When evil becomes a religion

Back in my evangelical days they called any formal study of non-biblical disciplines “the wisdom of the world.” I found that irritating then, but it seems almost tame by today’s standards. Today there is an outright irrational hatred of science in the evangelical Christian community, and much of it is created and exploited by the MAGA Republican Party.

That’s bad enough. What makes it even worse is the evangelical attitude toward the notion of the end of the world. Many see that as a good thing, so anything that threatens humanity with destruction must, by necessity, be the work of God. At least it is according to the evangelicals.

So now we have something of a paradox. Science, which is bad according to the evangelicals, warns us that the end of the world may be coming, which is good according to the evangelicals, and it may be caused by global warming, which is bullshit according to the evangelicals. It becomes dizzying to argue the point with them. One can never be quite sure where they are going to land.

Enter the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague. There is currently a case before them which could have far-reaching implications for climate change. The question they are considering is, do nations have a legal and moral obligation to prevent planetary disasters, and if they do, what should the consequences be?

The case was brought by the tiny Melanesia archipelago nation of Vanuatu. The people of Vanuatu are understandably pissed off because nothing substantial is being done to prevent climate change. COP29 was an unqualified triumph for the fossil fuel lobby, which means it was an unqualified disaster for everyone else. Perhaps, Vanuatu is in effect insisting, if there are real world penalties for failure, the world will start taking climate change seriously.

“I choose my words carefully when I say that this may well be the most consequential case in the history of humanity,” Ralph Regenvanu, Vanuatu’s special envoy for climate change and environment, told the ICJ. “Let us not allow future generations to look back and wonder why the cause of their doom was condoned.” Bold and courageous words for a tiny country. Could this be a case of the mouse that roared? Will our impending planetary disaster ultimately be averted thanks to a nation whose population is smaller than the city of Wichita, Kansas?

Not so fast. Enter the world’s biggest creator of greenhouse gasses, the United States. The US has an odd relationship with the ICJ. While historically it has been an active participant in the World Court’s decisions, America reserves the right to reject any judgment it doesn’t like! Enter further the Trump administration. Anything the ICJ decides will be treated as a joke by Donald Trump, the ultimate climate change denying booby.

So if the ICJ brings down draconian consequences on the heads of nations for their contributions to climate change, it probably won’t apply to the US. Why? Because it doesn’t have to, and it doesn’t have to because the US will soon become — hopefully temporarily — a theocracy run by morons who think the end of the world is a good thing and climate science is bullshit.

This is what happens when evil becomes a religion. Or when religion becomes evil. Take your pick. In the end, does it matter? Either way we’re doomed if we continue down this path. It’s a dangerous path and these are deadly dangerous times. Along the way, brothers and sisters, take care of yourselves, and if you can, take care of someone else too.