Comments on: The new opiate of the intellectuals http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerkimball/2008/05/25/the-new-opiate-of-the-intellectuals/ Sun, 22 Nov 2009 05:05:27 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Cato http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerkimball/2008/05/25/the-new-opiate-of-the-intellectuals/comment-page-1/#comment-1946 Cato Wed, 28 May 2008 07:37:38 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerkimball/2008/05/25/the-new-opiate-of-the-intellectuals/#comment-1946 Paul, I would argue that monotheists who embrace radical environmentalism may be violating the First Commandment. I think perspective is the key here. It is laudable to respect the Earth and one's environment, and to avoid wanton waste and animal cruelty when possible. But taken too far, to the point of elevating the environment and animals above Man, it can veer into paganism. Worshipping the Earth is a form of idolatry. Paul, I would argue that monotheists who embrace radical environmentalism may be violating the First Commandment. I think perspective is the key here. It is laudable to respect the Earth and one’s environment, and to avoid wanton waste and animal cruelty when possible. But taken too far, to the point of elevating the environment and animals above Man, it can veer into paganism. Worshipping the Earth is a form of idolatry.

]]> By: Sissy Willis http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerkimball/2008/05/25/the-new-opiate-of-the-intellectuals/comment-page-1/#comment-1934 Sissy Willis Tue, 27 May 2008 21:29:15 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerkimball/2008/05/25/the-new-opiate-of-the-intellectuals/#comment-1934 Good stuff. I'm reminded of what Czech Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus said last year, that fighting global warming has turned into <a href="http://sisu.typepad.com/sisu/2007/03/two_of_our_hero.html" rel="nofollow">a religion that replaced the ideology of communism and threatens to clip basic freedoms</a>. Good stuff. I’m reminded of what Czech Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus said last year, that fighting global warming has turned into a religion that replaced the ideology of communism and threatens to clip basic freedoms.

]]> By: Kevin http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerkimball/2008/05/25/the-new-opiate-of-the-intellectuals/comment-page-1/#comment-1920 Kevin Mon, 26 May 2008 19:20:49 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerkimball/2008/05/25/the-new-opiate-of-the-intellectuals/#comment-1920 Dyson is dangerously close to striking a nerve with intellectuals who consider themselves too intelligent to believe in "God". (keeping up the tradition, the scare-quotes are mine). With evidence mounting daily on how the new-age intellectual approach to moral relativism is creating a really messed-up society, the mother-earth worship is a natural result. When the life of a microbial species is more important than human life lost to abortion, genocide and "cultural tradition", (yup, more scare-quotes), we have seen Cro-Magnon go full circle, back to Homo ergaster. Asking for scientific support of the hypotheses proposed by the new Environmentalist Priests is blasphemous. Asking for tolerance in the belief of a Supreme Being, the same enlightened intellectuals laugh and require scientific proof. Membership does indeed seem to have its privileges! Dyson is dangerously close to striking a nerve with intellectuals who consider themselves too intelligent to believe in “God”. (keeping up the tradition, the scare-quotes are mine).
With evidence mounting daily on how the new-age intellectual approach to moral relativism is creating a really messed-up society, the mother-earth worship is a natural result. When the life of a microbial species is more important than human life lost to abortion, genocide and “cultural tradition”, (yup, more scare-quotes), we have seen Cro-Magnon go full circle, back to Homo ergaster. Asking for scientific support of the hypotheses proposed by the new Environmentalist Priests is blasphemous. Asking for tolerance in the belief of a Supreme Being, the same enlightened intellectuals laugh and require scientific proof. Membership does indeed seem to have its privileges!

]]> By: Troy Camplin http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerkimball/2008/05/25/the-new-opiate-of-the-intellectuals/comment-page-1/#comment-1919 Troy Camplin Mon, 26 May 2008 18:55:40 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerkimball/2008/05/25/the-new-opiate-of-the-intellectuals/#comment-1919 We need to come up with a better set of terms to distinguish among the groups. There are the Ecotheists, for whom Earth is God(dess) -- they, like the Environmentalist Left, are socialists who are using environmentalism as a way to get socialism, since socialism has shown itself to be such an obviously dismal failure. The Left are all deeply, fundamentally atheist, though, which distinguishes them from the Ecotheists. Then there are free market greens. like you find among libertarians. We base our environmentalism on property rights and free market principles. We need to come up with a better set of terms to distinguish among the groups. There are the Ecotheists, for whom Earth is God(dess) — they, like the Environmentalist Left, are socialists who are using environmentalism as a way to get socialism, since socialism has shown itself to be such an obviously dismal failure. The Left are all deeply, fundamentally atheist, though, which distinguishes them from the Ecotheists. Then there are free market greens. like you find among libertarians. We base our environmentalism on property rights and free market principles.

