Secular encyclicals

One of the more amusing things about this brief shining moment for secular society is the way in which its organs often ape the institutions of religious society. The latest encyclical from the American Physical Society is a case in point:

The American Physical Society reaffirms the following position on climate change, adopted by its governing body, the APS Council, on November 18, 2007:

“Emissions of greenhouse gases from human activities are changing the atmosphere in ways that affect the Earth’s climate.”

Now, don’t forget to say your Hail Gores today, o ye sinners against Gaia! My favorite part of the papalAPS statement is this: “The evidence is incontrovertible: Global warming is occurring.”.

Icontrovertible! Except, you know, for the last ten years.