Many of us already suspect that many non science–and some scientist–boosters of GWH are ideological quasi religious fundamentalists. The religion’s dogma seeks to punish the rich West for the sins of our forebears by redistributing wealth and stopping our economies in their tracks. And now, one of the head UN officials at Cancun fed that very meme by opening the international conference with a prayer to the Mayan Moon Goddess. From the story in the Washington Post:
Christiana Figueres, executive secretary of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, invoked the ancient jaguar goddess Ixchel in her opening statement to delegates gathered in Cancun, Mexico, noting that Ixchel was not only goddess of the moon, but also “the goddess of reason, creativity and weaving. May she inspire you — because today, you are gathered in Cancun to weave together the elements of a solid response to climate change, using both reason and creativity as your tools.”…
“Excellencies, the goddess Ixchel would probably tell you that a tapestry is the result of the skilful interlacing of many threads,” said Figueres, who hails from Costa Rica and started her greetings in Spanish before switching to English. “I am convinced that 20 years from now, we will admire the policy tapestry that you have woven together and think back fondly to Cancun and the inspiration of Ixchel.”
What next, a human sacrifice? Oh, right. That’s exactly what the more hysterical want–forced abortion, infanticide, and euthanasia and massive human depopulation to save the planet.
December 3rd, 2010 | 12:18 pm
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Vince Humphreys, Stand In The Gap and heather , Wesley J. Smith. Wesley J. Smith said: Global Warming Hysteria: UN Official Prays to Mayan Goddess Moon at Cancun » Secondhand Smoke | A .. http://bit.ly/dUUise [...]
December 3rd, 2010 | 1:31 pm
You know, it’s really too bad because she could have just mentioned tradition and Ixchel as an example of spiritual traditions that encourage environmental stewardship. She didn’t have to PRAY to Ixchel, for goodness sake. It does feed that meme.
December 3rd, 2010 | 1:39 pm
Well, at least they show some sign of recognizing a higher authority than themselves…
December 3rd, 2010 | 1:48 pm
I thought you didn’t allow picking on other people’s religions here. Seriously.
Wesley J. Smith Reply:
December 3rd, 2010 at 3:21 pm
Seriously: The Mayan religion isn’t what she really believes. But I do point out when ideology/religion pretends to be science.
December 3rd, 2010 | 1:56 pm
Especially interesting considering that a leading theory for the collapse of the Mayan civilization is land exhaustion from over-farming.
December 3rd, 2010 | 2:53 pm
[...] more here: Global Warming Hysteria: UN Official Prays to Mayan Moon Goddess … This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged ancient, ancient-jaguar, change, [...]
December 3rd, 2010 | 5:33 pm
Most scientists that I know don’t believe in magic, and work to understand the physical underpinnings of the universe.
The Earth is warming, largely because of human generated CO2, and this will likely result in large-scale disruptions of human society over the next several decades (and beyond). By acting to reduce CO2 emissions, sooner rather than later, we can reduce the impacts on human civilization. It is hysterical to claim that reducing CO2 emissions will destroy economies.
What part of understanding the causes and likely outcomes of global warming constitutes a religion?
Wesley J. Smith Reply:
December 3rd, 2010 at 5:36 pm
You never read the whole posts do you, Jeffrey, or read them carefully. Your knee just jerks.
December 3rd, 2010 | 5:56 pm
[...] First Things (blog) [...]
December 3rd, 2010 | 6:13 pm
Like I have said before: Don’t feed the trolls. People like Jeffery and a few others who regularly troll your blog choose to remain in deliberate ignorance. It is why they never actually pay attention to what is written. They have a hatred against true science. They hold themselves to self-proclaimed superiority and have abandoned pursuit of truth. If you continue feeding the trolls, they continue spamming your blog with knee-jerk trash without ever putting any thought into reason.
December 3rd, 2010 | 6:28 pm
Wes and Kenneth,
I’m a troll because I don’t accept the underpinnings of your BS?
As you know, I not only read your posts but usually your links as well.
My question stands. What about understanding the science of global warmings constitutes a religion? Or are you just name-calling?
Wesley J. Smith Reply:
December 3rd, 2010 at 7:09 pm
Jeffrey: I don’t think you are a troll. We only have one here, of which I am aware.
December 3rd, 2010 | 6:43 pm
What, in your hysteria, suggested to you that Figueres “prayed” to Ixchel?
A regular commenter, safepres, accepted your misinterpretation as fact. Don’t you feel obligated to tell the truth rather than spawn or spread misinformation?
Wesley J. Smith Reply:
December 3rd, 2010 at 6:53 pm
I quoted her. It sure seems like a prayer to me.
