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Concern for improving lives should trump focus on global warming, reader says

Before they invoke the Church’s authority in support of global warming policies, people like Catholic Relief Services president Carolyn Woo should consider the possibility that many people who have studied the issue at a level deeper than “the scientists say so” find proposed global warming measures not only ineffective but positively immoral.

Millions in Africa will die young because they lack access to clean water, or suffer from the respiratory diseases that burning dung for cooking causes. Energy cost increases resulting from climate change measures will hinder progress on these and other fronts.

American University professor Caleb Rossiter, who focuses on Africa policy and came to realize how dubious global-warming data are when the statistics course he taught investigated them, wrote, “Real years added to real lives should trump the minimal impact that African carbon emissions could have on a theoretical catastrophe.”

University of Alabama climate scientist John Christy, who was a missionary in Africa before he developed the technique used to monitor temperature by satellite, has said similar things for years. Many Catholics agree with them.

Even in this country, those energy cost increases would harm more than just video game sales; any such resource misallocation reduces the time and treasure we devote to things like Alzheimer’s research. Slightly lower temperatures will be cold comfort to someone whose loved one’s mind is flickering out for lack of a cure.

When they look at the facts in depth, many conscientious Christians conclude that resisting climate change measures, not supporting them, is more in line with Christ’s teachings. They may be right, and Ms. Woo may be wrong.

- Joseph H. Born | Indianapolis
 

Newspaper should only focus on truths of Catholic faith

The Criterion has a grave responsibility for carrying out the mission of the Catholic Church, and that mission is to lead souls to heaven through the teachings and guidance of the Church and the Holy Father.

While we should always be respectful of others’ opinions, any opinion that is contrary to Catholic morals and teachings should be withheld from print in this newspaper to avoid risk of misguiding or misinforming Catholics who may not know the true teachings of the Church.

What The Criterion should prayerfully consider is to, instead, write and print articles explaining the Church’s teachings on issues when people express disagreement or a misunderstanding of the teachings of the Catholic Church.

Faith and morals were given to us by God, so they cannot be changed by anyone, not even by the Holy Father.

As Catholics, we have a grave responsibility to form our opinions to be in line with the teachings of the Catholic Church.

When Pope Francis speaks of faith and morals to the faithful, he is speaking the truth of God’s message to lead all people to heaven. “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him” (Jn 3:17).

As Vicar of Christ, the Holy Father continues the message of Christ by teaching the truth in order to save the world.

- Rhonda Branham | Bloomington