The danger of post-Christian Mother Nature worship

Some people mistakenly believe that we’ve entered an “Age of Reason” in which people have thrown off the shackles of superstitious beliefs and now embrace logic and science.

But that is not what’s happening. Belief in religion is apparently something that’s genetically programmed into the human brain. Christianity may be dying, but it’s being replaced by a new post-Christian Mother Nature worship religion. Like previous religions, the post-Christian Mother Nature worshippers have creation myths and dietary restrictions. They have an end-of-the-world myth involving global warming. They have prophets such as Al Gore and Barack Obama.

What post-Christian Mother Nature worship lacks is a formal name, and formal religious rituals. But therein lies its greatest danger to those who believe in the separation of church and state. Post-Christian Mother Nature worship is not yet recognized as a religion, and thus is able to circumvent the Constitution’s Establishment Clause and become the official state religion. It will use the power of the state to evangelize its beliefs and punish the unbelievers. This religion already has the power to punish people who question the egalitarian creation myth that all races and both sexes have exactly equal mental capabilities. Soon it will also be able to punish people who question global warming, or who question the belief that dietary cholesterol is bad for you.

The religion must be stopped. I fear that if Barack Obama wins the coming presidential election, those who believe in logic and science will have suffered their final defeat.

OBAMA, PROPHET OF THE MOTHER NATURE GOD

Many spiritually advanced people I know (not coweringly religious, mind you, but deeply spiritual) identify Obama as a Lightworker, that rare kind of attuned being who has the ability to lead us not merely to new foreign policies or health care plans or whatnot, but who can actually help usher in a new way of being on the planet, of relating and connecting and engaging with this bizarre earthly experiment.

Link (courtesy of Turambar).

Comments

[anonymous 1]

We are already doing successful stem cell therapy:
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/medicine/la-sci-stem7-2008jun07,0,6163992.story

Mother Nature zealots cannot stop science, especially in places like China, South Korea or India, but they might be able to impede it for a time in the Anglosphere.

[Turambar]

Two quibbles- there are more Christians now then ever so "dying" is a stretch. And in fact as Britian shows, the absence of religion has resulted in an entire generation pickling themselves and eventually people may pick up on the fact that the evolved sense of community morality developed over centuries exists for a greater purpose than to be outraged.

Also nothing is ever a "final defeat". Every ridiculous nostrum of gnosticism and cheaply forged set of documents has been relegitimized to credulous housewives by Dan Brown.

[APH]

I wonder what Eric Hoffer would say if he were still alive?

In any case, I would say the self-anointed followers of PCMNW have replaced formal religious rituals with their own, ultimately meaningless, formalities. Some examples (found on Stuff White People Like):

1. Proselytizing

2. Identifiable Clothing

3. Symbolism (even when there is no net-gain for the environment)

[Peter]

Christianity is not dying. What is happening, at least in the United States, is that the more moderate forms of Christianity are losing adherents to the fundamentalist - evangelical (sometimes collectively called "totalizing") branches.

To oversimpify greatly, let's say that a generation ago a random sample of 100 Americans would have included 25 Catholics, 20 Southern Baptists, 15 "mainstream" Protestants (Episcopalian, Lutheran, Methodist etc.), 10 adherents of various fundamentalist churches (Assembly of God, Jehovah's Witnesses, Church of the Nazarene, etc.), 5 Mormons, and 25 non-churchgoers. Today the random sample might include 20 Southern Baptists, 15 other fundamentalists, 15 Catholics, 10 Mormons, 5 mainstream Protestants, and 35 non-churchgoers.

What can we determine from these numbers? In one sense Christianity, in fact organized religion in general, might seem on the decline, as there are now 35 non-churchgoers as compared to 25 a generation ago. But wait! Today these 100 randomly selected people include 45 members of totalizing religions, counting the Southern Baptists, other fundamentalists, and Mormons. A generation ago there were only 35 of these highly committed Christians. The decline has occurred among the less-religious Christians, whom in fact the fundamentalists don't even consider real Christians, namely the Catholics and mainstream Protestants. Today there are only 20 of them, as compared to 40 in the past generation.

In essence, today in America we have fewer practicing Christians than a generation ago, but the ones who remain are much more devout. On balance, I'd have to say that's good for the religion, and certainly does not mean that "Christianity is dying."

BTW, I believe something similar is happening with respect to Judaism. There are fewer Jews than a generation ago, but many more Orthodox and Hasidim.

re: "final defeat". The new Indy movie dusted off the "Chariots of the Gods" nonsense from the '70's.

