How Environmentalism Has Become a Modern Religion

“I have been asked to talk about what I consider the most important challenge facing mankind, and I have a fundamental answer. The greatest challenge facing mankind is the challenge of distinguishing reality from fantasy, truth from propaganda. Perceiving the truth has always been a challenge to mankind, but in the information age (or as I think of it, the disinformation age) it takes on a special urgency and importance. “

-Opening remarks of the speech given by author Michael Crichton, September 15, 2003. 

With these opening remarks more than 17 years ago, author and filmmaker, Michael Crichton (Westworld, Jurassic Park) gave an eye-opening look into the future as he addressed the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on September 15, 2003 with a speech entitled “Environmentalism is a Religion." Here’s an excerpt:

Today, one of the most powerful religions in the Western World is environmentalism. Environmentalism seems to be the religion of choice for urban atheists. Why do I say it’s a religion? Well, just look at the beliefs. If you look carefully, you see that environmentalism is in fact a perfect 21st-century remapping of traditional Judeo-Christian beliefs and myths. There’s an initial Eden, a paradise, a state of grace and unity with nature, there’s a fall from grace into a state of pollution as a result of eating from the tree of knowledge, and as a result of our actions, there is a judgment day coming for us all. We are all energy sinners, doomed to die unless we seek salvation, which is now called sustainability. Sustainability is salvation in the church of the environment. Just as organic food is its communion, that pesticide-free wafer that the right people with the right beliefs, imbibe.

Eden, the fall of man, the loss of grace, the coming doomsday—these are deeply held mythic structures. They are profoundly conservative beliefs. They may even be hard-wired in the brain, for all I know. I certainly don’t want to talk anybody out of them, as I don’t want to talk anybody out of a belief that Jesus Christ is the son of God who rose from the dead. But the reason I don’t want to talk anybody out of these beliefs is that I know that I can’t talk anybody out of them. These are not facts that can be argued. These are issues of faith.

And so it is, sadly, with environmentalism. Increasingly it seems facts aren’t necessary, because the tenets of environmentalism are all about belief. It’s about whether you are going to be a sinner, or saved. Whether you are going to be one of the people on the side of salvation, or on the side of doom. Whether you are going to be one of us or one of them. Am I exaggerating to make a point? I am afraid not. Because we know a lot more about the world than we did forty or fifty years ago. And what we know now is not so supportive of certain core environmental myths, yet the myths do not die.

Crichton nailed it in this speech.  He told the truth. But did people listen? Not to worry, even if people did not listen then ,they are listening now.

Why? Because, as he says, facts does not matter, it is your beliefs that count. And these beliefs are being taught in public schools as truths. They are not questioned, then they stop becoming beliefs and are accepted at truths. 

Today, we cannot teach religion in the public schools of the United States, but are we not actually doing the same by teaching environmentalism?  Schools teach that Global Warming is the truth and all people who question the science that they suggest proves their theory is a denier. This same tactic was taken by people during the Salem Witch Trials.  The mere accusation was enough to convict a person.  

 Mr. Tom Kendall, in his article, Environmentalism: A Religion Without a Founder,  stated:

 “One of the most striking characteristics of the environmental movement is its deeply religious overtones. Peter Harris (founder of A Rocha International) observed that the environmental lobby is like a ‘religion without a founder’. Mainstream commentators have made similar points with a recent Spectator article noting ‘Church attendances may be falling, but there’s a new religion in town: recycling. Its followers are devout and full of missionary zeal.’ The movement has a deeply religious character in the message, in tone, and in dedication of its followers… The environmental movement shares the Christian belief in the goodness of the natural world and likewise acknowledges that the greed, selfishness, recklessness, and evil of humanity has caused destruction to the planet. However, it lacks the Christian hope of redemption and restoration, there is instead a deep fear for the future. We see this in the words of Greta Thunberg to the World Economic Forum at Davos in January 2019, Adults keep saying that we owe it to the young people to give them hope. But I don’t want your hope. I don’t want you to be hopeful. I want you to panic. I want you to feel the fear I feel every day. And then I want you to act. This is the biblical narrative without hope – there is no promise of salvation, and the motivation for action is fear. The fundamental problem with the environmental movement in its current form is that it constitutes religion without God. And in this religion, salvation depends on human effort and will alone. The widespread recognition of human fault comes with the proposed solution of human transformation both individually and systematically. Greta Thunberg’s comments to Parliament in April 2019 give a flavor of their salvation model, ‘The moment we decide to fulfill something, we can do anything.’

A religion without salvation?  Why would anyone choose this one over one that offers hope, justice, and peace?  The answer lies in the fact that beliefs are more important than facts and people have been taught this so long, that they are believing the beliefs to be facts.  This is exactly what Paul wrote about to the Corinthians in 2 Corinthians 1-15:

1 If only you would put up with a little foolishness from me! Please put up with me. 2. For I am jealous of you with the jealousy of God since I betrothed you to one husband to present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. 3. But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts may be corrupted from a sincere [and pure] commitment to Christ. 4 For if someone comes and preaches another Jesus* than the one we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it well enough. 5 For I think that I am not in any way inferior to these “super apostles.” 6 Even if I am untrained in speaking, I am not so in knowledge;  in every way we have made this plain to you in all things. 7 Did I make a mistake when I humbled myself so that you might be exalted because I preached the gospel of God to you without charge? 8 I plundered other churches by accepting from them in order to minister to you. 9 And when I was with you and in need, I did not burden anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my needs. So I refrained and will refrain from burdening you in any way. 10 By the truth of Christ in me, this boast of mine shall not be silenced in the regions of Achaia. 11 And why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do! 12 And what I do I will continue to do, in order to end this pretext of those who seek a pretext for being regarded as we are in the mission of which they boast. 13 For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, who masquerade as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for even Satan masquerades as an angel of light. 15 So it is not strange that his ministers also masquerade as ministers of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.

We are not supposed to be persuaded by these false prophets of gloom and doom who preach the gospel of God without salvation.  The Apostle Paul also wrote about this in 1 Corinthians 15: 12-19

12 But if Christ is preached as raised from the dead, how can some among you say there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then neither has Christ been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then empty [too] is our preaching; empty, too, your faith. 15 Then we are also false witnesses to God because we testified against God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, neither has Christ been raised, 17 and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19. If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are the most pitiable people of all.

Clearly, the environmentalists and their new religion are playing thoughts of people all over the world.  They have a message: save the planet.  However, what they do not tell is that they are trying to save the planet from God.  By trying to take you out of the picture, this movement is no different than the very similar movements that were recorded in the Bible. 

I ask you this question- are we here to save the planet or to save ourselves? We can be good stewards of the planet and save both, but if we try to fall for the machinations of the environment who are trying to refocus our lives here on earth- I suggest do not fall for this.  Remember this Brothers and Sisters, the greatest challenge facing us here on earth today is to live the Christian life, pray daily, read the scriptures, work out our salvation, and do this every single day for the rest of our life.  We can not, should not, and will not let our guard down.