September 2022 Newsletter
In this Clergy Letter Project update you’ll find the following thirteen items:
- Proposed Themes for Religion and Science Weekend 2023;
- Astrobiology I: The Moons of Jupiter;
- Astrobiology II: Organic Matter Found on Mars;
- Why Are People Anti-Science?;
- Trump's Populism Should Enrage Christians, but it Doesn’t;
- Climate Change I: A Plea in Virginia;
- Climate Change II: The Creation Ministries International’s Take on the Issue;
- Modeling the Future of Religion in America;
- Yet Another Crazy Political Take on Evolution;
- Pope Francis and the Trans Community;
- Religion and Samuel Alito’s Time Bomb;
- NCSE’s YouTube Channel; and
- Opposing Christian Nationalism.
1. Proposed Themes for Religion and Science Weekend 2023
I want to thank all of you who suggested possible themes for Religion and Science Weekend 2023. Before I ask members to vote on a theme, however, I want to provide an opportunity for people to fine-tune any of the suggestions offered and to add to the list. So, please take a look at the list below and let me know what you think. As I said, please feel free to edit any item and/or to add new items. I’ll share the final list next month and we’ll hold an election to see which theme most resonates with members.
Possible Themes for Religion and Science Weekend 2023
_____ Living faithfully into an evidence-based future
_____ Faith and life: Living for the future now
_____ Partners of Meaning, Meaningful Partners for Change
_____ Religion and Science on Compassion
_____ Religion and Science on Love
_____ What do Religion and Science really tell us about human equality?
_____ What do Religion and Science tell us is humankind's greater purpose?
_____ What do Religion and Science tell us about our relationship with other species?
_____ How do Religion and Science relate to our personal experiences with the natural world?
_____ Religion and Science -- Aids to Humility
_____ Religious Views on Vaccination
_______ I plan to participate in Religion and Science Weekend 2023 (10-12 February 2023). Please add my congregation (or other group) to the list of participants.
Congregation or similar group:Location:
Your Name:
2. Astrobiology I: The Moons of Jupiter
There’s been so much fascinating news coming from NASA of late that I’m having no trouble finding interesting material to share with you while we all await the return of Grace Wolf-Chase’s wonderful Astrobiology News column.
Here is an utterly breathtaking video of Europa & Io moons orbiting Jupiter, captured by the Cassini space probe. Even if you rarely click on a link in these newsletters, you won’t want to miss this one!
3. Astrobiology II: Organic Matter Found on Mars
NASA just reported that its Perseverance rover has discovered “the largest concentration of organic matter yet” during its year and a half mission. NASA explains that organic matter is “considered a key indicator of life and, by definition, any material produced originally by living organisms.” Before you get too excited, however, they also noted that “the burden of proof for establishing life on another planet is very, very high…. For that, we need to examine Mars rocks up close and in person in Earth labs.” NASA has a plan to do just that in 2030.
4. Why Are People Anti-Science?
People regularly ask why are so many individuals anti-science and is there anything that can be done about it. Aviva Philipp-Muller, a professor of marketing at Simon Fraser University, addresses these points in a recent edition of Inside Higher Ed’s academic minute. Do listen – after all, you only have to invest a minute!
5. Trump's Populism Should Enrage Christians, but it Doesn’t
Washington Post columnist Michael Gerson has published a long essay that lives up to its provocative title: "Trump should fill Christian with rage. How come he doesn’t?”
It’s all but impossible to provide a meaningful summary in a few sentences to his very thoughtful piece so instead I’ll share a bit of his writing from the end of his essay.
Are churches failing to teach an authentic Christian vision to Christian people? Have pastors domesticated the Christian message into something familiar, unchallenging and easily ignored? Do the dark pleasures of resentment and anger simply have a stronger emotional appeal than the virtues of compassion and self-sacrifice?
God’s call to us — while not simplifying our existence — does ennoble it. It is the invitation to a life marked by meaning. And even when, as mortality dictates, we walk the path we had feared to tread, it can be a pilgrimage, in which all is lost, and all is found.
