sobering read from Slate "Why Evangelicals Favor Scott Pruitt Over the Health of the Planet"

[NRaleighLiberal]

https://slate.com/technology/2018/06/evangelicals-lack-of-environmentalism-explains-scott-pruitt.html?via=homepage_taps_top

God’s EPA Administrator
Did the politics and history of evangelical Christianity create Scott Pruitt?

In 2007, the Rev. Joel Hunter formed a creation care team at his Northland evangelical megachurch in central Florida. “Creation care” describes a movement within the U.S. Christian community to better steward God’s creation, aka the Earth—it is, in short, environmentalism for the faithful. Many embraced Hunter’s initiative. Many did not.

“What are you doing? Are you going liberal on us?” Hunter remembers some of his congregants complaining.

Ten years later, Hunter left Northland. His gentle push toward environmental responsibility wasn’t the only factor in his departure—Hunter also urged his congregation to consider its views on racism, gun violence, and homophobia, especially in light of the Pulse nightclub shooting that killed 49 people not far from the church’s campus. But his environmentalist nudge certainly contributed to the overall perception that Hunter no longer held the same views as his congregants.

They like him because they think he’s like them: He puts people before the environment, just like God does.
Environmentalism and American evangelicals are like oil and water. Joel Hunter was one of a small number of high-profile leaders who worked, over decades, to try to mix the two. The effort has yielded minimal results: Just 20 percent of committed Christians consider themselves active participants in the environmental movement—a number that has barely moved for a quarter-century and represents less than half the proportion of environmentalists in the general population. The proportion of Christians who prioritize environmental concerns over energy production has dropped by about 20 percentage points in the last 25 years. And indications are that the more ardently Christian an American becomes, the less he or she cares about the environment. Evangelicals are the least environmentally inclined of committed U.S. Christians.

snip - very long read, and an important (and depressing) one. Go to the above link for the rest

[SHRED]

1. Patriarchal religions are literally killing this planet

[d_r]

2. Scott Pruitt

is a little prick. It really isn't more complicated than that. The dude is a prick.

[bobbieinok]

3. Remember how shocked I was in 92 election when out of blue Gore was named a Gaia worshipper

I remembered this when I read the full article. Very interesting and informative.

Had moved to OK IN 89. in 92 there was a constant barrage of negative stuff about both Clintons. And zero against Gore. Then one day I caught a rant on a local talk show station about how Gore 'worships Gaia.' And then that was a constant under message when people here in OK talked about the democratic prez and VP candidates.

[Thekaspervote]

4. They are EVILGELICALS

[roamer65]

5. We desperately need population reduction on this planet.

Oh...I am so tempted to say it.

[Initech]

6. Evangelicals are an extremely sick breed.

They favor locking people up over treating them humanely. They favor separations and deportations. They favor despotism over the health and well being of the planet. They won't serve people who aren't 100% in tune with their beliefs. Fuck 'em.

[ooky]

7. So that's why they like him? I always thought it was because

he's a fucking Republican.