December 3rd, 2010 | 7:35 pm
[...] “Global Warming Hysteria: UN Official Prays to Mayan Goddess at Cancun” and related post… (firstthings.com) [...]
December 3rd, 2010 | 8:26 pm
Odd, isn’t it, that this particular deity was of medicine and midwifery. She’s the symbol of childbearing. (also of war, but I digress)
Reminds me of the some friends of mine who are new-age wiccan and practice birth control.
This has nothing to do with pagan religions. No self respecting pagan would want anything to do with them.
December 3rd, 2010 | 10:16 pm
She is invoking the goddess of floods, not exactly a benign goddess:
link
Ixchel is old woman wearing a skirt with crossed bones, and she had a serpent in her hand. She had an assistant sky serpent, whom they believed carried all of the waters of the heavens in its belly. She is often shown carrying a great jug filled with water, which she overturns to send floods and powerful rainstorms to Earth..”
December 4th, 2010 | 8:02 am
So, Wesley, where’s the PRAYER you write about in the headline? I read the entire Washington Post article and saw that she made a passing reference to the goddess (“may she inspire you”). Do you call THAT a “prayer”? To whom was Figueres “praying”?
Besides, what business is it of yours to criticize other people’s religious beliefs? And why the slur about “human sacrifice” which, arguably, would be offensive if made by a secularist about some Christian’s reference to Jesus? Since when have you added religious proselytizing to your “ethics 24/7″ website?
To those of you who believe Wesley’s critics are “trolls,” take the time to read and UNDERSTAND what he’s saying. Can’t you see that you’re being propagandized, or have you already drunk too much of his kool aid?
December 4th, 2010 | 8:14 am
Wesley: “We only have one [troll] here…”
Really? Assuming that I’m the one so honored — and I do consider it an honor to be one of your most vociferous critics — I have to ask this: do you think ad hominem attacks are the best way to make your point, or would it be better if you just stuck to exaggeration and selective censorship?
HW
December 4th, 2010 | 10:58 am
Nah, I’m the troll. Or Victor.* Or that I-chick that used to hang around and write 2000 words in 10 minutes whenever she started to lose an argument… ;)
* Victor, you’re a very nice troll.
December 4th, 2010 | 7:38 pm
[...] “Global Warming Hysteria: UN Official Prays to Mayan Goddess at Cancun” and related post… (firstthings.com) [...]
December 4th, 2010 | 8:39 pm
Can I be the troll?
I lose my temper fairly often; I think I qualify.
Anyway, I find myself agreeing with HW about the “prayer”: the article did not make me think she actually *prayed*, but rather, invoked the goddess in a metaphorical way in order to “thicken” things, to make it seem like the gathering was a deep and meaningful occasion.
Sort of like referring to a dead forebearer of a struggle in order to move and motivate those gathered to continue the struggle.
Actually that makes it seem way weirder than if she had just prayed.
Wesley J. Smith Reply:
December 4th, 2010 at 11:30 pm
It’s very hard to qualify as a troll at SHS. You really have to work at it. You have to make nasty, irrelevant comments that don’t further the conversation at all, and not stop even after being repeatedly asked politely to cease and desist. You have to write nasty remarks that are clearly designed to upset people and/or denigrate their beliefs. And you have to whine when the moderator finally puts his foot down. It has nothing whatsoever to do with agreeing with me or not, or with most commenters. It is an attitude of disrespect and immaturity. You don’t qualify, holyterror. Sorry.
December 5th, 2010 | 6:12 am
[...] on Climate Change: I’m normally not a praying woman, but if you’re up there, save me Ixchel, goddess of the moon, reason, weaving and creativity!The Senate just shot down the President’s plan to raise taxes on job creators. Good for the [...]
December 6th, 2010 | 10:06 am
I, a troll? “I did but prompt the age to quit their clogs….”
December 6th, 2010 | 2:07 pm
And if I have to hear one more person mention that the world is going to end in 2012 because of the Mayan prediction, I just don’t know what. Moon, Mayan, goddess — all concepts that annoy me, and here they are all wrapped into one. They couldn’t even figure out to have separate goddesses for the Athena and for the Ceres concepts. And the damned thing is ugly. She doesn’t make sense in what she’s saying, either. Well, we have to be nice to them, they said the world is going to end, didn’t they. Talk about a death culture….
December 7th, 2010 | 9:44 am
Glenn Beck makes the same points that Wes makes. ’nuff said.
Your headline is false and is propaganda.
Please present evidence that the official “prayed” to the God.
Wesley J. Smith Reply:
December 7th, 2010 at 11:00 am
Then why don’t I have Beck’s money?
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