One of the iconic cartoons – and sometimes even in real life – there is a robed character on a street corner with a sign the reads “The End of the World is Coming.” Of course, both science and logic tell us that he is right.
Usually, that warning is an invitation to repent for some wayward ways or maybe just a solicitation for a few coins. We would be foolish to take him too seriously because we know that his warning has no relevance to our lives.
If we do take such ominous warnings seriously, we might be like the late Reverend Harold Camping, who on two occasions led his followers on a “camping trip” (I could not resist the pun) to the mountain to await the imminent Rapture — the first phase of the world-ending Apocalypse in which the forces of good and evil will face off in worldwide conflagration. According to the theology, the good Christians will be beamed up to the heavenly place while the less worthy will be left behind to suffer from – or conduct — the awful biblical battle. If Camping had read the Bible more closely, he might not have been so quick to predict the hour of judgment. According to Matthew 24:36, “of that day and hour knoweth no man.”
I think of all this whenever some agency … some scientific authority … some politician by the name Al Gore makes yet another “end of the world” prediction. As I have written in the past, I am an agnostic on the meaning of climate change. My unwillingness to embrace the predicted earth-ending calamities is not the denial of scientific empiricism.
It does appear that the earth has warmed up a smidgeon over the past few years. But we are also told by scientists that the earth will again enter ice ages – even to become what it was at one time, “snowball earth.” Yes, our beautiful green planet was once covered in ice and snow from pole to pole – and they say it is going to happen again in a few billion years.
I react to that as I do to the guy on the corner with the sign. They are probably right, but it is so far in the future – and so little, if anything, we can do about it – that the warning is irrelevant.
Of course, the Draconian hyperbolic outcomes predicted for our warming earth are more immediate. We are told that we must … must … act now to save the planet. The existence of humans hangs in the balance. According to the dangerous climate change sign-carriers, we are just decades … nay, years … away from catastrophic events. In fact, the events are upon us already in the form of increasingly severe hurricanes, tornadoes, forest fires and sunburns.
We are told that the Camp Fire in California was the most destructive and deadly in history. But … was that because the geological and climate conditions are so different than in the past? OR because we have constructed thousands of homes and other structures in regions where massive forest and brush fires are common? Is the death and destruction from hurricanes because they are inherently more powerful? OR because more people have migrated to the southern seashores?
Since virtually all their deadlined-predications in the past have never come to pass, I am not overly concerned about the latest ones. Al Gore seems to be standing in for Reverend Camping in repeatedly leading us to the mountain of failed prophecy.
Perhaps the earth is in a warming cycle, but I do not believe mankind has the power to impact on that reality to any significant degree – at least not without returning to the Stone Age. So, maybe for a while we will have to not build residences in floodplains or on seashores. Or, accept the consequence. Maybe retaining walls are a better investment than fear-mongering-for-profit campaigns.
Our most prudent plan would be to spend our resources adjusting to the reality of the consequences of a warming cycle than to try to stop it like one might want to stop a speeding train by standing on the track.
Part of my skepticism is also borne out of my own experience with science versing mother nature.
At one time, I owned a home on the shore of Lake Michigan. At the time, the lake was rising and taking down the sand dunes and no few homes. There was only a sliver of a beach – and at times none at all. I was told that it was a climate problem. Lake Michigan would never recede in our lifetimes. We had to fortify our lakefront to save the homes. Many of my neighbors did. I did not.
Weeeeell … much to my pleasant surprise and to the surprise of the scientists and experts, the lake level dropped. The bare bluffs that had collapsed into the lake were again green with bushes and trees. And my beach – from bluff to shoreline — was as wide as a football field. The experts never did – or could – explain why they were so bloody wrong. But I learned that scientists are often only slightly better than crystal ball readers in predicting the future.
In the 1950s, those atomic tests were going to destroy the planet. The nuclear age continued and so did the earth. In the 1960s, the world was to be ravaged by war and starvation due to the imminent “population explosion.” The “explosion” has continued, but the Draconian outcomes did not occur. In the 1980s, scientists predicted that we would be out of fossil fuel by the Twenty-First Century.
And now, we seem to have more than ever – much to the chagrin of the climate catastrophe folks.
My bet is that all those terrible things that are predicted to happen in the next 10 or 20 years if we do not take drastic actions IMMEDIATELY, will not be nearly as bad as they predict and may not happen at all regardless of what we do, or do not do.
So, there ‘tis.
The byline is “by patriot1”. The final line of “So, there ’tis” leads me to believe that the author’s name is Larry Horist (also on Bull Market Rodeo). If so, well done, sir. Hyperbole does gets old.
