Why I view Dominionism as a threat to our shared future.

Dominionism. In Wikipedia, it is defined as "a tendency among some conservative politically-active Christians, especially in the United States of America, to seek influence or control over secular civil government through political action - aiming either at a nation governed by Christians, or a nation governed by a conservative Christian understanding of biblical law."  In terms of theological roots, Dominionism is traced by some people back to the Book of Genesis, in which we are told that "And God blessed [ Adam and Eve ] and God said unto them, "Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth." --Genesis 1:28 (KJV)  The specific thing that bothers me most about dominionism is its strong opposition to science in environmental issues. A rational person who values science would read that Genesis passage and say, it just means that humans are in charge of the natural systems of planet earth, and had better proceed rationally and responsibly with those natural systems to make sure that our grandkids will have as much food, water, and access to energy, as ourselves. A dominionist however reads that passage and comes away with the opposite concept: we can do no wrong.

Here on gather, I have been assured by other members that "God is in charge", and that therefore there is no earthly reason to concern ourselves with the menace of climate change. I was informed just this morning that the planet earth is capable of supporting 50 billion or even 100 billion humans in comfortable style, because the more mouths we have to feed, the more hands we have to work with.  Never mind the fact that you can't eat rocks. The insidious thing about Dominionism, especially when it is applied to science and to the environment, is that it is at heart a belief system that fosters smugness and complacency. Like Dr. Pangloss of Voltaire's Candide, dominonists cling to the notion that "all is for the best, here in the best of all possible worlds"- and that humans despite their domionion over the creation, have been issued a gilt-edged guarantee that no matter what we do wrong, he has made sure that our resources are inexhaustible.

By the way, Sarah Palin is basically a Dominionist.

It is often claimed by Evangelical Christians that their critics are out to get them, that we oppose their right to be Christian. For myself, I am totally unwilling to grant them that talking point. I have no problem with you being Christians, the thing that I do concede is that the odd political ideas that flow from your incorrect interpretation of the Bible have any validity. When you hold science in one hand and the Bible in the other, the Bible always wins, because you are unwilling to look at the two things objectively and rationally reconcile them. You may not be concerned with the prospect that our great grandchildren may live in an environmental disater zone. why should you care? When the rapture happens it will solve climate change, pollution, starvation, all in the blink of an eye. People like myself however do not necessarilly believe in the rapture-we figure that humans are going to have to survive indefinitely right here where we are. We would prefer to try to keep a few shreds of the original paradise here on planet earth. And in your ignorance and folly, you are working to destroy all our hopes for the future of the human race.