Mixing religion, government, environmentalism explosive device.

Green Religion Won't Save Appalachia

by Lewis Loflin

Al Gore's book Earth in the Balance published in 1992 mentions Southwest Virginia. Here in Appalachia we have legions of people here to "help" the down-trodden and ignorant locals who in their view are too stupid to know what is best - and got rich in the process. 9 out 10 voted for Trump and want those high paying mining jobs the Green Left seeks to destroy, for the local population's own good. But they sure preach religion and have accomplished almost nothing after decades. Here is an example why from Mr. Gore:

This has long been clear to those who have dedicated their lives to these duties. Richard Cartwright Austin, for example, a Presbyterian minister working among the poor in Appalachia, reports on his experience in trying to stop irresponsible strip mining; "I learned early on from my years as a pastor in Appalachia and from the days when I started fighting strip mining in southwest Virginia that the only defense those mountains have from exploitation by the energy conglomerates' bulldozers is the poor, isolated people who live in those hollows, who care so deeply that they would fight for that land. Take those people away and the mountains are totally defenseless. . . . From the biblical point of view, nature is only safe from pollution and brought into a secure moral relationship when it is united with people who love it and care for it?

What the hell does any of this have to with do getting a job? They care nothing about the people - they worship the mountains. Take your damned religion with its Marxist undertones and pantheist nonsense and shove it. Mountains are not beings and have no rights.

Is he preaching to himself? This is a huge problem as liberal churches have abandoned their traditional faith for New Age style thinking such as this.

There's a total cultural and rational disconnect. These people act more like missionaries to a 3rd. world country more interested in pushing a cultural agenda than truly helping locals. People need education in basic things like handling money, staying away from self-destructive behavior, and practical education and skills they can actually use. "Moral" relationships with nature is utter nonsense.

Many myself included support shutting down the Appalachian Regional Commission as a waste of money due to political corruption and lack of clear goals.

They claim today the number of high poverty (distressed) counties has been cut from 295 to 90. Yet the Associated Press on May 23, 2004 reported that the ARC had spent $10 billion over 40 years and "the number of counties in the region that are considered 'distressed' have been reduced from 223 to 91 since 1965." Then why if only 223 counties were "distressed" do we have 410 counties? Now we have 295 down to 90 in 2017? Which is it?

They don't even know what counties they are trying to help and the largest grant recipient states are Mississippi and Alabama! But yes we have Green religion and will worship these mountains until the funds run out.

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