Rick “Different Theology” Santorum, Ladies and Gentlemen

In full damage control mode later, Santorum told reporters ”If the president says he’s a Christian, he’s a Christian.” but “he is imposing his values on the Christian church. He can categorize those values anyway he wants. I’m not going to.”  Realizing that earlier, he did do that which he said he’d not do, when he said the President subscribes to a “different theology” in the first place, Santorum backpedaled even further Sunday on Face the Nation, saying “I was talking about the radical environmentalists” when called on his earlier remarks. What “radical environmentalists”?

OH WAIT!!  We get it now.  President Barack Obama is a Christian who is both imposing his values of a “to be named later” theology on Christianity AND is a group (yes, a group..”more than one”…environmentalists is plural) of “radical environmentalists” to boot.  Neat trick that, being able to replicate yourself to form a group.  All 007 like and stuff.  Bet they don’t advertise that in the White House brochure.  Totally rad, man.  As in radical.

With that said, how about we take a look at what qualifies as “theology” to Mr. Santorum?.  In his world, he says “We are stewards of the world” but not in service to the Earth and “Man is the objective.”   Before we touch on the actually meaning of the word “steward“, we would be remiss if we didn’t point out what he’s really talking about when he says “man is the objective”.  He’s getting that from Gen. 1:26-28 of the Old Testament we thinks, specifically where God tells Adam and Eve to “”Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth”   Two key words of that passage form the crux of Mr. Santorum’s mindset;  Subdue and Dominion.  Or, to put it another way, I’m going to Heaven anyway, so why not trash the place?  The heathens will clean it up.

And, unless the meaning of the word “steward” somehow changed because he uttered it (which wouldn’t surprise us on bit at all), a steward is one who manages resources.  And how is environmental protection not a integral part of resource management?   Managing the Earth’s resources for the benefit of  all Mankind?  Far be it from us to intentionally bust a hole in Mr. Santorum’s paranoid dogma, but Catechism, no. 2415 is pretty clear on the subject of the trashing the Crib (Earth).  It states:

“Man’s dominion over inanimate and other living beings granted by the Creator is not absolute; it is limited by concern for the quality of life of his neighbor, including generations to come; it requires a religious respect for the integrity of creation.”

Translation: the stewardship expected of all of us is collective (think “The Borg”…ooo, scary), respects the purpose for which everything exists and respects the dignity of each and every living thing.  Or Catechism, no. 2417, which states ”

“Animals are God’s creatures. He surrounds them with his providential care. By their mere existence they bless him and give him glory.  Thus men owe them kindness.”

In other words, take care of your stuff.  And be nice to animals.  So says a couple of nasty “Leftie” and “radical environmental” groups known as the Catholic Education and Resource Center and the Catholic Doors Ministry.  If you’re not careful, you’re likely to catch the “socialist” from either of these groups.  BOO!

Was there some sort of collective brain crash that we didn’t notice?  Did “Love Canal“, a former chemical landfill not go ka-boom in 1978?  Is the “Dead Zone” in the Gulf of Mexico a figment of a our crazy imagination?  We wager the poisoning of an asbestos plant in Montana and a coal waste spill in Tennessee didn’t happen either then.   The Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska?  Wasn’t that an Xbox game that didn’t pan out too well?

All of the above are fine examples of the same kind of “stewardship” Mr. Santorum is talking about.   It’s a “theology”, if you will, that puts material wealth above the health and welfare of this planet we and ALL its inhabitants call home.  What religious text does that “theology” come from again, Mr. Santorum?  Ah, the crickets.  Wonderful creatures.  But we digress.

As Scarecrow over at FDL points out,  its is truly beyond the pale of comprehension how someone in 21st century would pretend that corporations have a God given right to rape and pillage the Earth of  her precious and finite resources just because they can.  You don’t “poop” where you sleep.  Mr. Santorum must have missed that lecture.  And you know cranky God can get when a guy like Mr. Santorum misses class.

Just saying.

Yours truly,

Political Ole Lady

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