Lately NPR has been airing more stories on climate change. <– That link is for a story that ran Monday.
The consequences of global warming is in perfect harmony with the freakish snow that fell on the east coast recently.
Global warming is a process that happens in relative minutia, but science shows that global temperatures are rising. They have been rising for years. This is a fact.
People say, “Look at all the snow! How can it be global warming!”
First of all, it doesn’t have to be “cold” to snow. Living in Chicago, the winters are bitter. When it snows, everyone reaches for their flip flops, because there’s going to be a heat wave relative to the season. Typically it’s near teens, but snow means 30 degree weather.
Even with a minor understanding of weather, you know that warmer weather would cause warmer waters. Warm waters give rise to more evaporation. When more water is in the atmosphere, more water comes down. When it’s winter, water falls in the form of snow.
I can’t dumb it down any more than that.
A simple process of self education can inform any one of you to understand that the east coast got dumped on by a perfect storm, and it is easily explained by natural phenomena.
I realize that American Evangelical Christians believe that science is an enemy. But the science I learned for how water evaporates, forms clouds and falls like different kinds of precipitation, I learned that in fifth grade … at a mega-conservative Christian school.
The other week, NPR tackled a story about the storms on the east coast that blew in more snow than Santa gets all year long. I didn’t mark the story, and I can’t find a recording for it to post here. But soon after it aired, I saw that one of my regular reader Marianne wrote on her blog that, “God sends 2 snow/ice storms, back to back, to show what He thinks of the people in Washington, DC, Obamacare, global warming, and general politics. He shuts them all down!!! Priceless!
She also writes:
Back in the days of Pharaoh, YHVH God used 10 plagues to show His presence, and dissatisfaction with the government.
It appears He is doing the same thing again, except with new “plagues.”
He is certainly the author of variety.
As before, I do not think the Pharaohs in Washington will get the point.
Okay, let’s say god did send the storm to disrupt legislation. By this very rationale, that means god sends earthquakes and tsunamis to kill hundreds of thousands of innocent people.
Is this a stretch?
Marianne has impressed some of us over here at Le Café. I mean, she’s responded in fairness to a couple of my posts. She’s not always received well with everything she writes. But her perspective has for the most part been welcomed.
Also, she’s said that she has a more direct version of Christianity in line with god and less influenced by the faultiness of man. So she claims to have that working for her.
This post from her means Marianne’s Christianity is in line with Pat Robertson’s views. My level of respect was flushed down the toilet.
if a person thinks that god sent a winter storm in the dead of winter to disrupt legislation as a sort of “plague”, imagine the ignorance of science and politics. Legislation will not stop because of a winter storm. Snow melts. Imagine that.
The post above says that many may not recognize it as a plague, but Marianne has. She has a direct line with heaven. You know why people wouldn’t see it as a “plague”? Because it doesn’t compare to biblical-style plague. Plagues are out of the ordinary. Weather has been freakish for the past 10 years. For about a week in 2002 to 2003, I was stranded in North Carolina at my parents’ house with no power after one freak winter storm. Never in memory had that happened before. Power was never off for more than a couple hours.
Even at the time I was still within the throughs of considering belief, I was still going to church at least with my parents. Did anyone say anything about god at the helm of the storm? No. Weather among good evangelical Christians is not god induced.
Marianne’s Christianity is tribal. She probably has a backyard with a campfire pit that she goes out and dances around during the threat of a drought.
That kind of Christianity — the kind that ignores humanity for the sake of throwing in a jab for god — that is ugly.
Again I say, if a winter storm is all you’ve got for the power and majesty of god, your bar for greatness is set too low.
Le Café Wittypoots 