]]> By: don L http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerkimball/2008/05/25/the-new-opiate-of-the-intellectuals/comment-page-1/#comment-1916 don L Mon, 26 May 2008 12:24:20 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerkimball/2008/05/25/the-new-opiate-of-the-intellectuals/#comment-1916 Environmentalism has not replaced socialism as the lefts new religion -environmentalism is just a euphamism for socialism. It is aimed at government control of people and how they shall be allowed to live. Panthistic crusaders do not believe in freedom and have no control over you without the aid of a power like a government-hence socialism. Obama's speech about overeating etc. is just another chapter in the long history of leftism. Gorbachov, mind you, the unabashed and unreformed communist chose to be head of Green Cross for a reason. Global warming is merely a more effective tool to accomplishg their goals that are ICBMs. Environmentalism has not replaced socialism as the lefts new religion -environmentalism is just a euphamism for socialism. It is aimed at government control of people and how they shall be allowed to live. Panthistic crusaders do not believe in freedom and have no control over you without the aid of a power like a government-hence socialism. Obama’s speech about overeating etc. is just another chapter in the long history of leftism. Gorbachov, mind you, the unabashed and unreformed communist chose to be head of Green Cross for a reason. Global warming is merely a more effective tool to accomplishg their goals that are ICBMs.

]]> By: 11B40 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerkimball/2008/05/25/the-new-opiate-of-the-intellectuals/comment-page-1/#comment-1911 11B40 Sun, 25 May 2008 21:36:46 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerkimball/2008/05/25/the-new-opiate-of-the-intellectuals/#comment-1911 Greetings: Two quick comments: 1) Moral superiority is the cocaine of the 21st Century. 2) People seem to have forgotten that an ideology is more than just a set of beliefs. It is a set of beliefs organized for the accumulation of political power. Greetings:

Two quick comments:

1) Moral superiority is the cocaine of the 21st Century.

2) People seem to have forgotten that an ideology is more than just a set of beliefs.
It is a set of beliefs organized for the accumulation of political power.

]]> By: Paul http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerkimball/2008/05/25/the-new-opiate-of-the-intellectuals/comment-page-1/#comment-1910 Paul Sun, 25 May 2008 20:28:44 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerkimball/2008/05/25/the-new-opiate-of-the-intellectuals/#comment-1910 The environmentalist religion is not, in fact, a paganism. There are vast numbers of hylophilic monotheists, or at least of theists who THINK they're hylophiles and insist they'd be happy living in small villages, close to the trees, performing local arts and crafts, placing the smallest possible "footprint" on nature (the scare-quotes are mine). Atheist extreme environmentalists may or may not have FAITH about their convictions, depending upon how much science they know. Theist environmentalists of the same degree of passion, however, in the midst presumably of faith, are misreading, misquoting, and mis-interpreting on these questions the scriptures of their religion. Either way, Dyson is right: there is no longer any possibility of rational discussion (or of action, if we ever arrive as honest and really practical initiatives) on global warming and the anthropogenic contribution thereto. The curse has come mostly from politics, not from the religious impulse. It's politics where one can really identify all those bad people. The environmentalist religion is not, in fact, a paganism. There are vast numbers of hylophilic monotheists, or at least of theists who THINK they’re hylophiles and insist they’d be happy living in small villages, close to the trees, performing local arts and crafts, placing the smallest possible “footprint” on nature (the scare-quotes are mine). Atheist extreme environmentalists may or may not have FAITH about their convictions, depending upon how much science they know. Theist environmentalists of the same degree of passion, however, in the midst presumably of faith, are misreading, misquoting, and mis-interpreting on these questions the scriptures of their religion. Either way, Dyson is right: there is no longer any possibility of rational discussion (or of action, if we ever arrive as honest and really practical initiatives) on global warming and the anthropogenic contribution thereto. The curse has come mostly from politics, not from the religious impulse. It’s politics where one can really identify all those bad people.

]]> By: John N. Frary http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerkimball/2008/05/25/the-new-opiate-of-the-intellectuals/comment-page-1/#comment-1909 John N. Frary Sun, 25 May 2008 19:37:55 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerkimball/2008/05/25/the-new-opiate-of-the-intellectuals/#comment-1909 After the Soviet economy imploded and the PRC went hurtling down the capitalist road, Prof. Robert Heilbronner acknowledged the Friedrich Hayek had been right all along in his diagnosis of the intractable problems of the planned economy. BUT he found solace in the Environmentlist Mission, i.e., socialism had failed to deliver prosperity, but it is ideally suited to manage scarcity. Like the patent medicines of old, Dr. Marx's Snake Oil Tonic is the ideal cure for every ailment currently in fashion. After the Soviet economy imploded and the PRC went hurtling down the capitalist road, Prof. Robert Heilbronner acknowledged the Friedrich Hayek had been right all along in his diagnosis of the intractable problems of the planned economy.

BUT he found solace in the Environmentlist Mission, i.e., socialism had failed to deliver prosperity, but it is ideally suited to manage scarcity.

Like the patent medicines of old, Dr. Marx’s Snake Oil Tonic is the ideal cure for every ailment currently in fashion.

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