I thought it was fake news, and checked several sites that I trusted.

Texas Governor Rick Perry had ended his ill-fated presidential campaign with his bold announcement that there were three departments (along with their three cabinet heads) that he would abolish — Commerce,  Education and …and ….OOPS!

Governor Perry tried to recover in the 2011 debate by announcing that the Department of Energy was what he had momentarily forgotten.

We’re told that it was Perry’s recent back surgery and effort to not rely too much on his pain medication that caused this campaign ending gaffe. At any rate, he really wanted to abolish the Department of Energy.  

Rick Perry, Southern Christian White Evangelical Republican that he is, seems to think that climate-change concerns are not  valid, and should not influence energy policy.

“The science is not settled on this.  The idea that we would put Americans’ economy at jeopardy based on scientific theory that’s not settled yet to me is just nonsense…“Just because you have a group of scientists who stood up and said here is the fact. Galileo got outvoted for a spell”

Galileo indeed!  That 17^th century scientist who believed that the sun was stationary, with the earth and other planets orbiting.  The early astronomer whose findings put him at odds with the Catholic Church who insisted that this “father of modern physics” was advocating heretical teachings in opposition to Holy Scripture. Galileo who was officially condemned by the Pope and sentenced to house arrest for the rest of his life. (The Catholic Church officially apologized in 1992.)

The history regarding Galileo should give Governor Perry a reason to pause and reflect. Does he really want to align himself with those of today’s religious right who believe that concern about possible human effect on environment violates Scripture?

Apparently so, if one considers the views of Oklahoma Senator and longtime supporter James Inhofe:

Well actually the Genesis 8:22 that I use … is that ‘as long as the earth remains there will be seed time and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, day and night,’ my point is, God’s still up there. The arrogance of people to think that we, human beings, would be able to change what He is doing in the climate is to me outrageous.

Of course, many other Christians would correctly counter, noting that with new technologies come new responsibilities.

At any rate, the irony could not be greater.  Yesterday Rick Perry couldn’t even pronounce “Department of Energy.” Today he has been put in charge of it!