Message of Science & Religion - Western - 4

The Hypothetical Epistle

Put down your copy of The Holy Origin of Species, The Holy Bible, The Holy Koran, The Holy Vedas, and The Holy Book of Atheism for a moment.

Put away your notion of "my doom is better than your doom" for a short while as well.

And I will too.

Then, let's focus on what so many who espouse any of those ideologies have noticed: that there is overlap on a major issue, which The Guardian calls The Biggest Story (What are the risks of telling the biggest story in the world?).

This series began years ago to consider the concept of doom that is prevalent in both climate and war science as well as in climate and war religion:

Science and religion both tell us of future catastrophe and a way out.

They both tell us to learn to live together to avoid the catastrophe, and they both tell us we must go into "heaven" or suffer "hell" for it. Yes they do.
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Science says our star the sun will destroy the earth in the future, but there is a way out.

We must go into the heavens and find another home planet to live upon.

We must learn to live together here and now, and be decent to this planet in the interim.
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If we do not travel into the heavens our fate will be determined when the sun eventually turns the inner four planets of this solar system into the fires of hell.

Religion talks of potential Armageddon but those who are good will be spared, those who are good will go into heaven to a better home.

It generally teaches us that the golden rule is to be good to each other treating one another as we would be treated. If we do not there will be a hell instead of a heaven.

That is essentially the same story told by two factions, but the how it is done is where the two stories drift far apart.

Science teaches us we must physically do it ourselves, but religion in a general sense teaches us that we are to be saved by metaphysical intervention.

(Message of Science & Religion - Western, 2009). The advent of the murder suicide pact of current civilization (Civilization Is Now On Suicide Watch, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8) is way, way ahead of the very long term solar catastrophe written about in that quote.

The threat of doom in the near term is a matter of focus on nuclear war and the environmental destruction of our life support system on Earth.

Let's take a look at the environmental suicide dynamics, from both the scientific as well as from the religious sides of the equation.

Today's religious and scientific contemplation:

The Vatican is hosting a climate change summit that will focus on the need for decisive action to combat global warming as a moral imperative and Christian duty, especially given its impact on poor people.

The Protect the Earth, Dignify Humanity meeting in Rome on Tuesday is a precursor to the release of Pope Francis’s encyclical on the environment, which is due out in June or July and is expected to centre on the duty of the faithful to address climate change, whatever its causes.

Pope Francis is not scheduled to speak at the summit but was due to have a private meeting with the UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, who will be delivering the keynote address. The planned remarks by Cardinal Peter Turkson, the president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, will also be closely followed because of his role drafting the encyclical.

The summit – which will include speakers and representatives from all major religions – has brought about a rare meeting of minds between scientists and religious officials on climate change, even if they frame their arguments in different ways.

(Vatican Climate Change Summit, emphasis added). Both religious and scientific disciplines have members who realize that destroying the life support system of the Earth is the mindset of those who are not here (You Are Here).

The alternative is a murder-suicide pact (MOMCOM's Mass Suicide & Murder Pact - 5, 4, 3, 2, 1).

One is good, the other is not.

Our civilization must learn which is which in order to pass the test.

The conference overseers produced this statement:

"Humanity has entered a new era. Our technological prowess has brought humanity to a crossroads. We are the inheritors of two centuries of remarkable waves of technological change: steam power, railroads, the telegraph, electrification, automotive transport, aviation, industrial chemistry, modern medicine, computing, and now the digital revolution, biotechnologies and nanotechnologies. These advances have reshaped the world economy into one that is increasingly urban and globally connected, but also more and more unequal.

However, just as humanity confronted “Revolutionary Change” (Rerum Novarum) in the Age of Industrialization in the 19^th century, today we have changed our natural environment to such an extent that scientists are redefining the current period as the Age of the Anthropocene, that is to say an age when human action, through the use of fossil fuels, is having a decisive impact on the planet. If current trends continue, this century will witness unprecedented climate changes and ecosystem destruction that will severely impact us all."

(Statement of the Joint PAS/PASS Workshop on Sustainable Humanity, Sustainable Nature: Our Responsibility).

The previous post in this series is here