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Could global warming be God's way of clearing the planet to make way for a new kingdom of the faithful?

The other day, somebody told me that some sects of Christians,
namely the Jehovahs Witnesses, the Seventh Day Adventists and the Christadelphians, 
believe in a literal Armageddon, or war to end all wars.

He said that these groups believe that global warming is proof that Armageddon will soon be upon us because the warming will cause massive droughts, floods, sea level rise, mass migrations, and consequent global strife and global wars. 

He said they believe that global warming the means by which God will destroy the life on the planet, and thus prepare the way for the kingdom of God on Earth.

I would like to know if the claim he made is true of Armageddon eschalology.

If you believe in any of the above three faiths, what is your church's official view of global warming?

If so, how does this affect your choices with regard to behaviors that increase emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gases?

I am not judging here.
I only want to find out what the beliefs are
and what effects such a belief might or could have.

Posted - October 14, 2018

Responses


  • 16197
    Nope. The alluded to Kingdom is a utopia, not a hellish landscape inimical to life - acidified oceans, drought-ravaged land etc.
      October 14, 2018 1:47 AM MDT
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  • 4631
    Succinctly put.
    Thank you for your answer, Slartibartfast. 
      October 15, 2018 7:05 PM MDT
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  • 1713
    I'd like to know how they view God. Is he supposed to be benevolent? Because that's not very benevolent..
      October 14, 2018 5:52 AM MDT
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  • 4631
    I'd like to know too.
      October 14, 2018 7:06 PM MDT
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  • 5391
    Boy, would that be a big toke of confirmation bias.
    I’m obviously no advocate of either of these defeatist faiths, but considering how they preach doctrines of fear of the invisible and the imagined; guilt of failing impossible standards; and shame of their thoughts, bodies and species, it only follows then they‘d be so eager for this world they find so wicked and abhorrent to end. 

    From the the perspective of global warming, there are still many of the pious who are in complete denial. God wouldn’t let this happen, or some such. In a sense, I hope they’re right.  

    I’m gonna surmise that like evolution, a position of science that is becoming less and less simple for the “Parties of God” to deny, there will be those among the faithful who will seek to insinuate their beliefs into the established facts about Climate Change, as well. Even if only to keep those beliefs relevant in light of a newfound reality. 

    In terms of eschatology, it would be a long and interesting leap indeed from a planet left virtually (or actually) uninhabitable, to one resembling the varying utopian descriptions of “God’s Kingdom”. This post was edited by Don Barzini at October 14, 2018 7:08 PM MDT
      October 14, 2018 7:25 AM MDT
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  • 4631
    I agree on all your points.

    Am hoping that anyone here who belongs to one of these sects will be willing to explain the official view of their church.

    As I understand it, most of the older sects such the Catholics and the Anglicans have embraced science; they see the OT stories as legends and myths to be interpreted as spiritual metaphors. Many see evolution as the means by which God created the world - and they see the proper role of humanity is to act as custodians and caretakers of God's creation - hence they are active in seeing climate change as an issue that must be addressed urgently. 

    But apparently, the Creationist sects take a different view of the human role and God's plan.

    I agree that with the science as it is now; if man-made global warming is not slowed and then stopped, the result will be an Earth which cannot supply food security to humanity, and will cause the mass extinction of most species. 
    It certainly would not be a fit place for anyone's utopia.
      October 14, 2018 7:19 PM MDT
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  • 5391
    There may be denial and skepticism in places like DC at the moment, but when the world’s food production tails off, all that will change. Hopefully it won’t take that long.  
      October 15, 2018 7:37 PM MDT
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  • 4631
    The latest projections estimate that we will start to experience this in about 12 years.

    There are some innovations that could help to counteract food insecurity and global warming simultaneously, such as vertical farming of seaweed and molluscs in mid-ocean. Existing efforts have proven successful but would need to reach a point of using 9% of the world's oceans. The main concern is whether agribusiness will invest on a large enough scale and in time to help slow the momentum of warming before it's too late. They need to start now.
    (For the collated evidence, see Tim Flannery, 2017, Sunlight and Seaweed, The Text Publishing Company, Melbourne.)
      October 15, 2018 8:25 PM MDT
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  • 6988
    Perhaps the planet is turning out of it's axis. Perhaps the North Pole is a little more south of where it was. Therefore, it might appear that temps are changing. Maybe the ice is melting and raising the oceans. IT HAS HAPPENED BEFORE. About 10,000 years ago, a massive glacier came down from the north and carved out the Great Lakes. I found some coral in my garden. (coral is a product of a hot ocean) I live in the Great Lakes area and it's too cold for coral. 
      October 14, 2018 7:42 AM MDT
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  • 4631
    Scientists would know the instant the planet shifted its axis and this would be instantly reported as momentous news. Since it has not been, we can discount this notion as a current cause of global warming.
    Nobody disputes that there have been natural periods of warming and cooling in the Earth's past. When natural, evolution usually has time to adapt. It didn't in the case of the end of the age of the dinosaurs; it is known that a giant meteor hit the Earth at that time and that there was a period of increased global vulcanism. Scientist have examined whether increased volcanic eruptions could be a cause of global warming. There has been an increase of reports, however this was proved to be accounted for by increases in the reach of communications technology. The increases could not be corroborated in terms of the ages of layers of laval rock.
    That temps are changing is not an appearance; it is a proven fact. Globally the Earth's atmosphere has warmed by 1ºC above the naturally occurring rate of warming since the last ice age. And the rate of warming has begun to accelerate faster than genetic mutations can adapt. 

