Jerry Falwell dedicated this week’s sermon at his Thomas Road Baptist Church to debunking “The Myth Of Global Warming.”
Almost right off the bat, Falwell issued the disclaimer that “I am quick to say that I am not a scientist,” but that didn’t stop him from making a series of boldly incoherent statements:
The endless hysteria and alarmism over alleged global warming has increasingly become a national and international nuisance and loses credibility with every passing day. The entire myth has little to do with science and much to do with politics.
Falwell lays the blame for the perpetuation of this myth squarely at the feet of Al Gore, liberal politicians, the media, “radical Hollywood,” … and the Weather Channel:
The Weather Channel has taken up that task with its series ‘It Could Happen Tomorrow’. The Weather Channel started its “It Could Happen Tomorrow” series in January 2006. The program includes episodes where a tornado destroys Dallas, a tsunami destroys the Pacific Northwest, Mount Rainier erupts and destroys nearby towns, and San Diego is devastated by wildfires. What is the Weather Channel up to? … The big lie, conceived by the Weather Channel in cahoots with environmental extremists, is to get us in a tizzy over global warming.
Despite admittedly having no scientific credibility whatsoever, Falwell nonetheless feels that he is perfectly qualified to declare:
This so-called fact is the greatest deception in the history of science. We are wasting time, energy and trillions of dollars while creating unnecessary fear and consternation over an issue with no scientific justification.
As for why Hollywood, liberals, and The Weather Channel are so intent on pushing this myth, Falwell offers three simple explanations:
(1) To Create Major Economic Damage to America.
(2) The Desire To Change the Subject Concerning the World’s Moral Bankruptcy.
(3) Most importantly, it is Satan’s Attempt to Re-direct the Church’s Primary Focus.
You can’t argue with that sort of rigorous scientific reasoning, especially since Falwell’s presentation appears to have been based largely on “A Skeptic’s Guide to Debunking Global Warming Alarmism,” (PDF) a report released by that other noted scientific expert, Sen. James Inhofe.
