False Prophets and Climate Change

For at least a decade, the CO2 Coalition, and many other organizations and individuals, have argued, and presented solid scientific evidence debunking the claims of a rapidly encroaching climate crisis due to excess CO2 in the atmosphere, caused by the burning of fossil fuel.  Also, they have presented solid arguments that windmills, and solar panels are no way to power a modern society. There is a voluminous and correct record of scientific  evidence debunking the fear of a climate crisis and that switching to wind and solar will be extremely expensive if it is possible at all.

Unfortunately, many remain convinced that there is an extreme climate crisis right around the corner unless we drastically change our energy system. Surprisingly, many prestigious science societies have gone along, even though many of their own members, through extraordinary scientific efforts, have shown that various claims made by their societies are simply incorrect.

Why is this happening?  Why can’t we see what is obvious right in front of us?  Is there any precedent in history for such a delusion?  Does the bible or do religious scholars have any insight to add?  These are the questions that this essay will discuss and hopefully provide some light on.

As the title implies, this relates the climate dilemma to what the author considers to be its biblical and historical roots, discussed further in an article, with the same name as this,  published in a scientific journal.  There are two conflicting religious philosophies which seem to define the two sides of today’s climate dilemma.  These are Original Sin, in Christian theology, and Tikkum Olam, developed by ancient Hebrew scholars.  The former regards mankind as inherently sinful, perhaps because in the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit.  Digging up all the oil and coal is inherently sinful, as it destroys the perfect environment God gave us.  Mining it will only pollute the planet; we should leave the carbon in the ground.  On the contrary, Tikkum Olam recognizes that God did not give us a perfect world, and it is up to us to repair the world.  Hence, we should dig up the coal and oil and burn it, as cleanly as possible for the benefit of humanity ; in short, for Tikkum Olam.  The controversy between those fearful of a climate crisis and those skeptical, can be traced all the way back to the issues of Original Sin and Tikkum Olam.

But from here it gets more complicated biblically.  Shortly after Adam and Eve were expelled from the garden, God took on a new task and began to take a few humans into his confidence; the prophets.  For instance, God said to Noah “The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence. I am about to destroy them with the earth” (Genesis 6-13)”.  “And the rain fell upon the earth for 40 days and 40 nights (Genesis 7-12) .   As we know, He told Noah to build an arc and take a male and female of every animal onto it so they could ride out the storm.  Noah followed God’s advice and was able to start anew once the water receded.  Of course there were other prophets, for instance, Abaham, Moses and Jesus….

But who can be sure that those who claimed to be prophets had really spoken to God?  In fact, the bible warned of false prophets in many places, especially by Jesus on the sermon on the mount.  “Beware of false prophets which come to you sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravaging wolves” (Matthew 7-15).

Below is an image of Jesus at the sermon where he mentions the danger of false prophets.

Source: https://www.jmest.org/wp-content/uploads/JMESTN42354556.pdf

This then further complicates the dispute between the ‘Original Sin’ side, and the ‘Tikkum Olam” side.  Are those taking this side or that, prophets or false prophets?

In American history, there are several instances of false prophets leading many on a very destructive path.  These will be briefly mentioned here but are discussed much more fully in another work.  These are the Salem Witchcraft trials in the 1690’s; the McCarthy era 1950-1954, which wrecked many lives by accusation of communism; and the trials of preschool teachers for imaginary sex abuse in the 1980’s and 90’s.  The common feature in all of them is that people were led astray by a group of self-appointed false prophets, who claimed they had knowledge that ordinary people cannot have (i.e. analogous to the biblical prophets who, according to the bible, did speak to God).

Why were these false crises believed for so long, when any reasonable person could see they made no sense??  The only answer this author can imagine is that large sections of the public were under a mass delusion which they could not break out of.  In all the three cases mentioned here, the delusion ended only when an individual, which the author has described as a ‘good witch’ has somehow ended it.  For the three mass delusions mentioned the good witches were respectively Governor William Phipps, Joseph Welsh, and  Dorothy Rabinowitz, details provided elsewhere.

The claim here is that the climate panic has been initiated and continued by false prophets, many of them.  But who are they?  This author could certainly suggest many for the title.  However, to avoid personalities, let us say that the false climate prophets are the participants in yearly UN meetings (IPCC) held to discuss the climate situation.  These meetings are held in expensive, attractive cities and attract many high government officials, captains of industry, celebrities, and various other grand pooh bahs…; many flying in on their private jets.  Each year they warn us to take more and more extreme measures to avoid a climate crisis which only they can foresee.  For instance, in their 2018 meeting, they said that humanity must cut CO₂ input into the atmosphere by 45% by 2030 and then end CO₂ emission completely by 2050.  In other words, we must go to what they call ‘Net Zero’.  In fact, by 2025, instead of decreasing world power by, say 20%, the world increased it by 10%; yet we are most certainly no closer to a climate calamity.  This alone supports the case that they are false prophets.

So far no ‘good witch’ has succeeded in ending this mass delusion.  Like the Salem, McCarthy, and preschool historical events mentioned, this panic over a false climate crisis will lead only to destruction for humanity.  Not only that, but also there are many large, technically advanced countries, hostile to the west, that are not fooled by the false climate prophets.  There are important national security considerations here as well.

The assertion of these false prophets is that humanity must quickly spend many hundreds of trillions to change its energy infrastructure, which basically works, to solar and wind with battery backups, which basically does not work.  This cost alone, should ring loud alarm bells.  Each year, the world should spend at least 10% of its GDP to make the transition.  In other words, we must change to a system which produces power half the time.  This reminds of us of another tragedy nearly a century ago.  France, confronted by a powerful, hostile neighbor, spent unimaginable effort and treasure building half a wall.  We all know how that worked out for them.  The comparison is apt.

To summarize, the roots of the controversy between those believing in an onrushing climate crisis and those skeptical, goes back to biblical times.  The bible also warned of false prophets.  This essay has described several cases in American history where false prophets have set humanity on a very destructive course.  It makes the case that today’s climate panic is very similar; initiated and continued by false prophets.  In fact, going to ‘Net Zero’, the nirvana the false prophets want to lead us to, is anything but a nirvana.  Instead, it would be a scientific, technical, public safety, economic, national security, and environmental disaster.