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Climate change is only natural
The climate change editorial on the opposite page appeared on
canadianchristianity.com in December. Soon after, we received the following:
This editorial identifies one side of the climate change controversy.
But is there not a respected Christian who believes, as many do, that climate
change is a normal climate cycle, and that spending billions of dollars on
attempting to modify climate change is poorly spent money?
I agree that we should look after our environment.
However, we shouldn’t believe all the hype that says reversing the effects of a natural weather
cycle is a worthwhile human activity.
It is really just man’s attempt at controlling something outside our control.
It appears today’s society has made the environment a religious activity, that has little
tolerance for any opposing or moderate views of the source and controllability
of CO2.
It would be good to read a well-constructed article by a scientist who does not
totally believe in the CO2-caused global warming theory that Al Gore seems to
have convinced so many to accept as fact.
Lyle Johnson, by email
Thanks for reminder of God’s joy
Re ‘Listening to the right voice: the gospel of joy’ (December):
“God leads a very interesting life, and he is full of joy. Undoubtedly he is the
most joyous being in the universe.”
This statement by Dallas Willard, quoted in the article, expresses so well how I
feel when I see coloured leaves dancing in the wind or a brown countryside
transformed into carpets of flowers.
During a recent trip to western Australia, I saw so much colour and design that
it left me with the feeling that God must have had fun creating all this.
I seemed to hear God laughing and saying, “Come on, join me in the fun of creation.”
Thank you, Mike Stewart, for reminding us of this: “Learning to be joyful in the Lord is not an attempt to avoid human suffering and
pain. Joy is a quality of life that is rooted in God, and lived out in the real
world in which we live in all our varied circumstances and trials. We are
called to rejoice in the Lord, not in our circumstances.”
What a great article!
Helen Grace Lescheid, Abbotsford
In defence of Catholic theology
David Gale, in ‘Be cautious about joining Rome’ (Readers’ Forum, December), overreaches anything in anti-Catholic rhetoric I have yet read in ‘Readers’ Forum.’
He claims there were “additions” made to Catholic theology or ritual, that were not there prior to the great
schism between Rome and the Church of England. Let us take a closer look at
some examples he gives.
Prayers for the dead were in wide use by early Christians, given the church’s acceptance of the Epistle of St. James – which encourages them.
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The veneration of saints (and their relics) was far more evident then than it is
today. There were shrines in almost every country, and there were nearly
continuous pilgrimages throughout Europe.
The dogma of the immaculate conception of Mary merely proclaims that Mary, like
Jesus, was born without the stain of original sin – by the privilege of the grace of God.
As for the Inquisition: Henry VIII killed more recusants during the Pilgrimage
of Grace than occurred throughout the entire Spanish Inquisition.
Also, the same man put to death any reformists who refused to accept the
doctrine of transubstantiation.
Perhaps Gale should rephrase this attempt at rewriting the history of the
Reformation.
Larry Bennett, Burnaby
Maybe Anglicans should consider being cautious about not joining Rome.
Re celibacy for the religious: St. Paul recommends celibacy in order to serve
God. In the 15th century, missionaries were sent to the Americas. If they had
had families to support, they would not have been able to evangelize, due to
extremely harsh environments and the lack of financial resources.
Re transubstantiation: In the gospels, God speaks his divinity into the
eucharist: “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life
in you” (John 6:53). St. Paul understood the sacredness of the sacrament, as seen in
Corinthians 1:10.
Re the Inquisition: There can be corruption in religious ranks. There have also
been other inquisitions – such as America’s Salem witch trials, and England’s genocide of Catholics in Ireland.
Finally, consider how the Anglican Church originated. Henry VIII was unable to
father a son, and sought to annul his marriages. Since he was fathering girls,
however, he was fulfilling his marital vows; therefore he was not granted his
annulment demands.
Enraged, he killed five of his wives, murdered hundreds of Catholic ministers
and declared himself the Vicar of Christ.
The British monarch – not a church official – is still head of the Church of England.
Derek J. Mason, Vancouver
January 2010
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