Another Congressman Quotes Bible Against Climate Bill
By Chad Crawford • Jun 25th, 2009 • Category: engaging, politicsMy ears always perk up when I hear the Bible quoted on the House floor to argue against a bill I support. Today, Rep. Mike Pence (R-Indiana) didn’t do as bad a job with Luke 11:46 as Shimkus did with his Bible quotes. The verse Pence quotes is one of Jesus’ three woes to the lawyers in Luke’s Gospel. Rep. Pence calls them “lawmakers”, which isn’t a good translation of the word nomikos in Luke, but neither is “lawyer”, the common translation. A nomikos in Luke seems to have authority to control people’s way of living Judaism. They are zealous for the Torah, and people consult them about how to follow the Law. Jesus’ woes to them in Luke 11 indicate that they have an obligation to help people follow the law and not just “burden” them with things to do. The nomikoi in Luke joined the scribes and Pharisees as some of Jesus’ biggest opponents, as they had always been toward God’s prophets.
I suppose nomikoi could have made pronouncements which were legally binding, so in that sense they could be considered lawmakers. So let’s let him slide on his use of Luke 11:46. But what he says about the bill is completely wrong.
He says, “But there’s no dispute, the Democrat cap-and-trade bill will raise the cost of energy to every household in America, every small business, every family farm…”
Wrong. It’s going to lower our energy bills.
“…and it will cost millions of American jobs.”
Wrong. It will create millions of jobs.
If you are going to talk about lawmakers putting a burden on people and not lifting a finger to help them, I’m sure we can find some examples, but this isn’t one of them.
By the way…
Whether you’re much of an activist or not, you can do something to help (if you’re reading this on June 25 or June 26). Congress is getting a lot of calls right now both for and against the American Clean Energy and Security Act. The vote will likely be tomorrow. Your call could tip the balance.
Here’s what to do:
Call the Congressional Switchboard and ask to be connected to your representative. If you do not know who your representative is, click here and enter your address.
House Switchboard: (202) 224-3121
What you can say…
Please pass the American Clean Energy and Security Act, HR 2454. I am calling as a person of faith (and/or as a member of ___________ congregation in _______). This bill will help launch a clean energy future and avert the worst impacts of climate change.
UPDATE: The bill passed! It was very close. It’s heading to the Senate next.
Chad Crawford is a graduate of the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor and Wake Forest University Divinity School. He is originally from Austin, Texas and now lives in San Francisco, where he is the online communications manager for Interfaith Power & Light, a nonprofit organization mobilizing a religious response to global warming. He's a former youth minister and long distance hiker sharing thoughts on ecology, politics, culture, and faith.
Follow Chad on Twitter | Chad on Facebook
Email this author | All posts by Chad Crawford
Goodnes he couldn’t even distort the Bible efficiently.
If he wants to translate this as lawmakers, fine I suppose – though as you point out, this could as aptly describe Sunday School lesson writers as congressmen – but what I love (by which I mean, hate, but language is maleable: transvaluation of values, right?) is the way he implies the woe applies to “[other] lawmakers”, not him…
Global warming caused by man is an anti-captolist croc. Did the Indians burn too many camp fires causing the glaciers in Yosemite to melt? It’s preachers still fly in private jets. They won’t allow wind farms near their million dollar homes. Cap and trade is ALL about a money grab from the private sector, not helping the environment.
Here is a bogus statement from the “study”: “Efficiency and renewable energy technologies are ready today to power our economy with carbon-free electricity,” said Steve Clemmer, UCS Clean Energy Program.” If it was ready it would not need cap and trade to boost it.
Did you catch Obama’s gaff/hypocrisy that Iran has a right to have nuclear power but he won’t allow Americans to build more carbon-free nuclear power plants?
The climate is guaranteed to change no matter what we do. Every environmental science shows us it always has. There is no consensus in the scientific community, only scientists driven by political peer pressure suck up to it.
Hi Tim,
Thanks for visiting. I have to trust that there’s more integrity in the scientific community than that. But ignoring their findings when they’re telling the truth would be a much bigger mistake than transitioning to renewable energy and it turns out they’re wrong. If the scientists are right, one day our kids will either thank us for doing the right thing, or ask us why we thought we could afford to do nothing. I’m not going to debate with you about science – in fact, I hope you’re right. But we can’t afford not to act now.
