God in Spandex

Whether one believes in the viability of global warming or not, it is baffling to see how some on the extra far-right try to justify their beliefs that climate change is a creation of the United Nations or liberal politics.

Yesterday over lunch, I heard Rush Limbaugh summarize his version of the “mainstream” conservative position on global warming quite well (paraphrasing here): God controls earth’s weather; therefore, climate change is a falsehood because the Almighty will never allow it to happen – which is like saying 9/11 is impossible because God favors America above all nations.

This is what I like to call the “God as Superman” myth – which is not say I am an atheist, or that I snub my nose at prayer, but rather that when awful things are barreling down humanity’s turnpike, it’s up to us to bail our own asses out (or not).

In other words, if one is camped out on a train track and the 8:30 express is closing fast at 50 MPH, God is not coming to rescue you. You need to stand up and leave the track yourself.

But beside Limbaugh’s take on this question of action, and its relation to warming, over on WorldNutDaily Chief Editor Joseph Farah triumphantly seconds Rush’s notion of God as divine superhero:

While few can argue with the biblical mandate to be good stewards of the planet, the "Evangelical Climate Initiative" [created by a growing Christian movement calling for environmental safety] calls for both individual action and immediate government action to curtail carbon dioxide emissions. This despite the fact that man-caused carbon dioxide emissions represent only an infinitesimally small percentage of CO2 present in the atmosphere. This despite the fact that there is no evidence [CO2] levels in the atmosphere cause global warming.

And this despite God's promise in Genesis 8:22 that He alone controls the world's temperature and climate, not man: "While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease."

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So I guess that makes NASA’s most recent report on climate change the product of a gang of left-wing whackjobs out to brainwash America’s kids, right Joe? Because, y’know, those NASA guys – they’re right up there with the Heaven’s Gate Cult and Charlie Manson on the crazy yardstick.

And those environmentally-minded Christians? Boy, do they need a reality check!

But people like these and NASA are not alone in their extreme right-wing irking conclusions; the hard data which points to bad things for earth’s climate again and again. But never mind the facts; in America’s current-day, Karl Rovian society – reality only matters if it favors your campaign contributors.

Otherwise, never you mind about that massive asteroid hurtling towards earth – both God and George W. Bush will protect us.

Hey, you two. This is God. Be careful, there’s a train coming.
I said there’s a train coming! Move your ass! Hey! Is this thing on? You’re about to become
coyote meal in 30 seconds! Hello? Oh, Jesus….why do I bother sometimes?