"Well," I said, "It's not surprising that people get emotional about it. It is the only planet we have, after all. The ice caps are melting, species are dying, and things are getting out of hand."
"That's what they say," she retorted. "But I thought you were so slow to accept things without proof!"
"There's plenty of proof," I said. "I could show you some data right now. Would you care to see it?"
"No, I don't have time for that," she said. "Maybe you do, but I don't have the time to waste on that nonsense. There's lots of scientists - more every day - that say this whole thing is hogwash."
"There are a handful," I affirmed. "Mainly in the US, and mainly because Bush hired oil executives to 'advise' the government, and because corporations recognize the value of buying scientists to protect their corrupt interests. Why anybody would listen to them is beyond me. Don't you think there might be a conflict of interest there? Using junk science to promote your agenda?"
"Oh, and you don't think Al Gore is doing the same thing? You don't think his science is corrupt?"
"Not if 99% of the scientists around the world agree! There are pictures, graphs, data, all kinds of evidence for it. Denying it is ridiculous."
She scoffed. "You keep getting your so-called evidence from your websites, Nathan. You're blinded, fooled. You say you're so analytical and pretend to be knowledgeable, but you don't know. And if you were honest, you'd admit you don't know. You pretend to be this independent thinker, but you're just a sucker for the liberal agenda."
"It's hard to go against National Geographic, photographs, and 99% of the world's best scientists. I'm not blinded at all. I take my information from reputable sources. You think scientists around the world are involved in some kind of 'liberal' conspiracy! Science is not 'liberal.' It's ambivalence like yours that lets things get worse and worse."
"I'm not ambivalent," she said, offended. "I do my part. I pick up trash in the parks when I see it. I think we should be good stewards of the planet God gave us."
"Yet you defend the companies that are doing the damage in the name of capitalism?"
"If they're even all that bad," she said. "Maybe they are, maybe they aren't. But you assume."
"No, I don't!" I said. "I can show you evidence. Would you care to see it?"
"I don't have time for that crap," she said. "For every bit of evidence you've got, there is evidence against it. We can go tit for tat on evidence, but why waste your time? You spend so much time on this crap, and it's a pretty poor use of your time if you ask me."
"Whatever," I said. "When you're considering evidence, you've got to consider the sources. Most of the guys who say climate change is a bunch of 'hogwash' were put in place by corporatist Republicans. You put them up against most of the world and say 'it's a wash'?"
"Let me ask you this," she said. "What are YOU doing about it? If it's such a big deal, what are you doing? Do YOU pick up trash in the parks?"
"Of course I do! But that isn't the point. Littering is not going to melt the polar ice caps. Greenhouse gases will."
Then we got to the crux of the issue.
She scoffed again. "Oh yeah, yeah. The big bad companies. You know, there are bigger things to worry about. Like people on drugs. People dying all over the place. Violence and degradation of society, ugliness everywhere coming straight out of that hip-hop music you think is so great. Perverting our American way of life to socialism."
"Okay, so let's fix those things and forget about the environment. That way, we can have a beautiful society and nowhere to put it when the planet dies."
"I'm not worried about the planet dying," she said. "This is God's planet. He made it. It's His. He will take care of this planet, and when it is time for it to be destroyed, He will destroy it. I'm not worried about it."
"Oh great," I said, getting really mad. "Yeah, leave it to God. We don't have to worry about a thing. Let's just let the engines of 'capitalism' do what they do, because God forbid we have higher priorities than the well-being of business tycoons. And we don't have to worry about the consequences, because God's in control."
"You're saying I don't care," she said. "But I do! Why are you putting words in my mouth? I already said, we ought to be good stewards of God's earth. But what are you helping? You think going around believing something is going to make a difference? Believing something that isn't even proven?"
"Well, what sources do you have for your alternate views? No wait, we both know what it is. Rush Limbaugh. If you can't see the problem with that, I don't know what to tell you. Don't you be calling me blind; that's all I have to say about that one. And the most effective way for these big oil folks to get what they want is managing public opinion, convincing everybody to be apathetic about it. Believe me, those oil companies are mighty glad you're religious and you think God will take care of it. Exxon thanks the Lord for the ignorance of Republicans everywhere. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that public opinion is the most effective tool for getting things done politically. If I spend time talking about it, it's to make a difference. THAT'S what I'm doing. I have a good vocabulary, I know how to debate, and I'm well-informed. I don't know what kind of difference I will make, but I might as well try using the tools I have at my disposal. You know, survival of the species and all that. Little miniscule concerns like that. Certainly nothing bigger than the threat of socialism or hip-hop."
"I'll let you worry about it," she said. "I don't have to worry. I know my Lord will take care of my planet."
"No, he won't," I said. "He obviously doesn't care about starving children in Africa - it's OUR job to care and help them. He obviously doesn't care about genocide - it's OUR job to care. And he obviously doesn't care about global warming. It's OUR job. If you're wrong about God being in control, your faith just cost humanity EVERYTHING THERE IS."
"I'm not wrong," she said. "I happen to know what's going to happen, and I don't have to face the future with fear.".
"Isn't that just a cop-out?"
"No!"
---
Of course, the conversation continued, but to keep telling you what happened would be useless and redundant.
This is why religion is dangerous. It is not okay. Your faith is fine with me, but only up until it starts infringing on my rights and the rights of other human beings. You religious folks out there have no proof for what you are saying, and you spit in the face of proofs. Evidence is irrelevent to you. Your dogmas have given you a lazy, irresponsible attitude that has cost many lives and will continue to cost many lives. For that reason, religion and faith are NOT okay. They are dangerous and the comfort they give comes at an unacceptable cost.
I beg you to separate your faiths from your political opinions. Believing God will take care of our problems is one thing; behaving as if we have nothing to worry about is quite another. A Persian proverb: "Trust in God, but tie your camel." Believe what you want; but what you believe is for YOU, not for your COUNTRY. You cannot lead a country by a book of religion. Witness, if you will, the brilliant things done by religious leaders of countries. Look at Iran. Look at the Inquisition. Look at God's Will being done in Iraq right now. Look around you and realize that we need science, proof, logic at the helm of a country, influencing our governments. Not superstition and faith.
If this person had her way, if she were in control of the government, we would do nothing to combat climate change. The scary part: she IS in control of the government. And so are you. It's time to get angry about our leadership's lassiez-faire attitude toward this issue and make a difference.
This is why I am against religion. It's not because of what it does to you and your brain; I don't care about you or your brain. Get high on pot, religion, alcohol, or whatever you want. It's none of my business. But don't get behind the wheel of a car drunk - you might do some damage. And don't get behind a voting booth high on religion - you might do some REAL damage. And don't you DARE get behind that desk in the Oval Office and start leading from your book of religion. You might do something stupid like start Wold War Three.
I beg you to ignore your religion when you vote and when you involve yourself in public life. It is for YOU, not for US. Leave me the hell out of your religion.
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