Climate change apocalypse

[LostinParis]

My fundy in-laws are all climate change skeptics. Why is this non-belief so common among fundamentalist christians? Is it due to their loyalty to the political right? Is it denial? My in-laws are highly skilled in denial. Perhaps a lack of concern is due to belief in the approaching apocalypse?

Frustrated.

[theyownyou33]

In my experience it has to do with two things. One is the fact that Jesus is in total control and will choose how and when the world will come to its end. If everything ends up burning up then they will be saved in the rapture so who cares. They also have a natural deep founded hatred of science and anything adored or believed by anyone who even farts slightly to the left. Then you have people like Ken Ham telling children to never believe what scientist tell you if it goes against the bible. So, it's easy to understand where the cog is missing in the machine.

[LogicalFallacy]

3 hours ago, LostinParis said:

My fundy in-laws are all climate change skeptics. Why is this non-belief so common among fundamentalist christians? Is it due to their loyalty to the political right? Is it denial? My in-laws are highly skilled in denial. Perhaps a lack of concern is due to belief in the approaching apocalypse?

Frustrated.

 

Do not think that it is limited to fundamental Christians. Climate change denial is rampant over the human spectrum for various reasons.

 

But one answer considering your in-laws are fundies might be more to do with the anti-science bent many fundies have. Scientists are evil and working for the devil, its a conspiracy to replace god blah blah. These thoughts then allow a person to dismiss any scientific findings without investigation.

[LostinParis]

@LogicalFallacy, @theyownyou33 Oh yes of course! A suspicion of science. 

My in-laws do not believe in evolution, and dread the advance of science. Except, amusingly, when it involves antibiotics or triple bypass surgery...

[disillusioned]

My family also is skeptical of climate change. They are fundamentalist, YECs and are generally distrustful of science. This is an integral part of their world view. I know this because they homeschooled me and, for a time, they succeeded in passing on this distrust of science to me.

 

This distrust of science is a problem that is particularly pervasive in fundamentalist circles, but it is not only found there. We now live in a world where anyone can join any conversation at any time. If you ask me, I think we may have taken this notion of everyone being entitled to their own opinion a little too far. People seem to think, now, that if they don't understand something then no one understands it. The reality is, most people are not qualified to speak with authority on questions of science. But that doesn't stop them. After all, they are entitled to their opinion, whether they know what they are talking about or not. But innocent bystanders are often unable to tell the difference between an ignoramous speaking with false authority and an actual expert. This is problematic.

 

Also, people like the idea that climate change isn't a problem, because it means that we don't need to re-think our way of life. So there's that.

[ContraBardus]

We have our own resident denialists here on these forums.

 

Half the threads in ToT are about this.

 

Just be aware that it is not for those more comfortable in a "safe space".

 

 

[florduh]

It is odd how certain beliefs go hand in hand. I suspect Christian brainwashing leads to distrust of science, proclivity for conspiracy theories, paranoid delusion regarding some vague battle with Satan, and of course right wing politics with the Republican Party as the religion's enforcers.