[SFG]

In essence, today in America we have fewer practicing Christians than a generation ago, but the ones who remain are much more devout. On balance, I'd have to say that's good for the religion, and certainly does not mean that "Christianity is dying."
Good for religion, bad for logic and science. Unfortunately for HS, fundies are much more anti-science than environmentalists, and much more influential than Wiccans (who probably represent the tendencies HS is talking about in extreme form). Environmentalists are anti-business, which is a totally different story.

I should mention that Gore and Obama don't seem anti-rational; Gore even wrote a book called 'The Assault on Reason', making HS's allegations about the other side. Most scientists have signed on for the global warming bit. And stem-cell research is opposed by the right, not the left. Apart from the HBD thing, I'd say the left is more pro-science if anything. Militant atheists tend to lean to the left.

It's the right that's in bed with God.

[SFG]

But those links are still pretty funny.

In fact, there is a popular tale in white mythology that tells of an unenlightened man driving on the freeway who saw a bumper sticker on the back of a Subaru station wagon that said “Go Veg.” The sticker was so moving that he threw the hamburger he was eating right out the window and became a vegetarian on the spot. Two days later, he affixed the same bumper sticker to their car and the process began anew until enough people had changed their views to form what we now know as the city of Portland, Oregon.

[SFG]

I'd also like to encourage HS to deviate from the right-wing orthodoxy a little more; you don't have to believe everything your side says. If you really are that pro-science, you can accept global warming and still be a libertarian conservative on everything else like eminent domain, immigration, welfare, income redistribution, workplace issues, etc. Nobody ever said you have to follow the platform. It doesn't even make sense in most cases.

Hey, I accept HBD and immigration restriction.

[Laughing Hysterically]

My GF gets Food & Wine magazine. On page 8 and 9 there is a Lexus ad that covers both pages. This ad advises you to, 1. cut out the "h" and 2. place it next to your current cars "rear model badge." Then the ads says this: "3. Notice the reactions. See what kinds of progressive, mind-opening conversations you find yourself in."

This is apparently one of the only religions that I know of where luxury cars or SUVs are considered to be necessary ritual items. Nothing says I love Gaia like a $100,000, (excuse me, starting at $100,000) 5.0 liter, 8 cylinder, 438 hp car! Must be for the high priesthood. Sacrifices are for suckers!

[New Anon]

"And stem-cell research is opposed by the right, not the left. Apart from the HBD thing, I'd say the left is more pro-science if anything. Militant atheists tend to lean to the left.

It's the right that's in bed with God."

The left only supports science to the extent they can use or distort scientific data to undermine traditional white societal structures. When science contradicts leftist belief, they just continue on with their cult rituals.

The left will become as anti-abortion as Jerry Falwell once we have the ability to test embryos in the womb for homosexuality and they will try to pass laws blocking human engineering or the use of embyro selection for whites to create classic blonde blue eyed "Aryan" babies ("HITLER! HITLER! HITLER!").

They also repress scientific evidence that goes against the very sacred cult of GoreBull Warming.

[Turambar]

"I should mention that Gore and Obama don't seem anti-rational"

Hard hitting reporting on Obama from SF:
Is Obama an Enlightened Being?

Many spiritually advanced people I know (not coweringly religious, mind you, but deeply spiritual) identify Obama as a Lightworker, that rare kind of attuned being who has the ability to lead us not merely to new foreign policies or health care plans or whatnot, but who can actually help usher in a new way of being on the planet, of relating and connecting and engaging with this bizarre earthly experiment. These kinds of people actually help us evolve. They are philosophers and peacemakers of a very high order, and they speak not just to reason or emotion, but to the soul.

The unusual thing is, true Lightworkers almost never appear on such a brutal, spiritually demeaning stage as national politics. This is why Obama is so rare. And this why he is so often compared to Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr., to those leaders in our culture whose stirring vibrations still resonate throughout our short history.

[APH]

New Anon is correct. The right is anti-science when it conflicts with the Bible. The left is anti-science when it conflicts with the vision of PCMNW. It should be noted that adherents of PCMNW are often hypocrites and what they do in their private lives will often be at odds with what PCMNW decrees. For example, a PCMNW follower who lives in Manhattan will say they love diversity while simultaneously paying 30K to have their 7 year old kid go to a virtually all-white private school (not to mention signing up for that private school when the kid is still in utero).

[bristlecone]

Agree with you on the religious characteristics of the AGW scam. Parelells to the fifteenth-centrury Catholic church include:

--Sanctions against heritics "deniers"
--Indugences "Carbon offsets"
--Tithes imposed on the peasants "Carbon Taxes"
--Lavish, worldly lives of the clergy "Goracle's enormous house and use of a private jet to attend seminars"

[APH]

PCMNW adherents are often "post-nation-state" as well. They want to be global citizens.

