Can they call themselves Christians when they’ve replaced God with a cult?
Climate Vigil aims to channel prayer into action
Autumn leaves settled on the Umatilla River in downtown Pendleton, Oregon, as it rippled gently over rocks one October day. Up an embankment and across a quiet street rose the stone tower of the First Christian Church. “I see churches as being a positive thing for change,” said Bill Aney, a retired U.S. Forest Service employee and church member.
The river was placid that autumn day as Aney walked over the Main Street bridge. But in spring 2020, heavy rains and rapid snowmelt in the Blue Mountains caused a massive flood. A levee in downtown Pendleton broke, inundating nearby streets. Part of Interstate 84 and many local roads closed, homes were evacuated, and one woman died. Climate change is projected to cause more frequent flooding in Umatilla County, according to a 2020 Oregon report. “God told us to take care of the Earth,” Aney said. He interprets that as a moral imperative to aid recovery efforts after floods and other disasters — and to push for broader climate action.
Aney belongs to Climate Vigil, an eastern Oregon organization founded about two years ago. It grew out of a prayer book written by founder Peter Fargo. So far, it’s mainly offered avenues for climate advocacy and reflection modeled on Christian practices, including a worship album and community vigils.
Yes, God did say to take care of our creation. God did not say to replace him with a doomsday cult belief in doom from a tiny increase in global temperatures which has happened multiple times during the Holocene. I’m pretty sure God would be against forcing Other People to practice the climate cult beliefs. Fargo’s book (I replaced the link from the article as it went to “page not found”) isn’t exactly a barn burner, and, I’m not paying $7 for 89 pages to read it. Fargo is a big believer in pushing climate rights amendments, which force citizens to comply with the cultish beliefs of the Warmists.
Since then, Fargo has left his communication job with the Forest Service to work full-time on Climate Vigil. He also began writing an Oregon constitutional amendment guaranteeing the right to a safe climate, which he hopes to get on the statewide ballot in 2026.
These people can’t just live their own lives, and leave the rest of us alone. And these “Christians” are supplanting their belief in God with one in Gaia.