Why are conservative Southern Baptists calling for more action on climate change?

Question

"Signaling a significant departure from the Southern Baptist Convention’s official stance on global warming, 44 Southern Baptist leaders have decided to back a declaration calling for more action on climate change, saying its previous position on the issue was “too timid.”

The largest denomination in the United States after the Roman Catholic Church, the Southern Baptist Convention, with more than 16 million members, is politically and theologically conservative."

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/10/us/10baptist.html?_r=2&th&emc=th&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

I thought only liberals believed in anthropogenic global warming. What's the deal?

The Vatican has also made it a sin to cause "environmental blight", and has hosted a scientific conference to discuss the ramifications of global warming and climate change.

http://green.yahoo.com/news/nm/20080310/hl_nm/pope_sins_dc.html

Is this a sign that global warming denial movement continues to die out?

Answer 1

Yes, they are entering phase 4 of the denial sequence, which is -"we not only knew it all along, but we spearheaded social change".

All that's really left are the talk radio propagandists. They've moved to phase 3 which is "man may be causing a little bit of it but it will be okay or good for the environment. Al Gore. Al Gore. Al Gore."

Answer 2

Skeptics think for themselves, and do not care what other organizations say.

So according to you, church leaders do not understand science because they do not believe in evolution.  But if they believe in the AGW theory they are educated in science.  You cannot have it both ways.  Either they have a firm understanding of science or they do not.

As for the denial movement dying out, we have just had a severe  drop in temperatures.  While twelves months does not make a trend, it does show that natural forces are a lot more powerful than any man made ones.

Finally, considering the amount of believers who  are turning into skeptics, I would have to say  that it is the AGW movement that is dying out.

Answer 3

The only people who say Global Warming is a Liberal issue or invented by Al Gore are the wannabe conservatives who are also wannabe science experts.  Conservatives have just as strong a survival instinct as Liberals and unlikely to ignore a threat as serious as Global Warming.

Answer 4

Conservative southern baptists such as Jimmy Carter.  Yeah, he's a real conservative.

Answer 5

Hope so, have a feeling money is a big issue involved, its sad.

Answer 6

I'll reiterate the thought that I know is out there...

Conservatives = Evil

Religion = Evil

Corporate CEO's = Evil

And then expanding on it, if you don't believe in AGW or GW:

Conservative and a denier = Evil and stupid

Relgious and a denier = Evil and stupid

Corporate CEO and a denier = Evil and stupid

Actually, I think the AGW and GW movement is dying out, with all of the extreme cold this year and the past 5 years.  With the sun coming out of it's solar maximum cycle, with La Nina continuing.  

The AGW and GW dogma dying?  Yes it is, want proof?   Check out the question:  Digging THIS deep to win over 1 or 2 more people...  

Keep up the name calling though...  and remember the DNC talking points, everyone is either evil, stupid or ignorant if you don't believe in AGW or GW.  Don't believe me?  Then read into this question some more...

Answer 7

Clearly because the evidence is overwhelming and protecting the environment isn't inherently at odds with any of their basic doctrines.

The only people still doubting AGW (I'm talking in general, not those who still debate minor points and extent, which have a legitimate position) are those who have a doctrinal (or ideological) objection to admitting it's real.  As soon as those people talk about taxes, Al Gore, or losing freedom, you know that it's not science, but ideology that is the foundation of their blindness to the evidence.

Edit:

Jim Z - History lesson for you.  There was a major power take-over by conservatives in the Southern Baptist convention years ago.  And Carter has since left the Souther Baptist convention because of that.

Answer 8

Nope... the large churches have always held a "steward" position, at least the ones that haven't been politicized by the American political shift.

Not to mention the Southern Baptist Convention used to be a liberal organization (in the image of Christ, etc) and only recently was overtaken by theo-cons.  There's been a movement for quite some time to return it to some semblance of sanity... so that puts them into perspective.

The problem being that the denial movement isn't founded on logic... so if their associated institutions change, they'll change institutions or ignore the tenets.  These are people who can't even rationally comprehend the scientific method... expecting them to change in the face of incontrovertible evidence is like asking a rock not to be a rock.

Like a new dark ages, I fear that the specter of the politically corrupted and the irrational will be with us for quite some time.