Before such a consummation, Christians seeking social influence should do so not by joining interest groups that fight for their narrow rights — and certainly not those animated by hatred, fear, phobias, vengeance or violence. Rather, they should seek to be ambassadors of a kingdom of hope, mercy, justice and grace. This is a high calling — and a test that most of us (myself included) are always finding new ways to fail. But it is the revolutionary ideal set by Jesus of Nazareth, who still speaks across the sea of years.
6. Climate Change I: A Plea in Virginia
The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) “is a cooperative effort among the states of Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Virginia to cap and reduce power sector CO2 emissions.” Since its inception, RGGI has cut greenhouse gas production from power plants in half and has generated $378 million in the commonwealth of Virginia, money that is to be used to invest in energy efficiency improvements for low-income individuals and in flood preparedness across the commonwealth.
Glenn Youngkin, governor of Virginia, has taken steps to get around the bipartisan law that enabled Virginia to participate in RGGI. The Reverend Sarah Scherschligt, senior pastor of Peace Lutheran Church in Alexandria and a member of The Clergy Letter Project, and Rachel Rhodes, cantor at Temple Rodef Shalom in Falls Church, have written a fabulous op-ed in the Washington Post urging Youngkin to reconsider his actions. Their piece makes it clear that both scientists and religious leaders believe it is essential to take action now to mitigate the effects of climate change. Do take a look at their powerful essay. And, if you haven’t yet done so, use their clarion call to sign our Climate Crisis Letter. Let your voice be heard!
_______ Yes, by all means, please add my signature to the Climate Crisis LetterName and Title:
Congregation/Denomination/Religion (optional):
City, State, Country
7. Climate Change II: The Creation Ministries International’s Take on the Issue
Creation Ministries International is an organization promoting the belief that the Earth is only 6,000 years old. As they note on their web page, “Creationists ultimately date the earth using the chronology of the Bible. This is because they believe that this is an accurate eyewitness account of world history, which can be shown to be consistent with much data.”
They’ve now weighed in with an opinion on “anthropogenic global warming,” claiming to offer “a biblical and scientific approach to climate change.” Not surprisingly, they conclude that climate change is both a scientific and political hoax. “The idea of dangerous climate change due to burning fossil fuels is unfounded in sound science, and divorced from biblical history.” They claim that focusing on climate change harms the poor and constitutes child abuse. They also assert that “CO2 is ‘plant food’, and planet Earth’s plants would benefit from more of it, not less…. With the pre-Flood Earth having up to 15 times the CO2 that we have now, plant productivity would have been amazing…. [T]he burial of much carbon in the ground and the re-vegetation of the earth after the Flood, has resulted in the CO2 ‘drought’ that we are now in.”
It’s well worth reading what they have to say to get a fuller picture of how some Christians are combating efforts to deal with the climate change crisis before us. I also hope that their extreme position encourages you to add your signature to our Climate Crisis Letter, if you haven’t yet done so. As the letter says, “We know that the people with the least access to resources experience the greatest suffering as a result of a changing climate.”
_______ Yes, by all means, please add my signature to the Climate Crisis LetterName and Title:
Congregation/Denomination/Religion (optional):
City, State, Country
8. Modeling the Future of Religion in America
Pew Research Center recently released a report entitled “Modeling the Future of Religion in America.” The report’s subtitle provides a sense of the results: “If recent trends in religious switching continue, Christians could make up less than half of the U.S. population within a few decades.” There’s lots more interesting information in the report.
9. Yet Another Crazy Political Take on Evolution
Here's a short clip of Margorie Taylor Greene offering a crazy take on evolution. She argues that medical care for transgender individuals “goes against evolution.” Go figure!
10. Pope Francis and the Trans Community
Religion News Service recently ran a good-news story entitled “How Pope Francis’ welcoming message transformed a trans community in Rome.” One of the very positive aspects of this article is how clearly it demonstrates that religious people can have compassion for others – and act on that compassion. Of course, we know that but unfortunately there are so many individuals, including religious leaders, doing exactly the opposite today that reminders like this are so important.
