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Darlene
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| Joined: | Mon Oct 9th, 2006 |
| Location: | Pocono Mountains, Pennsylvania USA |
| Posts: | 877 |
| First Name: | Darlene | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Christian, trusting His love and forgiveness |
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Posted: Wed Feb 7th, 2007 06:07 pm |
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Hello Again,
Global warming has been a topic of interest in the news lately and today my husband and I were talking about it. He was listening to a radio program on his way home from a job last night addressing this very issue. Several scientists were calling in giving their comments/questions and the guest was also a scientist. I do think there is global warming but question whether or not the reasons given by many current scientists is the correct reason.
What say others of you? Is there a position that the Catholic Church would take on an issue such as this? (I'm thinking not because it is still being studied and not fully understood) Does the Bible have any references to the earth going through a period of global warming?
I look forward to reading your ideas.
Darlene
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The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. II Corinthians 13:14
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CajunRick
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| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Houma, Louisiana USA |
| Posts: | 4979 |
| First Name: | Rick (& Kermie) | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Lifetime Catholic, Latin Rite |
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Posted: Wed Feb 7th, 2007 07:32 pm |
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Darlene wrote: What say others of you? Is there a position that the Catholic Church would take on an issue such as this?
The Church has issued many pastorals and documents on proper care of the earth, so nothing special would be needed to cover global warming. If we properly cared for our environment, any human impact on the global environment would be minimized.
And I think that's an important distinction. Global warming is a reality; the cause is still unknown. I believe we have contributed to it, but when we say that the last five years have been the warmest on record, we fail to mention that our records go back less than a couple of centuries. We have no way to know whether the earth is any warmer today than it was a thousand or two thousand or two million years ago.
We know there have been ice ages and we know that around the 1600's there was what's called a "mini-ice age" in which the temperature plummeted, lakes and rivers that never freeze turned to ice, and snow was reported in otherwise sub-tropical environments like northern Africa. We also know there have been droughts and famines that could possibly have been caused by excess heat. How presumptuous of us to think that the last couple of hundred years of records accurately represents the global climate!
Still, I do believe we have had a negative effect. Quite possibly we have made a natural swing in climate worse, and that's a bad thing. We should do everything we can to protect the environment. God promised us he would never again destroy humanity with a flood. God did not promise us we would not destroy ourselves by killing our planet.
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Understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand. - Augustine
Rick Luquette
Luquette Lane
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mrsbmoo
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| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Virginia USA |
| Posts: | 267 |
| First Name: | Becky | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | former Methodist. RCA, Presbyterian, Holiness, Wesleyan... Catholic as of June ... |
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Posted: Wed Feb 7th, 2007 11:06 pm |
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| The homeschool group I belong to has just been posting about that movie on global warming. They tend to be a rather "crunchy" lot and are all freaking out over our culpability. As a contrast, the evangelical churches in our area take the position that global warming is a hoax. Can someone explain why this is virtually a doctrinal issue for evangelicals but not for Catholics?
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Becky
Wife of Michael(called Moo) and stay at home mom to 5 daughters between 7 months and 16
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CajunRick
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| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Houma, Louisiana USA |
| Posts: | 4979 |
| First Name: | Rick (& Kermie) | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Lifetime Catholic, Latin Rite |
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Posted: Wed Feb 7th, 2007 11:39 pm |
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mrsbmoo wrote: Can someone explain why this is virtually a doctrinal issue for evangelicals but not for Catholics?
No, I can't. Sorry.
It's been my experience that Catholics tend to take a more holistic approach to just about everything. If we took better care of the environment, global warming would take care of itself. There is no need for it to be a separate issue.
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Understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand. - Augustine
Rick Luquette
Luquette Lane
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CajunRick
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| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Houma, Louisiana USA |
| Posts: | 4979 |
| First Name: | Rick (& Kermie) | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Lifetime Catholic, Latin Rite |
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Posted: Thu Feb 8th, 2007 08:39 pm |
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| Please note the press release from the U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, available here.
