There is a lengthy article at the Medium that examines the similarities between the climate change movement and a religious cult. Based on a list of ten warning signs for unsafe groups, developed by Rick Ross and published by the Cult Education Institute, the writer compared the two.
Quote.1 Absolute authoritarianism without meaningful accountability.
The leading advocates of the Climate Change movement are politicians, entertainers, and even children. Climate preachers such as Al Gore and Leonardo DiCaprio lack any formal scientific training whatsoever, and live personal lives of unparalleled luxury while prescribing carbon austerity for the masses. Yet no one is permitted to point out their scientific ignorance or call attention to their hypocritical lifestyles. […]
The authority of Climate Change leaders is entirely unmerited and absolute, yet no one is permitted to hold them accountable for their ignorance, inexperience, or brazen lies. […]
2 No tolerance for questions or critical inquiry.
The conclusions of the Climate Change movement may not be challenged or questioned under any circumstances. Those who dare scrutinize the conclusions, methodology, or prescriptions of ?climate scientists? are categorically dismissed as a ?Climate Denier?, an excommunicated untouchable whose opinion is no longer valid on any subject. […]
3 No meaningful financial disclosure regarding budget, expenses such as an independently audited financial statement.
Hardly anyone knows just how much money is spent on ?Climate research? every year. The cost is spread out among laughably useless study grants, wind and solar farm subsidies, carbon offset credits, ?green? building code evaluation and enforcement, salaries for bureaucrats solely dedicated to ?climate concerns???you get the idea, it?s a lot of hazy money. […]
4 Unreasonable fear about the outside world, such as impending catastrophe, evil conspiracies and persecutions.
This one is pretty obvious. The Climate Change movement always shouts out revised and updated apocalypse predictions, eerily reminiscent of the stereotypical bum on the sidewalk with that ?The End Is Near? sign. ?The world will end in X years if we don?t do X? is the constant refrain. The years always pass, and the apocalypse never happens. Interestingly, this is a characteristic of multiple religious cults (such as the Seekers of Chicago, and the Order of the Solar Temple). […]
There?s also no shortage of conspiracy theories about who they consider to be Earth?s greatest saboteurs. They have an enemies list. The fossil fuel industry is at the top of it, with widespread tinfoil hat theories about oil companies burying patents for efficient renewable fuel recipes to keep us all guzzling gasoline. […]
5 There is no legitimate reason to leave, former followers are always wrong in leaving, negative or even evil.
Climate alarmists who leave, step back from, or even lightly criticize the movement are immediately subjected to vicious smear campaigns. Dutch professor Richard Tol experienced this phenomenon firsthand when he removed his name from an IPCC climate report and criticized the reports excessively apocalyptic predictions. […]
6 Former members often relate the same stories of abuse and reflect a similar pattern of grievances.
Professor Tol is not an anomaly. Dr. Richard Lindzen of MIT, Dr. Nils-Axel M?rner, and countless other former IPCC in-crowd climate experts were subjected to smear campaigns from their colleagues and the news media for the crime of throwing cold water on the outlandish predictions of the Climate Change movement.[…]
7 There are records, books, news articles, or television programs that document the abuses of the group/leader.
The abuses of the Climate Change movement are loud and proud. They vociferously attack their perceived enemies for public consumption, and are cheered on by fellow travellers in the journalism class. […]
These tantrums and protests aren?t only meant to rally supporters of the Climate Change movement. They are a form of intimidation, a tactic used to silence those who question the gospel.[…]
8 Followers feel they can never be ?good enough?.
The atonement process for Climate warriors always demands more. It started with using a recycling bin and grocery bags. Now, in 2019, being a good follower means imposing veganism on the masses and issuing fatwahs against innocuous objects such as plastic straws and grocery bags. Despite all the efforts of the faithful, Climate minions maintain a constant state of dread and despair, knowing they can never truly do enough to stop the coming doom. […]
9 The group/leader is always right.
When have the climate leaders been called wrong for their failed predictions? Regardless of the weather, they are always intrinsically correct.
- Flood? Climate Change.
- Drought? Climate Change.
- No Snow? Climate Change.
- Too much snow? Climate Change.
- Tornado? Climate Change.
- Hurricane? Climate Change.
- Lack of hurricanes? Climate Change.
See how this works?End quote.
One of the best aspects of the movement is ?weather is climate until it isn?t?. The acolytes of Climate Change will point out the window in a heat wave and say, ?See? We?re right!?
If a skeptic points out the window during a blizzard, the same acolytes will simply cry ?Weather isn?t climate!? It?s a game they can never lose, one in which they are never wrong and always right. […]
10 The group/leader is the exclusive means of knowing ?truth? or receiving validation, no other process of discovery is really acceptable or credible.
The path to discovery for the Climate Change movement is an intentionally vague discipline referred to as ?climate science?.
Did you carry out a study on gender and glaciers? Climate Science.
Did you think up the worst possible scenarios that have no actual chance of happening? Climate Science.
Any ?science? that confirms the tenets of the Climate Change movement is deemed ?climate science?, while actual scientific research that disputes their conclusions is derided as ?denialism?.[…]
The Verdict: It?s a cult
According to the established, scientific guidelines developed by cult experts, the Climate Change movement fits the bill for a potentially unsafe group. […]
