Comments on: Environmentalism as religion http://futurismic.com/2008/05/28/environmentalism-as-religion/ Presenting the fact and fiction of tomorrow since 2001 Fri, 10 Feb 2012 22:03:44 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Paul Raven http://futurismic.com/2008/05/28/environmentalism-as-religion/comment-page-1/#comment-14931 Paul Raven Fri, 06 Jun 2008 12:56:14 +0000 http://futurismic.com/?p=3340#comment-14931 Quite true, Curtis; the problem is hegemonies, no matter the creed they espouse. Lock-step thinking is never a good thing. Quite true, Curtis; the problem is hegemonies, no matter the creed they espouse. Lock-step thinking is never a good thing.

]]> By: Curtis http://futurismic.com/2008/05/28/environmentalism-as-religion/comment-page-1/#comment-14926 Curtis Fri, 06 Jun 2008 08:16:53 +0000 http://futurismic.com/?p=3340#comment-14926 Science as religion is an old idea. See Asimov's "Foundation," and probably a number of earlier works. Regarding environmentalism especially, there is of course a great range of beliefs, from the plausible to the nonsensical, as there is with many religions (say, Christianity, which has as many different forms as there are churches). It also has its prophets and holy writs -- anyone who dares to cast doubt on some of the "facts" that Al Gore purports in his inconvenient "truth" is branded as a heretic, despite that much of what he states has been shown to be untrue, or at least taken out of context. I'm not saying there isn't global warming or that we shouldn't take care of the environment. But there are a lot of fanatical environmentalists out there, just like there are a lot of fanatical Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists (well, maybe fewer Buddhists ;o), who care more about the idea of environmentalism than the science. Science as religion is an old idea. See Asimov’s “Foundation,” and probably a number of earlier works.

Regarding environmentalism especially, there is of course a great range of beliefs, from the plausible to the nonsensical, as there is with many religions (say, Christianity, which has as many different forms as there are churches). It also has its prophets and holy writs — anyone who dares to cast doubt on some of the “facts” that Al Gore purports in his inconvenient “truth” is branded as a heretic, despite that much of what he states has been shown to be untrue, or at least taken out of context.

I’m not saying there isn’t global warming or that we shouldn’t take care of the environment. But there are a lot of fanatical environmentalists out there, just like there are a lot of fanatical Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists (well, maybe fewer Buddhists ;o), who care more about the idea of environmentalism than the science.

]]> By: ShaunCG http://futurismic.com/2008/05/28/environmentalism-as-religion/comment-page-1/#comment-14719 ShaunCG Wed, 28 May 2008 10:47:30 +0000 http://futurismic.com/?p=3340#comment-14719 Unfortunately, despite a lot of interesting and fair points, Dyson doesn't define his use of the word "religion". As a result I think his assertion that environmentalism (a nebulous and diverse grouping of many different opinions and beliefs) is a "secular religion" is as nonsensical as that regarding socialism. Given that this was published in the US I wonder if framing his argument in this way is a specious sop to the idea that ideologies derived from scientific or political theory are belief systems just like those based on holy writ or the teachings of long-dead prophets. Unfortunately, despite a lot of interesting and fair points, Dyson doesn’t define his use of the word “religion”. As a result I think his assertion that environmentalism (a nebulous and diverse grouping of many different opinions and beliefs) is a “secular religion” is as nonsensical as that regarding socialism. Given that this was published in the US I wonder if framing his argument in this way is a specious sop to the idea that ideologies derived from scientific or political theory are belief systems just like those based on holy writ or the teachings of long-dead prophets.

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