English bishop: Trump on ‘wrong side of history’ on climate change
June 14, 2017
In a letter to the editor of the Times of London, a Catholic bishop in England strongly criticized President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw the United States from the 2015 Paris climate agreement.
Stating that Trump is on the “wrong side of history,” Bishop John Arnold of Salford described the president’s decision an “abdication of responsibility.” The prelate added that climate change is “an issue that will define our time.”
For all current news, visit our News home page.
Further information:
All comments are moderated. To lighten our editing burden, only current donors are allowed to Sound Off. If you are a current donor, log in to see the comment form; otherwise please support our work, and Sound Off!
-
Posted by: Randal Mandock -
Jun. 15, 2017 2:19 PM ET USA
"The wrong side of history" has been leftist and communist drivel ever since Marx and Engels wrote their "scientific" analysis of history in 1848 titled "The Communist Manifesto." Limbaugh and other talk show hosts frequently remark that the last bastion of communism is in American universities. Not being Catholic, they may not realize (Jewish Dennis Prager does, however) that this bastion is shared by not a few Catholic clergymen and woman religious. A real loss to the intellectual enterprise.
-
Posted by: geoffreysmith1 -
Jun. 15, 2017 10:08 AM ET USA
Bishop John Arnold is my bishop. He is well-known in this diocese as a left-wing liberal with heterodox views, principally that there is no distinction between mortal and venial sin. He is also a prominent supporter of CAFOD, a 'Catholic' charity that encourages the practise of contraception in the mission territories of the Church. Sadly, we have another snowflake occupying an episcopal chair in the Church, and its beginning to show with this secular outburst.
-
Posted by: claude-ccc2991 -
Jun. 14, 2017 11:07 PM ET USA
I'm sure that Bishop Arnold has simply forgottent that it is the month of June, and that warming is normal for this part of the year in the northern hemisphere. I can assure the Bishop that, come September, the opposite will occur. On the science side, when one looks at the temperature profile (constructed from proxies) for the entire Holocene Era, we are actually on the cool side by a wide margin. So, my message to Bishop Arnold is to learn a little more history to get the proper perspective.
-
Posted by: TheJournalist64 -
Jun. 14, 2017 6:28 PM ET USA
As I have noted before, four things need to be known with certainty: 1) the earth is warming (probably) 2) it's due to human causes (maybe) 3) it's bad (we do know that global cooling brings on starvation and epidemics, but warming, not so) 4) we can fix it by human intervention (that has been totally disproven.) Best not to be on the wrong side of science.
-
Posted by: jalsardl5053 -
Jun. 14, 2017 6:16 PM ET USA
As is so common these days for these folks to get it wrong: the president's decision represents another high point in the exercise of responsibility. However, the prelate is right that climate change is an issue that will define our time; just ask any mammoth, sabre-tooth, or sloth! Of course, this holds to Pope Francis' agenda which, unfortunately, is a major distraction from real issues.
-
Posted by: jackbene3651 -
Jun. 14, 2017 6:04 PM ET USA
Perhaps this bishop is hoping for a red hat.
-
Posted by: dover beachcomber -
Jun. 14, 2017 5:37 PM ET USA
Gee, I'm trying to find information online about Bishop Arnold's background in climatology -- you know, the kind of thing that would make him an authoritative voice in this field of science -- but I'm just not having any luck. I wonder why that is?
-
Posted by: rghatt6599 -
Jun. 14, 2017 5:15 PM ET USA
Didn't the Church abandon triumphalism at Vatican Council II? The phrase the "wrong side of history" is mere leftist triumphalism. Present day progressives arrogantly assume their triumph in time. However Catholic bishops should humbly be preparing their flock for the end times and the 4 last things. The real abdication of responsibility is by our bishops who are comfortable speaking out on worldly matters but are hesitant or unwilling to proclaim the timeless faith and morals of the church
-
Posted by: feedback -
Jun. 14, 2017 8:03 AM ET USA
Where were all the "outspoken" Catholic prelates when Obama imposed HHS mandate?
