Republican Congressman Cites Biblical Great Flood To Say Climate Change Isn't Man-Made

[brooklynite]

Source: Buzzfeed

A Republican Congressman cited the biblical flood as an example of climate change that had not been caused by humans. Texas Rep. Joe Barton made those remarks Wednesday at the Subcommittee on Energy and Power hearing on H.R. 3, the Northern Route Approval Act, a bill that would give Congress the authority approve the Keystone pipeline.

...snip...

Barton continued to say he didn't deny the climate was changing, but argued that the change was due to natural causes, as he has in the past.

...snip...

Barton then cited the biblical Great Flood as an example of climate change not caused by man.

"I would point out that if you're a believer in in the Bible, one would have to say the Great Flood is an example of climate change and that certainly wasn't because mankind had overdeveloped hydrocarbon energy."

Read more: http://www.buzzfeed.com/andrewkaczynski/republican-congressman-cites-biblical-great-flood-to-say-cim

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He'll be here all week, folks...

[alsame]

1. If we were a sane country, this man

would be removed from office and replaced by a rational human being.

[AsahinaKimi]

25. +2000

This.

[tularetom]

26. Or Siri

[Newest Reality]

2. Isn't that so nice and simple?

We can BURN everything and really screw the planet hard because, well ..

Either angels will fix it or we can do everything we can to end the world and that will inspire a certain Messiah to hop in a galactic taxi and come in for the home run rapture! Yeah!

It's a win-win ... another species went what? ... situation.

[Xipe Totec]

8. simple, especially. nt

[Swede Atlanta]

3. He doesn't get out much....

the Biblical flood has been all but debunked scientifically as the break in a massive ice dam. If they only paid attention to "facts" and not biblical fantasy they would be worth more than, well, my refuse.

[madrchsod]

9. do`t forget the tribes of the great lakes description of the great flood

if i remember correctly china also has a great flood story...

[AnotherMcIntosh]

15. Did the tribes of the great lakes also think that the world was flat? Did China?

The world hasn't been flat for years.

[LeftInTX]

4. Joe "shake down" Barton

The guy who called the BP hearings a "shake down".

He's nothing but a shill for oil companies. He don't care nothing about the bible.

[synapticwave]

5. My cynical rebuttal would be...

But God flooded the planet because of the great stupidity and wickedness of mankind...are you saying you know definitively that he is not doing that now for your stupidity and/or wickedness? And, if you do know factually that he is NOT flooding the planet now, then how did you ascertain this fact? Do you talk with God, did he tell you this first-hand? Are you a prophet? Because if you are...I'd like to know if the Broncos will win the super bowl next year.

[chknltl]

13. Broncos vs Seahawks were my Superbowl picks for last season.

Think I'll let that pick stand again for next season . Good luck to your Broncos and may it be a season of record breakings for both of these GREAT teams. (chknltl: 12th Man 4 life)

[TrogL]

18. He'll blame the gays

[Politicalboi]

27. That's right

The ice didn't start melting till us gays wanted to come out of the closet. About the same time Earth Day came about.

[chknltl]

6. Blatant pandering to the Gozinta challenged.

(sorta speaks for itself so nuff said)

[AAO]

7. He's a simpleton. IQ approximately 87.

[Duer 157099]

10. As Jon might say: "That's gotta be good for 40% of his salary"

Let's start reducing their pay if they demonstrate ignorance.

[RevStPatrick]

11. Ummm... Joe... Actually, the Flood WAS "caused by man..."

Because we were being such douchebags, Joe, your god decided to wipe us all off the face of the earth.
Stop acting like such a douchebag, Joe, and maybe he won't have to do it again.
M'kay?

[Coyotl]

12. Thank you Joe for so precisely pinning the tail on that elephant, "overdeveloped hydrocarbon energy"

[AnotherMcIntosh]

14. A great flood that covered everything? The earth hasn't been flat in some time.

[rurallib]

16. Joe, could you have Mr. God come to a hearing

maybe he can clear this up.