11. Religion and Samuel Alito’s Time Bomb
Andrew Koppelman, a law professor at Northwestern University, wrote an essay recently published in The Hill that explored how the Supreme Court might view cases asking for relief from laws based on the religious beliefs of those suing. His opening sentence provides the flavor of his argument: “An irresponsible sentence that Justice Samuel Alito wrote eight years ago may now excuse religious people from nearly every legal obligation they have, so long as a hypothetical, nonexistent government program could substitute for it.” I urge you to take a look at this essay.
12. NCSE’s YouTube Channel
Our good friends at the National Center for Science Education (NCSE) have a fabulous, informative Youtube channel. Here’s how they’re promoting it:
If you're seeking entertainment and enlightenment, consider a visit to NCSE's YouTube channel! Recent additions include the Squamate Speciation Symposium cosponsored by NCSE and NABT for Darwin Day 2022; NCSE's Ann Reid participating in a panel discussion of climate change education; NCSE's Glenn Branch discussing twists and turns in the teaching of evolution; and NCSE Teacher Ambassador Jennifer Broo describing the importance of addressing student misconceptions, the first of a series of new videos about NCSE's work in classrooms. Plus there's plenty more from the depths of NCSE's video archives. Tune in and enjoy!
13. Opposing Christian Nationalism
The Reverend Ken Olson, a member of The Clergy Letter Project, shared his thoughts on the dangers of Christian Nationalism with some of his ELCA colleagues. I thought his perspective deserved a wider readership and thus I’m including it here:
A quote sometimes attributed to Augustine: "Hope has two beautiful daughters. Their names are anger and courage: anger at the way things are, and courage to see that they do not remain the way they are." I doubt that anyone has been able to locate those good words in the Saint's vast canon. However, they surely are in the tone of the biblical prophets in First and Second Isaiah, Jeremiah, Micah, and Amos, and their spirit is needed always. In our mainline moderate and progressive-leaning churches, we regard tolerance as nearly the highest virtue. A virtue it is, but it is not immune from sliding over into amorphous cultural relativism, merely tolerating even the intolerable. A huge threat to our democracy, as well as to any and all of the humane values we cherish, is the rapid and widespread rise of the hyper-aggressive movement called "Christian nationalism." To ignore or tolerate something like this is, ultimately, to be complicit: the movement should be called out by all denominations as being an absolutely outrageous corruption of the Faith.
This message includes a ten-minute CNN clip that is a brief and excellent summary. Interviewed is a very articulate representative of the Baptist Church who publicly addresses this issue "head-on." She sees it for what it is: that it is not Christianity, but a radical perversion that is attempting to merge flag and cross, to "join at the hip" Christianity and far right-wing extremism's quest for self-righteous and intolerant political power. For some time, I have been advocating that all our churches speak out publicly on this crucial topic. This is an example of how to do it, in superb and unquestionably accurate fashion. The link below is a timely resource for all churches, since all are now in the path of this heresy. It could be included in synod newsletters to every congregation, sent directly to clergy and all in leadership positions, thus providing a tool for sermons, classes, etc., so that our members may be well informed (presently, they certainly are not). Thanks for looking.
Concluding Thoughts
Although I’ve been slow in figuring this out, I finally realized that I can provide a free gift link to articles from The Washington Post. So, even if you’re not a subscriber, you should be able to read the two articles I referenced this month. As we, in the northern hemisphere, head into fall, I worry that a new wave of Covid-19 might await us. If you haven’t yet done so, I urge you to get a vaccinated with the new bivalent booster. I will be receiving mine in four hours! I hope you and the communities in which you are a part stay healthy and take steps to ensure that we protect the most vulnerable among us.
Finally, as always, I want to thank you for your continued support and as I do every month, I urge you to take one simple action. Please share this month’s Newsletter with a colleague or two (or post a link via any social media platform you use) and ask them to add their voices to those promoting a deep and meaningful understanding between religion and science. They can add their signatures to one of our Clergy Letters simply by dropping me a note at mz@theclergyletterproject.org. Spread the word; change the world. Together we are making a difference.
Michael
Michael Zimmerman
Founder and Executive Director
The Clergy Letter Project
www.theclergyletterproject.org
mz@theclergyletterproject.org