____________________
Understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand. - Augustine
Rick Luquette
Luquette Lane
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Br_Carlo
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| Joined: | Mon Oct 9th, 2006 |
| Location: | Tyler, Texas USA |
| Posts: | 153 |
| First Name: | Br_Carlo (Vince Brach) | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Presbyterian, Episcopalian, CATHOLIC |
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Posted: Tue Feb 13th, 2007 08:25 am |
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God's peace. I can comment on this, having lived in both worlds. Most evangelicals regard science and scientists as anti-Christian and destructive to faith--in fact, part of the "evil world-system"--and have a knee-jerk response to anything scientists say. While evolutionary biology and conventional historical geology get the lion's share of their antipathy, even medicine (especially vaccination) is not exempt. Things are not helped by the fact that many scientists are highly vocal atheists who misuse science as a launch point for their materialist philosophies.
I'm sorry to add that as a professional science teacher, I have observed that there is a strong inverse correlation between scientific understanding and the Evangelical mindset--especially if the evangelicals in question are also premillenarian rapturists. Their objection to studying science is often justified by saying that science is a waste of time, since the world is going to be burned up any day now.
I thank God that I was freed from all of this when I became Catholic. As a Catholic, I can investigate or discuss any aspect of science without worry that the Church will brand me a heretic! Blessings, ~Br_Carlo~
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BodRod
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| Joined: | Mon Oct 2nd, 2006 |
| Location: | Apple Valley, California USA |
| Posts: | 720 |
| First Name: | Cliff | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Raised an SDA, then Generic Christian, finally at home with ... |
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Posted: Tue Feb 13th, 2007 10:59 am |
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I think that when we are looking at "research" in ANY area, we should ALWAYS find out who is funding the research, who is spreading/pushing the "findings" of the research and what are the goals of the people pushing for acceptance of the findings of the research. Comments about scientific findings are usually associated with a company which has a product they want to sell or with a political party who wants to influence the voting in a subsequent election.
There is NO EVIDENCE that there has ever been a global warming or global cooling beyond the normal cycles of the earth. Also, those claiming global warming are the same groups who were claiming global cooling in the mid-1970s (Check Newsweek Mag. et al.). In those days they were telling us that we had started the next Ice Age and there would be global cooling to a point where most everything would die and then evolulation would start all over again. BTW, it didn't happen.
Also, those who are claiming that fossil fuels are causing global warming are also the ones (Yes, including Gore and his Father.) who are flying here and there (using fosil fuel) driving or riding in large cars and SUVs (using fossil fuel) have financial holdings in companies who are producers of fossil fuels and tobacco (Yes, tobacco is a contributor to polluntants. 
Last edited on Tue Feb 13th, 2007 11:46 am by BodRod
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Gratias agamus Domino Deo nostro.
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mg57
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| Joined: | Mon Oct 9th, 2006 |
| Location: | Tolland County, Connecticut USA |
| Posts: | 166 |
| First Name: | mg57 | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Infant Baptised Catholic |
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Posted: Tue Feb 13th, 2007 11:42 am |
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Here is what John Paul II wrote concerning the environment back in 1990 -
The Ecological Crisis A Common Responsibility -
Message of His Holiness for the celebration of the WORLD DAY OF PEACE January 1, 1990
http://www.ewtn.com/library/PAPALDOC/JP900101.htm
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CajunRick
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| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Houma, Louisiana USA |
| Posts: | 4979 |
| First Name: | Rick (& Kermie) | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Lifetime Catholic, Latin Rite |
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Posted: Tue Feb 13th, 2007 02:18 pm |
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BodRod wrote: There is NO EVIDENCE that there has ever been a global warming or global cooling beyond the normal cycles of the earth.
I completely agree. However, I also feel that we have been poor stewards of the planet God gave us and we need to take steps to rectify the situation. Of particular concern to me is the clear-cutting of the rainforests. First world countries that have raped the third world for centuries need to contribute to their economic success now so that they don't have to destroy the rest of their resources to make progress. We, the rich industrialized countries, need to repay the damage we have done by reducing our own energy use and by helping the economies of poorer nations so that they don't have to cause any further damage.
I still feel that global warming is a reality, but I also believe it is a normal climate swing. Given the increase in the number of Category 5 hurricanes and other weather extremes, I do have a great concern for the future. I don't think we caused it, but we certainly have not done anything to prevent it.
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Understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand. - Augustine
Rick Luquette
Luquette Lane
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