[happyslug]

17. That one sentence was a throw away line, just a comment that climate change can be natural.

The whole thrust of his statement was that he ADMITTED the climate was changing (and that is a HUGE change in position for him) but he maintains the change could be caused by things other then hydrocarbons.

According to the geological record, the climate has changed in the past without any input from Hydrocarbons or man. The story of the Great Flood, while widespread, is NOT supported by the geological record.

Side note: The story of the Great Flood in the Bible was NOT to record an actual event but to tell a story that revealed a "Truth". In the story of Noah is that Man "Dominance" over nature is a two way street, one that permit man to benefit from nature BUT also to take care of nature, to preserve not only the "Clean" animals (Domesticated Animals), but also the "Unclean" animals (Wild animals) and if you do so you are fulfilling God's mission for you. Notice this aspect of the story is rarely told by right wingers, it is to environmental for them.

Back to Barton, after making a comment about the Great Flood being an example of Climate Change NOT caused by Man, Barton then goes back to his old standbys, Hydrocarbons are NOT causing Climate change, it is a natural event independent of the actions of man. That is the main thrust of his statement, not the bible and clearly NOT any message you can get from reading Noah and the Flood.

[Archae]

19. Isn't this the idiot who yelled "You lie!" at Obama during a SOTU speech?

[brooklynite]

23. No-you're thinking of Joe Walsh.

[jaded_old_cynic]

30. Actually it was Joe Wilson.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/09/gop-rep-wilson-yells-out_n_281480.html

[Archae]

32. It's so hard to tell the difference between those right-win nutjobs.

They all look alike.

[jaded_old_cynic]

33. An honest mistake.

The actions of these imbeciles look more like Onion headlines every day. It's getting hard to differentiate.

[CanonRay]

20. My mother taught me not to make fun of other people's religions

but Ma, I can't help myself, they are idiots.

[question everything]

21. Not much changed since the trial of Galileo

When the biblical story of how Joshua "commanded" the sun to stand still, to have longer time to fight, was brought up as a proof that the earth was the center of the universe.

[bamacrat]

22. That's sad.

For us, that our elected representatives are so stupid. I don't mean they are stupid for being Christians or believing in the Bible, but for not seeing a fable for what it is. You can believe in what the bible teaches and there is nothing wrong with that. But to spout off, especially from a place of authority, and use the bible as proof to your ignorance you have failed the people in this country and hope of having a rational debate about anything.

[Solly Mack]

24. Damn

[caseymoz]

28. How does he know God didn't do it with greenhouse gases?

I realize that's not in the Bible, but who's to say God didn't do it by the indirect route? I mean, He's God, it's not like he's going to get tired. Just release some of that Methane out of the Siberian Flats, and lo and behold, heat and humidity worldwide go up.

The Bible is poor evidence any way you look at it. As far as he can tell, we're playing with God's spigot by burning hydrocarbons.

[Enrique]

29. Bible, eh?

http://www.opensecrets.org/industries/summary.php?ind=E01&cycle=All&recipdetail=H&mem=Y

Oil & Gas: Money to Congress

All Members of the House

1.Barton, Joe (R-TX) $1,727,055
2.Pearce, Steve (R-NM) $1,474,701
3.Inhofe, James M (R-OK) $1,437,696
4.Vitter, David (R-LA) $1,094,985
5.Young, Don (R-AK) $1,055,713
6.Wilson, Heather A (R-NM) $892,232
7.Conaway, Mike (R-TX) $879,268
8.Sessions, Pete (R-TX) $862,146
9.Rehberg, Denny (R-MT) $808,142
10.Sullivan, John (R-OK) $799,800

Boehner, John (R-OH) $786,449
Lincoln, Blanche (D-AR) $746,691

[NickB79]

31. Next he cited Methuselah to oppose ObamaCare

In proclaiming we don't need health care reform because people used to live 900 years without any help from the government.

[on point]

34. Or 'Republican declares he is a complete and utter fool and unfit for office'

[benld74]

35. Easy to see why the GO put him on the Subcommittee on Energy and Power