Letter to the Editor: Virtually all faiths agree we have a moral responsibility to care for our planet

Stock image, St. George News

OPINION — French philosopher Blaise Pascal posed the argument that it is best, for self-serving reasons, to believe in God.

If God does not exist, then a belief in God will have little consequence. However, if God exists, then the consequences of belief become more significant: eternity in heaven for believers or hell for nonbelievers. The consequences of the decision strongly favor believing in God.

Consider Climate Change. Can’t we all agree that we share responsibility for the health of our planet and future generations? Virtually all faiths agree that humans have a moral responsibility to care for our planet.

The Interfaith Climate Change Statement encourages faith communities to reduce emissions, phase out fossil fuel subsidies, divest from fossil fuel corporations and reinvest in renewables. The benefits of these actions strongly support taking steps to combat climate change.

The good thing about science is that it’s true whether or not you believe in it,” Neil deGrasse Tyson said.

The Citizens Climate Lobby promotes a carbon fee and dividend to accomplish the goal of stewardship for our planet. Join us to find out how to ensure a livable plant at 10 a.m. Saturday in the Snow Science building 128 on the campus of Dixie State University, 225 S. University Ave., St George.

Submitted by JEAN M. LOWN, St. George.

Letters to the Editor are not the product of St. George News, its editors, staff or contributors. The matters stated and opinions given are the responsibility of the person submitting them; they do not reflect the product or opinion of St. George News.

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Letters to the Editor are not the product of St. George News, its editors, staff or news contributors. The matters stated and opinions given are the responsibility of the person submitting them. They do not reflect the product or opinion of St. George News and are given only light edit for technical style and formatting.

 

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21 Comments

  • Mike March 10, 2018 at 7:25 am

    Virtually all faiths also teach that it’s wrong to steal from others or use force and violence in pursuit of your goals, no matter how noble they may be. And that’s exactly what climate change legislation is: Making electricity and transportation more expensive, especially for the world’s desperately poor, and doing so by threat of punishment under the law.

    If your beliefs are so obviously true and beneficial, then people will adopt them voluntarily. The fact that you have to use people with guns to require others to do what you think is right shows the moral degeneracy of your views.

    • Lee Sanders March 13, 2018 at 5:29 pm

      You’ve got to be kidding. Opposition to doing something about climate change has little to do with opposition to “use of force and violence in pursuit of your goals.” People will not voluntarily adopt practices that almost all the climate scientists recommend due to their faith or lack of faith. They will resist doing something about climate change because they think it will cost them money now, regardless of the long-term costs down the road. “Steal” a dollar now to save ten down the road? Shameful.

  • Blemonds March 10, 2018 at 7:39 am

    “The good thing about science is that it’s true whether or not you believe in it,” Neil deGrasse Tyson said. The trouble with climate change is that it isn’t science, but rather ideology. The trouble with ideology is that one can believe it whether it is true or not. Science has a method which is ignored in the case of climate change which has always been dynamic, not static. The ideology behind climate change revolves around power and control over the lives of others establishing an elite class to rule over the rest of us. In the 70’s, we were warned of global cooling, a new ice age. In the 90’s it was global warming. Now it is the more inclusive climate change. let’s just call it what it is, bullying. Power and control.

    • theone March 10, 2018 at 10:15 am

      Oh, look Blemonds scientific data supporting climate change, darn it’s just you who bears an ideology of ignorance.

      https://climate.nasa.gov/evidence/

      • Blemonds March 10, 2018 at 2:17 pm

        When you have data that you believe supports a concept, you then propose a hypothesis. That hypothesis has to be tested to determine if it is correct or not. All you have now is a hypothesis that has not been tested. To claim an untested hypothesis is settled science is pseudo science. That’s all the climate changers have got. Pseudo science

        • statusquo March 10, 2018 at 9:03 pm

          Well said Blemonds! Personal attacks as demonstrated by THE ONE only incite hate and offer no resolution.

    • Death Valley March 11, 2018 at 10:21 am

      “The ideology behind climate change revolves around power and control over the lives of others establishing an elite class to rule over the rest of us.”

      What a load of dog crap.
      Just because you deny scientific fact doesn’t mean your opinion will be taken seriously. Your fake outrage is palpable.

  • PogoStik March 10, 2018 at 8:29 am

    Mike, Blemonds: your posts are Not even worth commenting on… Hopeless.

    • Blemonds March 10, 2018 at 2:23 pm

      Your response is pretty typical actually. That’s because there has never been any real science to determine that men are causing climate change. Remember that part where it used to be global cooling, then global warming then climate change. That’s important because the reason it keeps changing is because it turns out to be incorrect. Thus, if we have warm weather, it’s climate change. If we have cold weather, it’s climate change. Strong hurricanes, climate change. No hurricanes, climate change ad infinitum. The only thing we really have is data that tells us that the climate is dynamic and has always changed. Changing climate is the natural order.