[Steve Johnson]

I don't know if you're familiar with him, but Mencius Moldbug on unqualified-reservations argues that the left is simply an evolution of high church protestantism. I believe the evidence he presents is pretty good.

Belief in "providence", that God moves human affairs to his desired state. The left today likes to be called "progressive" and believes that "the cultural zeitgeist" shifts in their direction (gay marriage, decreasing acceptance of HBD belief (the Bell Curve was discussed in the mainstream only 20 years ago, today to mention it is taboo)). Of course, they actually enforce the cultural changes but they believe they're doing God's work (oops, working for a more just world) anyway.

The universal brotherhood of man. Two ideas that come from this, both core to the left: (1) there are no conflicts between nations that can't be resolved with "open, honest dialog" and (2) no group differences.

If you look at the actual content of the beliefs of the left and trace them back, it's exactly high church protestantism except for the God bit. They got rid of the God bit because today, everyone is an atheist in 19th century terms and it became increasingly obviously foolish to insist on belief. This way, the left can convert new members who nominally believe in some other religion. If you really believe, you're out (ask progressive "Catholic" about abortion or gay marriage).

[New Anon]

Auster sums up liberalism perfectly:

http://www.amnation.com/vfr/archives/010781.html

"Unlike Darwinian evolution, which involves chance genetic mutations leading happily to an ever more efficacious adaptation to the environment, liberal evolution involves the purposeful adoption of false beliefs leading to an increasingly radical and systematic denial of the environment. The end result of Darwinian evolution is a perfectly "adapted" species. The end result of liberal evolution is a perfectly insane liberal society at war with reality."

[Spungen]

Jesus.

[SFG]

Obama the Lightworker: yes, these people are retarded. OTOH, McCain has people who don't believe in evolution plumping for him, so as far as loonybins, it's a wash. Even if it weren't, that's basically argument ad hominem: as a reductio ad absurdum, Hitler believed 2+2=4, and it still is 4.

AGW: whatever. Since you guys seem to believe a few industry-sponsored scientists over the remainder of the scientific community, there's no arguing with you. I would like to add that even McCain has caved on this one. What's so wonderful about burning oil and giving money to Muslims I don't know; I don't oppose nuclear energy or anything like that, and I suspect people will soon come around to accept nukes. Worst comes to worst we can use the leftovers for dirty bombs on any country that tries a repeat of 9/11.

[Explain, please...]

Jesus.

???

[Spare Us the Bullshit]

Yes, Spungen. "Jesus" indeed! And this is an insult coming from the person who thinks that blizzards prevent crime?..I'll refresh your memory...

"Plus all of the low-crime states are prone to blizzards during much of the year. Probably harder to mug someone during a blizzard."
Posted by: Spungen | May 22, 2008 at 01:54 AM

Now go back to your nice(white) community and keep sending your kids to their nice(white) school while you continue to drive around in a CO2 emitting vehicle and hit the Whole Foods. Please peddle your hypocrisy somewhere else. We're all full up here.

[APH]

In a letter published in today's Ottawa Citizen:

Environmentalists initially had a difficult time getting public attention about global warming but now it has become a religion and any one who demurs in the slightest is an apostate.

People who aren't members of the Church of PCMNW are taking notice of this huge quasi-cult...

[roissy]

on a related note, check out the recent newsweek cover with obama on it. they have his head backlit and bathed in warm light like he's jesus christ descending from heaven on the wings of angels. what a bunch of religious wackos those libs are.

[anon]

Good for religion, bad for logic and science. Unfortunately for HS, fundies are much more anti-science than environmentalists, and much more influential than Wiccans (who probably represent the tendencies HS is talking about in extreme form).

Christians are not "anti-science."

Most scientists have signed on for the global warming bit.

Source? The Oregon petition initially gathered 17,000 signatures of scientists who question the theory of anthropogenic global warming. It now has 31,000 signatures. I don't know of any petition for the theory that is within an order of magnitude of the petition against it. Absent a sound statistical study of scientific opinions, I'm inclined to believe the concensus is AGAINST the theory.

But then again I don't believe concensus has anything to do with science. Theory predictions are either right, or wrong. In the late 1990's anthropogenic global warming models were used to predict that there would be accelerated warming in this decade. CO2 levels actually rose faster than was assumed in the models due to the growth in China and India, so the warming should have been even greater. In fact the Earth didn't warm at all, and over the last 18 months has cooled dramatically in response to a variance in solar output (>0.7C of cooling; right now the global temperature is below the 20th century mean).

