“We have members of the clergy here as members of the panel.”

What panel? What the heck are members of the clergy doing in a discussion about energy and the environment, and about the environmental impact of carbon emissions? I’m already impressed with the Congressman’s expertise in paleo-atmospheric chemistry, but now we have clergy who are climatologists as well? Ah, the wonders of the American educational system.

Later he says,

“There is a theological debate that this is a carbon-starved planet, not too much carbon.”

A theological debate??

“Then God said, ‘Let the air be rich with the essence of soot and lamp black, so that the vegetation should partake of it and be abundant, the plants and trees shall grow everywhere.’”

First Shimkus says that everything is fine on Earth because God has said so, but then he says that something is wrong and the Earth is starving for carbon. I guess he’s framed that theological debate.

If we find a large asteroid on a collision course with the Earth, are we going to invite clergy to the U.S. House Subcommittee on Saving Our Asses for a theological debate on asteroid deflection? After all, several members of the clergy are probably experts in astrophysics, orbital dynamics and applied mathematics. Do they study this stuff in their spare time, or do they somehow get it all out of the Bible?

*Note: I am totally lying. I enjoyed the freak show that was Blago, and if he wants to come back and be insane again, I will watch.

To see a man of cloth (or of some particular brand of religion) saying that Earth will not be affected by it, is like denying our sinful nature and its effect toward the planet!

Most disasters, ecological damages, disease and epidemics are caused by human nature.

In Genesis, God told man “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it.”
But the way mankind rapes the environment and not conserve it shows great ungovernance!

Now they want to say that “Earth will be alright, God judgment hasn’t come.”

Gorramit, God has little to do with this! We’re causing our own planet’s demise!

John is a Missouri Synod Lutheran – he is on the board of my old church/school. This is not surprising in the least. A family friend, he is actually a nice guy. But theology will always come before evidence with him…and the Missouri Synod folks take pride in their evolution/global warming denying. He was a teacher at Metro East Lutehran High along side a close family friend. Just to give you a tase of the Missouri Synod – at Metro East they don’t even touch on Evolution in biology class. Skip it entirely – like not even a mention (they only discuss micro-evolution – not speciation, etc). Sad.

The 19th is both rural and non-rural. Metro East area, especially Collinsville/Edwardsville/O’Fallon is one of the fastest growing areas in the US.

I went to SIU-Carbondale too and know the Alto Cross well (shown on the icon for District Map). It is a very concervative district to say the least – but like the 14th I live in now, is becoming more liberal with each election. There is hope that Shimkus will be out in the next few elections – they have a growing Democratic Party down there.

I’m always bummed when my hometown gets such a bad rap. I swear to nobody in particular that we aren’t all like Shimkus!