Endymion83

According to research done by the Pentagon, the dangers of global climate change may be far more imminent than is widely believed. They are predicting massive changes within the next 20 years.

http://www.fortune.com/fortune/techn...582584,00.html

I have a feeling that the Pentagon is simply preparing for the worse case scenerios, but if these events do come to pass, I wonder how the religious will react? Christian fundamentalist will no doubt believe that the end is at hand. Do you think that more people will flock to religion for comfort?

Hyndis

Remember, the rapture will only happen a few hours from now...

And of course they've been saying that for almost 2000 years, which would then mean that they can destroy and pillage all they like, but then Jebus will save all of the True Christians(tm) from the consequences of their actions. Praise Jebus!

Rhaedas

I don't know if we're looking at short term trouble or not. I've seen debates between people smarter than me on both sides of the fence without being able to figure who's the more likely to be correct.

But your topic is a concern is we do have trouble in the near future. It's bad enough we have gov'ts and corporations that put profit above potential future survival, but add into the mess a religious frenzy...

I'm reminded of several books, usually apocalyptic ones, where that image of storming fanatics impede the people trying to actually do something contructive against the odds. When Worlds Collide, Lucifer's Hammer, even Contact, touched on this problem. Rather than let the heathens burn in the perceived coming hell and just quietly pray til the end, they'd rather drag everyone down with them, not letting the non-believers try their "secular" solutions.

So will a possible global climate change be fast enough and dramatic enough to work up the religious into such chaos? I hope not...it certainly won't help those of us who aren't counting on some magical transporter into heaven to save us...

Hyndis

I read a book that had a similar theme, although I read it ages ago, and I haven't a clue who wrote it, and I'm probably a bit sketchy on the plot, too.

It was called Star Bright, and involved the creation of a fusion power plant. Except that things go horribly wrong, and it ends up creating a black hole, which starts sucking up everything nearby. Please ignore the gaping flaws in the physics of the thing, but the whole point of the book is that they had to try to collapse the black hole (?) by shooting at it with large artilery pieces ( ) before it drilled its way to the center of the planet, and then would gradually absorb the entire planet.

So, ignoring the many absurdities here, the black hole was wreaking havoc on the magnetic field, atmosphere, and of course, it was doing really ominous things, like making scarey noises and doing this weird pillar of radiation up towards the sky. But then the fundies came to the rescue! Aparently, they all gathered up into huge armies, and then started attacking all nuclear power plants, killing everyone in them, and causing numerous meltdowns as they tried to destroy the reactors by throwing bricks at them. But a military force was set up to guard the black hole fusion plant so they could actually stand a chance to collapse the thing, and a mass slaughter ensued.

Tanks, miniguns, rockets, artilery, landmines, etc, vs a really big angry mob.


I think I might have bought the book at one of those airport bookstores. It was almost as good as one of those books about vampire nazis who live underground or in space.

In any case, should any catastrophy happen, I doubt people who are already rather unstable would suddenly become sane and rational. If anything, odds are that you'll end up with mass hysteria, along with possible riots and other mayham, and things could get quite messy if they get big enough that the military has to intervene.

Starboy

Even though such changes might occur on a rapid scale as compared to the rate of change normally encountered in geologic processes by human terms anything that takes place over a generation may not be that noticable. It is sorta like the lobster in the cold pot of water with heat applied. We may never know what hit us. The scientists will know of course but it will require new skills of deception and manipulation for the Chrisitians to make people think it is the rapture.

Starboy

Endymion83

If I remember correctly, Arthur C. Clarkes "The Hammer of God" also had a Fundamentalist character who tried to sabotage efforts to save the world. His reasoning was that the asteroid hitting the earth was Gods will, and that we have no right to intervene.

Magus55

Um, since no one on Earth knows the date of Jesus' return, I don't know how your argument is relevant. People may always be anticipating it, but that doesn't mean its late or its not happening. There is no known date.

Starboy

Of course, but it doesn't mean that it is happening either. Atheists of course don't think it is happening and are constantly amused and alarmed by Christians who scare the crap out of each other with it.

Starboy

Magus55

You can be amused, and i'll pity the world you will have to endure when it does happen.

Starboy

Pity yourself for being frightened by the boogieman. In any case it's the thought that counts and your thought tells me that your religion as turned you into an *.

Starboy