    I double checked the geology of the Great Lakes. From 1.1 to 1.2 billion years ago, two fused tectonic plates split to form the Midcontinent Rift. The resulting valley became Lake Superior. Around 570 million years ago, a second split formed the Saint Lawrence Rift, formed the contours for Lakes Erie and Ontario, and the Saint Lawrence River. These basins were further carved out by glaciers during the last ice age.The water collected in the Great Lakes basins around the end last glacial period, around 10,000 to 12,000 years ago). The meltwater, which was fresh not salty, filled up the basins forming the Great Lakes as they are known today.
    Coral can only grow in tropical seawater. The tectonic plates of the great lakes have never been under the sea, and have never occupied a position in the tropics or close to the equation. Therefore there must be an alternative explanation for how you came to find coral in your garden. There could be several possible explanations, for instance, a previous owner's coral ornamentation of the garden became inadvertently buried and lost.
    If you have large amounts of coral of several species and much of it intact and clearly layered, should be reported to the nearest university's geology department because it would be a find of stupendous geological significance.
    You can double check the facts here: Grady, Wayne (2007). The Great Lakes. Vancouver: Greystone Books pp. 13, 21–26, 42–43.
    Great Lakes Atlas: Factsheet #1". United States Environmental Protection Agency. March 9, 2006.
    Cordell, Linda S.; Lightfoot, Kent; McManamon, Francis; Milner, George (2008). Archaeology in America: An Encyclopedia: An Encyclopedia
    Larson, Grahame; Schaetzl, R. (2001). "Origin and evolution of the Great Lakes"

    You could also discuss it with Element 99, who is a retired science teacher who lives in the Great Lakes area and is very familiar with its geology.



    This post was edited by inky at October 15, 2018 6:47 PM MDT
      October 15, 2018 6:36 PM MDT
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  • 22891
    anything is possible, you need to ask god that question
      October 14, 2018 2:39 PM MDT
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  • 4631
    The thing is, Pearl, I'm interested in hearing from the people who have these beliefs.
    I'd like to know if what I was told about their beliefs is a true representation of their views.
      October 14, 2018 7:21 PM MDT
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  • 6023
    HA!

    No ... for a couple reasons.

    1 - I don't believe in God.

    2 - Those who DO believe in the Christian God, state that all problems on Earth are due to "Free Will".
    It would be completely contradictory to then say that "Global Warming" is God's action.
      October 15, 2018 11:48 AM MDT
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  • 4631
    Hi Walt. I'm an atheist too.

    I think the idea is contradictory too.
    The OT itself cannot be proven either a priori or a posteriori.
    Faith or belief does not require empirical or logical proof.
    But in this question, I have no desire to challenge anyone's beliefs.
    I accept that people have the right to believe as they wish.

    I am just trying to find out if something said by an acquaintance is a truthful representation of the views of certain sects.
    Texaco says he is a devout JW and does his best to try to bear witness and spread the word of God.
    I have been told that this notion of global warming as part of the approach of Armageddon is one of their teachings.
    Texaco could answer this question, and there may be others, perhaps Seventh Day Adventists or Christadelphians.


      October 15, 2018 7:03 PM MDT
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  • 2657
    Hi Nom de Plume. Most of the time that I was on answermug, I was inactive as a Christian, although I still tried to help some but spent most of my time in pointless debates, so wasn't really devout as JW's would consider devout. I appreciate your questions, they seem sincere. Take care

    n
    I don't think that global warming is actually God's way of clearing the planet, more a by-product of mans misuse.

    (Revelation 11:18) But the nations became wrathful, and your own wrath came, and the appointed time came for the dead to be judged and to reward your slaves the prophets and the holy ones and those fearing your name, the small and the great, and to bring to ruin those ruining the earth.”
    https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2014642?q=global+warming&p=par
    n


    https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2012081#h=1:0-22:0
    Armageddon​—What Do Some Say It Is?

    1. IS ARMAGEDDON A MAN-MADE DISASTER?

    n
    https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1102017178?q=armageddon&p=par
      February 2, 2019 12:34 PM MST
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  • 1326
    Hi nom, I'm a Jehovah's witness, i highly encourage you to visit our website jw.org., so you can inform yourself at your leisure. We are the most translated website on the web, a bit fact I thought to mention. Btw, there are countless religions that believe in a literal Armageddon, it is how the final outcome is interpreted that varies. 
      October 25, 2018 12:32 AM MDT
    1