going to change their views and they aren't going to change yours.

Except this is bullshit as a number of theists have become atheists largely thanks to these boards.

 

[blackout]

Theres really no point bro, you're not going to change their views and they aren't going to change yours.

The only view I intend to change right now is their narrow mindedness. evangelism is a different issue. then again, you're probably right.

Except this is bullshit as a number of theists have become atheists largely thanks to these boards.

oh please, d'you really think a videogame forum is gonna make me loose my faith?

 

[Escaep]

The only view I intend to change right now is their narrow mindedness. evangelism is a different issue. then again, you're probably right.

You won't change that either. It has been present in every religion related thread on this forum.

 

[blackout]

ok then, ignorance and narrow-mindedness prevails once again.
I'll no longer bother with you people, we'll see what God does.

 

[Escaep]

ok then, ignorance and narrow-mindedness prevails once again.
I'll no longer bother with you people, we'll see what God does.

I'm trying to save you the typing until you will inevitably reach the brick wall that will conclude the thread.

 

[blackout]

very well.

God bless you all.

 

[Acepilotf14]

The only view I intend to change right now is their narrow mindedness. evangelism is a different issue. then again, you're probably right.

oh please, d'you really think a videogame forum is gonna make me loose my faith?

helped me lose mine

But anyway, this really sounds like a cop out because he doesn't know what else to say. Just admit you have no idea what you're doing and get out of politics. (REFERRING TO OP)

 

[Solaris]

The only view I intend to change right now is their narrow mindedness. evangelism is a different issue. then again, you're probably right.

oh please, d'you really think a videogame forum is gonna make me loose my faith?

Reasonable arguments can be put forward here as well as anyone else. The fact you are clearly declaring here you would never listen to them says more about you than it does about us.

 

[blackout]

I was never in politics, only religion. and there was I time when I thought I could make a half decent stand against views that I found offensive, but today you have proven me wrong, thank you.

oh and please explain where I said that I'd never be prepared to listen?

 

[Krynn72]

yes I agree that much of religion is too organised and dogmatic, but the reason I'm irritated is that you're so insistently working on this idea that there is on evidence for God, which, many people would argue, is not true. you may not agree with or accept that evidence but at the end of the day it's not true that there is no evidence for God. watch the following video as an example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQQ_fXDZohk&feature=related

There is no evidence in that video what-so-ever. Its a guy misinterpreting information. Just because the universe exists because *something* happened, doesn't mean, nor even suggest that a conscious "creator" was the cause. And I must say, his logic at the end made me laugh. "Atheists were wrong when they assumed something was eternal, therefore we know God is eternal and cannot be wrong about it." Good argument bro.

Anyways, back to your post, just because people call shit by the name "evidence" doesn't mean it actually is evidence. There is no evidence for God's existence. If there was, then the concept of religious faith would not exist today.

 

[blackout]

mah....
nah I won't bother. I'm foolishly only just starting to realise just how pointless & futile these arguments are.

 

[Mr Stabby]

I miss this.

 

[Absinthe]

Religion is also one of the most powerful forces in human history and calling it silly is like calling war inconsequential.

Whether you believe in something or not it is foolish to dismiss religion.

It's powerfully silly.

Was I late with that joke? I didn't read anything else here.

 

[Mr Stabby]

late but it still worked.

 

[DEATH eVADER]

I bet at this moment in time God is saying to itself, "Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me"
Seriously even if the high almighty has a lot of energy, its not going to waste it by converting the CO2 in the atmosphere to O2, its got plants to do that.

 

[Mr Stabby]

He should be converting the methane in the atmosphere to oil and burying it under a christian nation.

 

[Moto]

And I must say, his logic at the end made me laugh. "Atheists were wrong when they assumed something was eternal, therefore we know God is eternal and cannot be wrong about it." Good argument bro.

I loved that last part. Whatever begins to exist has to have a cause, but of course god has conveniently always existed and therefore needs no cause.

"Atheists should have no problem with god being eternal because for centuries, they believed the universe to be eternal. They didn't have a problem with the universe being eternal. I don't see how they could have a problem, then, with god being eternal."

Well, he doesn't have a problem with god being eternal. I don't see how he could have a problem, then, with the universe being eternal.

Derp.

 

[Eejit]

yes I agree that much of religion is too organised and dogmatic

So you think it should be more like pure superstition? Interesting.

 

[Laivasse]

Searching for evidence of God is such a self-defeating task. Trust me on this, religious people, if you want to do what's best in sustaining your beliefs and your religious institutions, don't try to search for evidence of God. If the major religions of the world really thought that any credible evidence of God could be found, they would spend every sermon appealing to evidence rather than appealing to 'faith', as they do. Faith has no place in a debate involving evidence. If you're seeking evidence of God's existence, there is clearly something lacking in your faith. If you're arguing that there is evidence for God's existence and becoming exasperated that you can't get your point across to the other side, there is only one place to look to discover where the debate is breaking down and that is in the mirror.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQQ_fXDZohk&feature=related

As Krynn was the first to point out, there is no evidence or science in this vid. It's just some lazy armchair philosophising and weak logical fallacies strung together, flavoured with a bit of quote mining from reputable scientists.

"Big Bang theory means there has to be a cause, which is God" is not evidence. Appealing to everyday laws of causality to explain a moment where time, and therefore causality itself, was created, is disingenuous. Nothing preceded the moment when time started, so it doesn't need a cause. If God exists within time, how could he precede the universe? If he exists outside time, why does he need to create a universe with a definite starting point? In theory, he would spontaneously be able to create a universe which has always existed, leaving no evidence as to when it occurred. If this universe really was created by an omnipotent deity unbound by our universal laws, then it could have happened yesterday or tomorrow or 431 years from now. Also, it could have started in my shoe. Such thought is a philosophical exercise with little relevance to science, however, and has no bearing on evidence-based study.

The derp factor of the guy's other statements has already been dissected.

 

[Xevrex]

Why does it have to be God? Why can't it be some arbitrary entity that just fabricated us and let us be? Based on how it's explained, it can be either faith or science, based on how screwy you wanna get with your theoretical physics.

 

[The Monkey]

*snip*

The thing is though, we should be grateful when the religious are using the empirical world as basis for their beliefs. Because when they aren't, when they are using metaphysics as their forum, they are untouchable by science.

 

[Laivasse]

I'm not particularly opposed to religion, though, as long as it knows its place. Humans will always base their principles and purposes upon clumsy codes which have a tough time finding a rational basis, religion or no. A lot of people find comfort in their preconceptions and are able to function in society as a result, although hopefully not in a role which requires a decent grasp of logic.

As long as religious people are made to realise how stupid it is to bring their talismans into areas of secular discussion, then that's fair enough IMO. It's easier to reduce god to a 'god of the gaps' than it is to destroy him entirely, because in trying to do so you make people feel persecuted and you galvanise them in their ignorance. If religion becomes an entirely metaphysical debate, then yes, science can't touch it, but it also can't molest science in the way that the idiot Representative from the OP article would surely like to do.