Matt has been asked to deliver the opening talk at the upcoming Clearing the Air Forum on 16-17 July 2010 at Unitec Institute of Technology, Auckland. The forum has been organised by New Zealand Christian Network (visionnetwork) and its purpose is to look at the synthesis of science and faith on climate change try to develop a joint communiqué by national church leaders. In addition to Matt, the speakers include:
- Professor Ralph Sims, Director, Centre for Energy Research, Massey University
- Dr James Renwick, Principal climate scientist, NIWA
- Ian Wishart, Editor, Investigate magazine, Author of Air Con: The Seriously Inconvenient Truth About Global Warming
- Prof Jonathan Boston, Director of the Institute of Policy Studies, Victoria University
- Barry Brills, President, NZ Climate Science Coalition
- Dr Andy Reisinger, Senior Research Fellow, NZ Climate Change Research Institute, Victoria University
- Ken Harrison, Chairman National Church Leaders group, National Superintendant Assemblies of God in New Zealand
- Archbishop David Moxon, Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand, and Polynesia
- Stephen Tollestrup, Executive Director, Tear Fund
Here is what it is all about:
What does the Church have to say to government, society, and itself – if anything – on the topic of climate change? The failure to reach any agreement at the recent Copenhagen conference is regarded as a triumph by some and a tragedy by others.
This forum – convened by Glyn Carpenter, National Director, NZ Christian Network, visionnetwork, and Associate Professor Jonathan Leaver, Unitec Institute of Technology – will bring together both groups, and look to produce a consensus-based position statement.
Topics will include (a) epistemology, (b) creation mandate, (c) what position can be reasonably supported by the science, and (d) what can and should we do? The forum is designed primarily for church and public issues leaders, but places are available for students and others to hear a great line up of speakers.
Matt’s talk is on epistemology and is entitled “Discovering truth in the synthesis of science and Faith.” The idea is that by having Matt talk first he will set the tone as to how we should be approaching and thinking about this synthesis of topics we can then sit back and hear all the speakers speak on their areas of expertise and know how to then grapple with the ideas.
To see the full programme, click here.
Tags: AGW · Climate Change · New Zealand Christian Network16 Comments
A common objection to belief in the God of the Bible is that a good, kind, and loving deity would never command the wholesale slaughter of nations. In the tradition of his popular Is God a Moral Monster?, Paul Copan teams up with Matthew Flannagan to tackle some of the most confusing and uncomfortable passages of Scripture. Together they help the Christian and nonbeliever alike understand the biblical, theological, philosophical, and ethical implications of Old Testament warfare passages.
Why do I live in Dunedin?? This would be a wonderful opportunity if only I could attend. I hope some of the papers will be made available not just the consensus statement.
If you want my opinion this is an almost classic example of why the Church looks totally irrelevant today.
Because it is irrelevant when academic naval gazers waffle aimlessly about the latest paganistic fad the chattering classes have taken up or the whatever might be the cause de jour.
Stick to the basics like the Gospels and you wont be led astray
Blair, Matt’s paper will probably end up here and maybe they’ll video some of the talks.
Andrei I think there is a place for Christians to comment on more than just sex, drugs, prostitution, abortion, smacking and the gospels – Christianity is supposed to transform culture after all – but I agree that if all the discussion amounts to is naval gazing waffle about pagan fads then it is a distraction from the real issues.
The question is will this forum be naval gazing or will it be an opportunity for the church to come together and start grappling with the issues that are having an impact on our culture and lives in a manner that is in accord with the gospels? I don’t know, I guess only time will tell. Matt will certainly do his best to ensure the latter with his paper and I know that the organisers really want to achieve the same thing, that is one of the reasons why they have asked Matt to speak about the proper epistemological approach to take right at the outset. I tend to think that if enough people participate with the right mindset it could be productive.
This is a conference primarily aimed at church leaders. Church leaders are already dealing pastorally with the very real impact of the ETS and other climate change related policies that pinch the pockets of their congregations and communities. The issue is topical; clear thinking on issues that have the power to impact every person’s life is the mandate of the church.
Christianity is supposed to transform culture after all
NO!!!!!!
Christianity is about transforming people one at a time using free will – Not culture, the transformation of culture will follow the transformation of people.
It is when people have used hijacked Christianity to ” transform culture” that all sorts of bad things have happened e.g the Thirty years war.
Andrei, Those cliches strike me as false.
Christianity changes people and cultures together, and its not true that whenever people have tried to transform culture there was been war.
[…] Anyway, you can find all the details, including the list of speakers, on the MandM site of ill-repute (still laughing people), which you can find… HERE! […]
Let’s try another tack
How well did it work out when the Church got involved in the debate over Helio-centrism?
If Church leaders issue a joint communique on climate change they will just end up looking foolish – it is a worldly concern for worldly people.
Nobody’s immortal soul is threatened by “climate change” and in the real world it is nothing but a wealth transfer system – a transfer from the poor to the rich.
As an individual you can take whatever position you choose but it is not an issue for the Church – its a distraction sent by the adversary.
Nobody’s immortal soul is threatened by “abortion” either if you believe that all who die in the womb go straight to heaven, it doesn’t stop most of us with a conservative theological bent having something to say about that.
Nobody’s immortal soul is threatened by “abortion”
You don’t think wilful violation the sixth (fifth for protestants) commandment for personal convenience would put your immortal soul in danger?
Andrei, the same argument could be made about climate change. If certain activities harm the enviroment and others, then one puts ones ‘immortal soul’ at risk.
I am not saying I believe this, just pointing out that you can’t dismiss it as easily as you are.
You don’t think willfully stealing from a population and pushing families into poverty because bogus lines of science and bogus policies stand to give you power and money puts anyone’s immortal soul at risk then?
The scriptures and the Vatican have had quite a bit to say on how to treat the poor do they not?
Disclaimer to my comments above: I do share your concerns about the odds of this conference being not much more than naval gazing waffle about paganism due to the makeup of the New Zealand church.
[…] three-part blog series is essentially the talk I gave at the recent Clearing the Air Forum, which was entitled “Discovering Truth in the Synthesis of Science and Faith.” The audience was […]
[…] three-part blog series is essentially the talk I gave at the recent Clearing the Air Forum, which was entitled “Discovering Truth in the Synthesis of Science and Faith.” The audience was […]
[…] three-part blog series is essentially the talk I gave at the recent Clearing the Air Forum, which was entitled “Discovering Truth in the Synthesis of Science and Faith.” The audience was […]
I to have been told by my case manager to see Dr Otta, the appointment time did not work for me. So i used my initiative and rang his office myself to change the time that suited me best.. I then emailed my casemanager to ensure i left a paper trail so if something went wrong i had the evidence to back me up. I informed her that i had changed the date, in which she probably was not to happy about, however it was a tactic move on my part and she accepted. However since reading this blog im not sure that i want to attend this appointment as i have a spinal cord injury on top of a pre exsisting condition which is degenerative. Im sensing that if i do see Dr Otta, the report will be of a disadvantage for me, which will then give Acc the power to discontinue my 80 per cent income. Acc have been told that they need to get an independent specialist by the National Reviewers to do an assesment. Acc hesitated when i suggested a specialist. Any advice or suggestions?