14 Dec. 2018 All Scripture taken from the King James Bible.
1Thessalonians Chapter 4 verses 13 thru 18 = The Rapture of the Christian Church = Believers in Jesus Christ as their Saviour. Also see 1 Corinthians Chapter 51 verses 51 thru 58 (King James Bible)
13. But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
15. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
1 Corinthians Chapter 15 (King James Bible)
51. Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56. The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
NOTE: The Jewish People have to be back in their Homeland as the Nation of Israel.
Read: Ezekiel Chapters 38 and 39 (King James Bible.)
Chapter 38 Ezekiel:
1. And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, 2. Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, 3. And say, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: 4. And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords: 5. Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: 6. Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with thee. 7. Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.
8. After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them. 9. Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee. 11. Thus saith the Lord God; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought: 12. And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates, 13. To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land. 14. Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?
15. Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say unto Gog, Thus saith the Lord God; In that day when my people of Israel dwelleth safely, shalt thou not know it? And thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts, thou, and many people with thee, all of them riding upon horses, a great company, and a mighty army: 16. And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes. 17. Thus saith the Lord God; Art thou he of whom I have spoken in old time by my servants the prophets of Israel, which prophesied in those days many years that I would bring thee against them? 18.And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord God, that my fury shall come up in my face. 19. For in my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel; 20. So that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that are upon the face of the earth, shall shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground. 21. And I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord God: every man’s sword shall be against his brother. 22. And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. 23. Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the Lord.
Ezekiel Chapter 39 verses 1 thru 29 (King James Bible)
Chapter 39 Ezekiel
1. Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: 2. And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts, and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel: 3. And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand. 4. Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands, and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured. 5. Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord God. 6. And I will send a fire on Magog, and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the Lord. 7. So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the Lord, the Holy One in Israel.
8. Behold, it is come, and it is done, saith the Lord God; this is the day whereof I have spoken. 9. And they that dwell in the cities of Israel shall go forth, and shall set on fire and burn the weapons, both the shields and the bucklers, the bows and the arrows, and the handstaves, and the spears, and they shall burn them with fire seven years: 10. So that they shall take no wood out of the field, neither cut down any out of the forests; for they shall burn the weapons with fire: and they shall spoil those that spoiled them, and rob those that robbed them, saith the Lord God.
11. And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will give unto Gog a place there of graves in Israel, the valley of the passengers on the east of the sea: and it shall stop the noses of the passengers: and there shall they bury Gog and all his multitude: and they shall call it The valley of Hamongog. 12. And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the land. 13. Yea, all the people of the land shall bury them; and it shall be to them a renown the day that I shall be glorified, saith the Lord God. 14. And they shall sever out men of continual employment, passing through the land to bury with the passengers those that remain upon the face of the earth, to cleanse it: after the end of seven months shall they search. 15. And the passengers that pass through the land, when any seeth a man’s bone, then shall he set up a sign by it, till the buriers have buried it in the valley of Hamongog. 16. And also the name of the city shall be Hamonah. Thus shall they cleanse the land.
17. And, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord God; Speak unto every feathered fowl, and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves, and come; gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh, and drink blood. 18. Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bullocks, all of them fatlings of Bashan. 19. And ye shall eat fat till ye be full, and drink blood till ye be drunken, of my sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you. 20. Thus ye shall be filled at my table with horses and chariots, with mighty men, and with all men of war, saith the Lord God. 21. And I will set my glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them. 22. So the house of Israel shall know that I am the Lord their God from that day and forward.
23. And the heathen shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity: because they trespassed against me, therefore hid I my face from them, and gave them into the hand of their enemies: so fell they all by the sword. 24. According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions have I done unto them, and hid my face from them. 25. Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Now will I bring again the captivity of Jacob, and have mercy upon the whole house of Israel, and will be jealous for my holy name; 26. After that they have borne their shame, and all their trespasses whereby they have trespassed against me, when they dwelt safely in their land, and none made them afraid. 27. When I have brought them again from the people, and gathered them out of their enemies’ lands, and am sanctified in them in the sight of many nations; 28. Then shall they know that I am the Lord their God, which caused them to be led into captivity among the heathen: but I have gathered them unto their own land, and have left none of them any more there. 29. Neither will I hide my face any more from them: for I have poured out my spirit upon the house of Israel, saith the Lord God.
Posted by MN1 Robert Briggs USN Retired in Harriman, TN 37748.
I believe Al Gore predicted ominously and publicly that the polar cap to our north would be completely clear of ice and snow by now. So much for Mr. “I invented the Internet” Gore’s baseless predictions. Whoops, made a mistake there. The predictions were made so that he could make another fortune by selling “carbon credits” to those gullible enough to fall for his scam.
Phil in TX