Why do some people call Evolution and/or Global Warming religions?

Question

I can't undertand what they think people who believe in these ideas are religions? I just heard some loudmouthed senator from Oklahoma call it the "Religion of Global Warming". What deity or deities to people think people who believe in evolution and global warming worship? Are they aware that for them to be religions they have to have a deity? Or is all of it a political move in order to somehow get them thrown out of schools, etc. on the grounds they are "religions".

If they are religions, does that mean my supervisor would have to give me Charles Darwin's Birthday off as a religious holiday?

Also, could we refer to the Republican Party as the "Religion of the Republicanism"? They are as close to being a religion as evolution or global warming.

Worshipful Heart: I spent six years in college studying religion. I do not rely on what a dictionary says about "religion". The concept of religion focuses on a "deity"; now there can be some debate on what one calls a "deity" (it some senses, a sports hero or a nation can constitute a deity), however a deity (or deities) are required on order to constitute a religion. Simple "faith" in something is NOT religion.

Answer 1

Well, I'm not so sure about evolution, but global warming does have certain characteristics of the older pantheistic religions. In these religions, whenever something in nature went wrong, the people were blamed for it because they had displeased a personification of some natural phenomenon, and so they had to sacrifice something to appease that personification. The only real difference I can see with global warming is that the natural phenomenon is not personified--the dynamics are otherwise pretty much the same.

Answer 2

Global Warming has issues. Some of these issues requires Faith.

There is a phenomena called the "Little Ice Age". Is that also global warming? Some say yes other say no, but both answers are belief not science.

When we have scientific criteria and theories that explain the observations, global warming will a scientific issue rather than emotional outburst.

Answer: Let's go green and see if that solves the problem. Clearly, the gentleman from Oklahoma won't.

Answer 3

"Belief in God" is not the only meaning of the word "religion".

The term "religion" can also be used to refer to something which a person puts so much faith or confidence that it totally alters their lifestyle and prespective on life. Such as a person who believes so strongly in evolution or global warming that they "blindly" follow the doctrines of those advancing the idea.

Usually when you call something like a "religion" it is meant as an insult. Carries with it the idea of "blind faith", with no evidence to support it. Or of "fantatics" who will will do anything for a cause. If you want a "deity" for that kind of a religion, it is the cause itself.

Answer 4

First off, you are wrong in saying that one needs a deity to have a religion, one needs faith in order to have a religion example: pantheits worship the earth...is earth a deity? Were you there in the begining to verify what science says is true?? No, then you have faith that what science draws its assumptions from has always been there and has always happend as it did happen.
As for global warming, one can consider 'mother earth' the object of worship. After all, what is worship? The act of putting something before oneself for a greater good then oneself, often making sacrifices for some supposed good.

Answer 5

Interestingly, the implication, as far as I can tell, is that some people treat the pronouncements of Al Gore as that of a latter-day prophet, and his gospel that of global warming. That is: they don't think about it critically, just accept it without thought.

I suspect this is true, actually; there are enough secular twits out there who don't do the critical thinking necessary to accept or deny an idea on its merits, and rather decide based on their emotional opinion of the person espousing the idea. Something like: "I like Al Gore, therefore global warming is happening" rather than "I've looked at the evidence, and global warming seems to be occurring".

A Baptist calling some secular concept a 'religion', and meaning it as an insult, should make any properly calibrated irony meter explode.

Answer 6

Th Oklahoma senator was using "religion" as a metaphor and alluding to Al Gore as a zealot (in a derogatory sense) of this "religion" His use of the metaphor also implies that he thinks that all religion are fake beliefs. He also does not believe that their is such a danger as "global warming".

Answer 7

First, here is the definition of the word "religion", by definition, even atheism is a religion

1. a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, esp. when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs.
2. a specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons or sects: the Christian religion; the Buddhist religion.
3. the body of persons adhering to a particular set of beliefs and practices: a world council of religions.
4. the life or state of a monk, nun, etc.: to enter religion.
5. the practice of religious beliefs; ritual observance of faith.
6. something one believes in and follows devotedly; a point or matter of ethics or conscience: to make a religion of fighting prejudice.


believers in global warming and evolution are in essence practicing a religion , it is by faith , regardless of what one says about the facts (as they are only facts when they actually fit reality) the ideas of global warming and evolution have to be taken on faith, that they believe these things. Their choices, practices, moral code, how etc- revolve around how they believe about the origins of life and where we are going.
You might educate yourself aboutthe definition of a word before getting offended, indignant and silly over someone using it in its proper context.
How is one to take oyu seriously over bigger issues such as the origins of the earth if you cannot even do a simple little word study?

Answer 8

There are many religions out there that do not believe in a diety. They say they are religions because they are based on faith, not facts. You have just as many facts that prove evolution and global warming as we have facts proving Jesus and God. The differennce is that we don't believe the others have facts. You believe I have opinions about God and I believe that you have opinions about evolution, neither can prove it to the other.

I say that evolution is an opinion because people do their research expecting a certain result and bend their findings to fit their truth. Although we know that micro-evolution occurs, macro-evolution is nothing more than a pie in the sky idea that will one day be refuted when more/better evidences come along. It still cannot explain or prove that the law of bigenesis has ever been broken!

Answer 9

Because those who believe in global warming theory and evolution theory do so mostly on faith and not reason. Religious folks admit that faith is the source of their beliefs but the global warming enthusiasts and evolutionists will not admit that by reason and intellect that their theories are false. They just blindly follow their gurus like Al Gore without checking out the real evidence and what real climate scientists and biologists say about the topics. Basically, Al Gore feeds them the Kool Aid and they drink it gleefully in their ignorance and unwillingness to question what they are fed. You would think that the fact that a politician is spreading this nonsense instead of a scientist would be a clue as to its real origin .

In Christ
Fr. Joseph

Answer 10

They do this so there imbecilic constituents will be able to relate it to every other cult they have heard of. Any religion competing w/ the one they subscribe to has to be evil.