      • Utahguns March 10, 2018 at 3:48 pm

        Very well said.
        The climate change loons still can’t explain the broad leaf plant fossils that exist in Greenland / Iceland.

      • Lee Sanders March 13, 2018 at 5:34 pm

        Yes, the climate has always been dynamic. Nobody is denying that. What has been proven, however, is that never in history has the earth warmed as fast and in such a short period. A period that well coincides with the industrial revolution. Curious how you explain that.

  • ladybugavenger March 10, 2018 at 12:01 pm

    What? I’m not here to save the planet. They don’t even have recycling bins for recycling materials to go in where I live, it’s in the talks. I’m not going out of my way to recycle. Just saying.

    It’s not the planet that needs to be saved, it’s people that need to be saved. So much crime and ugliness.

    By the way, you all know how employees aren’t allowed to go after thieves. (Retailers, enable thieves) i had enough the other day, andd this lady walked out the,door with a $300 tool kit. Well, I ran after her, I yelled, aren’t you suppose to pay for that? She got scared and it stopped her in her tracks. I got the tool back and guess what? I’m still employed. And may she tell her thieving friends to stay away when I’m there. I will Chase you

    • Whatteverrr March 10, 2018 at 8:57 pm

      LBA Jesus freak who doesn’t even care enough to recycle. Crazy. Just sayin
      Yet gripes about some nonsense completely off topic.
      You discredit yourself when you say such stupid things.

      • ladybugavenger March 11, 2018 at 7:37 am

        In California they had a recycle trash bin and a regular trash bin. Here, where I am, they dont offer it. At work, I put plastic bags in recycle bin.

        Why don’t you buy a trash truck for recyclables for this town, there are alot of Jesus freaks here….

        Jesus and recycling, however in the world did you compare the two and put them together. You don’t know Jesus. It’s ok.

        I do sure get alot of backlash for saying Jesus. And im ok with it.

        I bet if I said i was Muslim, y’all wouldn’t have so many darts to throw And I’d get alot of compassion from y’all! Some would be screaming equal rights for Muslim LBA. Haha you know it’s true!

      • ladybugavenger March 11, 2018 at 8:02 am

        Believe me, one of the first things i noticed when i moved to this suburb of tulsa was that they don’t recycle. Being raised in California, it’s a big deal. I was raised to recycle. My mom was an avid recycler. But it was also convenient with a recycle bin. It’s not that way here. What does Jesus have to do with recycling? My mom was not a fan of Jesus, by no means, but she was one heck of a recycler. Lol, y’all make me shake my head.

    • statusquo March 10, 2018 at 9:05 pm

      Go get em LBA!

      • ladybugavenger March 11, 2018 at 8:09 am

        That’s my participation in saving the planet, putting the fear of God in one thief at a time.

      • ladybugavenger March 11, 2018 at 8:21 am

        In a thief twisted mind they think they have a right to steal. Justifying it, by telling themselves, it’s a big corporation. They can afford it. They don’t care. The truth is by them stealing prices go up (all customers pay for thieves, all prices go up) and I don’t get a raise because millions of dollars of merchandise are stolen a year. That’s my frick’n raise they are stealing. So in essence, they are stealing from me. It has to stop! We have to get tougher on theft. Save the planet from thieves!

  • Striker4 March 11, 2018 at 5:59 am

    I’m just concerned about turtle crossings

  • commonsense March 11, 2018 at 8:56 am

    The Jewish/liberal enigma has troubled me forever.
    Israel is the most xenophobic, racist nation on earth.
    There is no diversity in Israel. There is no immigration allowed into Israel unless you are Jewish.
    Everyone including teachers are armed with guns and must serve in the military.
    The military budget is twice Per Capita of ours.

    That sounds like every Democrats worst nightmare. Yet, most American Jews vote Democrat., not that ideology ever kept Democrats from using fringe votes to further their power base.

    I

    • comments March 11, 2018 at 2:15 pm

      “not that ideology ever kept Democrats from using fringe votes to further their power base.”

      same goes for your beloved, yet corrupt to the core, R-party

      jews in this country tend to be highly educated and vote liberal. it is what it is. i have nothing against american jews.

      meanwhile, the israel lobby (the largest lobby in our political system) has a stranglehold on your R-party. R-party basically worships the whole israel agenda. figure it out. Israel is prob the largest single corrupter of the US gov’t, entangling us into mideast conflicts that benefit no one but Israel. Its like what netanyahu said after 9/11, he said this is very very good for israel. A lot of us take the view that israel had a part in making 9/11 happen.

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