The theory was used to make a prediction. The prediction proved wrong. The model is falsified and needs to be modified or discarded. That's science. That's rational.

Anyone who continues to act as if our climate models are valid is being neither scientific nor rational. If we lived in a truly rational world we would not be debating public policy to "stop global warming", we would be working towards new and refined climate theories that accurately model and predict the climate. Only then will we know what influence, if any, man's activities have; whether or not they warrant attention; and what changes will have the most impact.

And stem-cell research is opposed by the right, not the left.

Stem cell research is not opposed by the right. Government funding of stem cell collection from aborted fetuses is opposed by the right. It has nothing to do with being "anti-science" and everything to do with believing that a human is formed at the moment of conception, and that said human should be entitled to human rights including the right to life. You're welcome to disagree, but don't mischaracterize.

As a libertarian, I don't think the Federal government should be funding ANY stem cell or medical research. I don't see any clause in the Constitution that gives them that power, but I do see a 10th Amendment that states "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people."

[anon]

HS - your post was right on the money. Environmentalism is driven by Earth worship, and the state should recognize that as a religion and reject laws which serve to establish said religion.

"Final defeat" is rather strong. America is a single nation that's a couple centuries old. But logic, science, and liberty will be delivered a terrible blow if Obama becomes president.

[Gil]

Well there you go! Lefties want a environmentally-friendly standard of living and worship of nature - Righties was want a Chistian fundamentalist society where the hierarchy enjoys Divine Right and is forbidden from being criticised. Doesn't that sound like the prescription for returning to the Medieval Era? The Lefties get to be the peasants and get to have fun with organic farming and chase forest spirits in their spare time. The Righties get to be the clergy and rulers, worship God, frame laws that coincide with the Bible, etc. Sure it'd be low-tech on both sides but everyone would be more fulfilled.

[Turambar]

Gil,

I think you missed the fact that Western Civilization until a few decades ago was largely a product of Christianity, so a return to it wouldn't auger so badly.

On the other hand the furtherest the druids got was inspiring a joke in Spinal Tap.

[Gil]

Yeah right! Technological progress started to take off thanks to the Enlightment and the casting off religious shackles against science.

[Hopeful]

Off topic, but it looks like I don't have to see those stupid ads or billboards anymore about if one of us AIDS we all do, etc... Some report just came out basically saying that the whole heterosexual AIDS epidemic was bullshit. As if we didn't know. All that nonsense, stupid red ribbons, benefit concerts and gala events...
As anyone with a brain could figure out some years ago, AIDS is pretty much the problem of queers, Africans, junkies and others who can't/won't control their dangerous and stupid behavior while constantly screaming for more funding, research and understanding. Maybe there is a chance we can stop paying for their recklessness and carelessness. Please homosexuals, wash your hands often, especially after risky and disease-spreading anal sex. The rest of us can still get MRSA.

[Spungen]

I guess my joke was over your head, "Spare me..." What a strangely hostile response to a one-word comment.

By the way, there's no raging controversy about the fact that crime goes down in bad weather.

It doesnt do to combat a bad argument with a worse one.

How long could it take to check that a place like Illinois has a higher violent crime rate than its neighbors?

Weather doesn't explain away the effect that HS posted about so to bring it up was a non-sequitur.

[bristlecone]

Hopeful: Re the AIDS pandemic is over.

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-wellbeing/health-news/threat-of-world-aids-pandemic-among-heterosexuals-is-over-report-admits-842478.html

Did you notice the AIDS epidemiologist is named "De Cock"? Childish, I know, but the funniest thing I've read all day.

[Anon]

I haven't checked in here for a while, but it seems that New Anon has done a good job filling in for me. No we are not the same person.

I can't resist replying to crap like this:
Most scientists have signed on for the global warming bit.

Signed on for recent warming trends or a theory that CO2 has caused these trends?

You are aware that the IPCC admits that recent warming may not have been caused by humans, right?

Adding this little tidbit to any liberal claim about global warming sure takes any of their apocalyptic screeds down a level. Of course they won't append an asterisk to any of their claims since global warming provides them with a moral right to tax industries and control people.

Moving to the burbs to live with whites angers liberals but they can do nothing about it. Under the guise of global warming such behavior can be shamed and tax.
The limitless potential for moral grandstanding that global warming provides is insatiable to liberals. Because of this potential power you will not see many technological solutions to this supposed problem from them. Such solutions do not serve their desire to control. You can already see this with their pedantic skepticism of carbon sequestration.