And, talk about a money pit…nuclear will cost taxpayers trillions more than renewables.
http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/60-second-science/post.cfm?id=nuclear-power-could-cost-trillions-2009-06-19
@ tim. “ALL about a money grab” that is the foundation of my anti-captiolist critique.
The environmental crisis is more than climate change. It includes nuclear energy and the waste it creates. It also includes war which we are trying to avoid with Iran.
It is possible scientists are making it up but I would put my money on the billions made off ecological degradation inspiring stupid rhetoric and reasoning like yours.
Chad thanks for your input. I must admit that I do not keep up with these things as important as they are but I do like to have comments from people I know and trust and in this case it is you. Reading this to late to make a call but again thanks for your input. I have a hang up on people who quote scripture in this manner. It does not make others go and read their bible for one thing and the other thing is people who have never read the bible will not know what they are talking about and will make a judgement based on an eroneious quote from the bible. This can give a disastrous wrong impression of our wonderful book. A book that does contain TRUTH but not all of the truth. God is still speaking to add to and further explain what we revere in the bible. Time does not stand still it progresses. I thank our current and past writers for continuing to write on what God is saying to them. We should also share what God is saying to us. Keep up your good work.
@deacon “stupid rhetoric and reasoning like yours” This is intelligent and includes reasoning? Was the demise of the glaciers in Yosemite due to human factors? Do you have some intelligence or reasoning on this?
Chad ” I have to trust that there’s more integrity in the scientific community” No you don’t have to trust this community. I don’t want to “trust” (believe) in the scientific community because this turns it into a religious reality of placing your faith in something. You must check out their assumptions, logic path, source of facts, if in deed they are facts or mere theories, and the philosophical bias of those involved. Far Side has a great comic about scientific peer pressure. He shows how ugly it is. To have the freedom to see the crap said to be fact by scientists does not mean you are in favor of eco-distruction. To drink in everything said to be eco is not a necessary path to care for the earth. There is no need to “what-if-they-are-right” reduction of thought or throw in “fear-for-my-kids”. This has nothing to do with the data involved.
Touché Mr. Tim. I don’t have to believe in the integrity of the scientific community. But when I look at the material out there, I have to choose whom to trust. On the one hand there are people like you all over the internet and radio saying global warming is a hoax invented by Al Gore to control our lives, which is a pretty moving narrative because you’ve got the whole speaking-truth-to-power element and corrupt-institution-as-propaganda-machine element. It’s compelling. But you’ve also indicated that your perspective is closely tied to your economic self-interest. I don’t mean any disrespect. I appreciate your honesty. We have to discover truth for ourselves but at the end of the day, we drink someone’s Kool-Aid. After you check out everyone’s assumptions and biases and take a stand, you’re still making a decision to trust in something/someone.
“because you’ve got the whole speaking-truth-to-power element and corrupt-institution-as-propaganda-machine element.”
I’m not sure I understood what you meant by the “speaking-truth-to-power element”. I do understand what you mean by “corrupt-instittution-as-propoganda-machine.” To me this describes the “progressive” driven public education system, labor union driven private sector and governement union sector, and many other institutionalized propoganda machines preaching sermons trying to claim moral high ground with their religion of eco-crisis. The way this propoganda machine is set up I have to pay it with my property taxes just to name one. If I was in a union, they would be sucking out part of my pay to fund labor bosses agendas which have nothing to do with the purpose of the union.
“you’ve also indicated that your perspective is closely tied to your economic self-interest. I don’t mean any disrespect.”
Yes, you mean disrespect. You would like to show I am this horrible selfish capitalist. That’s part of the progressive claim to moral high ground. Excuse me for appearing selfish to you. I am trying to protect myself and many other sincere seekers from being scammed. Pardon me for not wanting to be generous towards scammers.
“at the end of the day, we drink someone’s Kool-Aid”- I feel say that you view life so void of facts and truth to consider it all cool-aid, one side or another. I think there is plenty of nutritious liquid out there to be found.