Opinion by Kip Hansen — 24 March 2023
[This is an Opinion piece – an OpEd – it is solely the opinion of the author, Kip Hansen, and does not necessarily represent the opinion of Anthony Watts, WUWT, or others associated with this website. In other words, they can sue me.]
The mass media has been abuzz the last few days with the news that the University of Helsinki is planning to confer a Honorary Doctorate to Greta Thunberg. “….the university says that 30 ‘distinguished individuals from around the world’ will become ‘new honorary doctors’ and be awarded the title of ‘doctor honoris causa’ which is called ‘the University’s highest recognition.’” [ source ] (“honoris causa” is Latin meaning “for the sake of honor”).
This award will place Ms. Greta Tintin Eleonora Ernman Thunberg on the same intellectual pedestal as Kermit the Frog. “In 1996, Southampton College at Long Island University (now a campus of Stony Brook University) awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Amphibious Letters to the Muppet, Kermit the Frog.” Appropriately, one of Greta’s given names is Tintin, who I think would have been proud to be linked to the more currently famous Kermit, however tenuously.
The University of Helsinki has the following faculties: Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry; Faculty of Arts; Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences; Faculty of Educational Sciences; Faculty of Law; Faculty of Medicine; Faculty of Pharmacy; Faculty of Science; Faculty of Social Sciences; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine; Swedish School of Social Science and the Faculty of Theology.
Their rationale for conferring an Honorary Doctorate is given as:
“Greta Thunberg is a Swedish opinion-maker and activist. The School Strike for Climate she staged outside the Swedish parliament building in autumn 2018 soon expanded into the global Fridays for Future movement, in which schoolchildren urge decision-makers to take climate action based on scientific evidence. [sic] The value of her uncompromising and consistent work for the future of our planet has been recognised with several major awards and prizes. Her actions have obliged all of us with the task, as members of communities and societies, but above all as human beings, of making changes to our everyday lives.” [ source ]
So, they are giving her a doctorate from which discipline? Biological and Environmental Sciences? Sciences? Social Sciences? No, none of those.
“The Faculty of Theology of the University of Helsinki will award an honorary doctorate to Greta Thunberg”.
And while the well-beloved Kermit received his honorary degree in “Amphibious Letters”, Greta Thunberg could be said to be the up-and-coming Saint of the world-wide climate cult that preaches “Climate Change: The End Is Nigh!” and threatens damnation on our grandchildren if we do not given up all of the benefits of modernity and return to the lifestyle and poverty of the Middle Ages. California is expected by some (well, at least me) to name a city in her honor, Santa Greta.
Of course, conferring a doctorate on Greta Thunberg from the Faculty of Theology is only fitting, after all, the entire climate change movement can correctly be characterized as a not-theological religion (a Godless religion) as was done in the Wall Street Journal Op-Ed “The Climate-Change Religion” and more seriously here in The New Atlantis.
It is easy to make fun of the overly-emotional-teenager aspects of Greta Thunberg and her various movements (school strike, U.N. speeches, etc.) and pointing out her incredible ignorance on the topic of Earth’s present and future climate is like shooting ducks in a barrel but there is no denying that she has been effective in popularizing her view, no matter how fantasy-based, on the climate issue. She has self-acknowledged issues: “diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, OCD and selective mutism” [ source ] which has given her a sympathy-vote edge as well. With the lot of help from others, and with the complicity of the main stream media, she has become a celebrity – which is why the University of Helsinki is honoring her.
“By choosing Greta as an honorary doctorate, we are communicating that we want to be as brave and influential as she is.” [ source ]
The “I Wanna Be Like You” rationale.
If the Climate Skeptical movement had such a spokesperson, such a front-man, it would be gaining a lot more ground in the public opinion arena.
# # # # #
Author’s Comment:
I am a religious person – I studied religion in Uni, I have practiced my religion all of my life, and served as a humanitarian missionary for my Church.
I am offended by the Faculty of Theology of the University of Helsinki conferring a Doctorate to anyone simply based on secular popularity. I would feel the same way about conferring a PhD in Science to a politician – simply because he or she is famous and powerful.
As for Greta, I too did a lot of foolish things as a child, as a teenager, and during my college-age years. Maybe Greta will come around to be something, to be someone, and not just a propaganda tool or an income source for her parents. The danger, for her personally, is that she will refuse to change her tune – possibly being afraid that she’ll lose her place on the pedestal, even if or when she realizes how wrong she was. Patrick Moore similarly faced the same dilemma when he left Greenpeace but successfully managed to navigate the treacherous waters of growing up. I wish Greta all my best in making that difficult transition.
Thanks for reading.
# # # # #
I find any kind of religious belief, creepy.
In God, sorry, Greta we trust.
This big joke – no? Which doctor she is? Witch doctor? Big fraud, big ninny, big joke.
No, no joke, and no doctor either.
Someone open up the door and let some air into the room. I think I may be dying from the smell of stale perfume.
Aaargh!
I’m half Swedish. We’ve always thought the Finns are morons.
Which half of you thought that?
Just look at the Finn Prime Ministers antics at wild parties lately all over Twitter.
Youngest Prime Minister in the world!
‘nuf said!
I don’t know about her being a theologian but every time she pops up in the press my palm hits my forehead and I shout, “Oh, my God!!!”
Harry ==> Well, at least she prompts you to call on God….
20 yard penalty and ejection from the game for giving Greta “thundering” Thunberg attention. She already gets 10000% too much attention.
I have decided to ban any mention of Greta from my climate science and energy blog since she is just a trained parrot of the Climate Howler Global Whiners (a climate science nitwit, in plain English)
Honest Climate Science and Energy Blog
Actually this “doctor of theology” is an appropriate distinction for Saint Greta, for the Climate Catastrophe Cult is indeed a religion. It has faith based followers, a catechism, various priests and bishops and cardinals, and I vote for Mann as pope with Hayhoe as his handmaiden….
It propounds original sin, and has it’s own etherial and unseen satan, being CO2…. And now is proposing to regurgitate witch trials against petroleum companies for cooking up bad weather.
And indeed the new “religion” has just completed a trial balloon for a new age “Inquisition” with Lord Fauci and the plandemic escapades to gauge how far they can nudge the faithful into their own twisted vision of a new garden of eden….
Here I have written an acceptance speech for her:
“You all come to us young people for hope. How dare you! You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words, and yet, I’m one of the lucky ones. People are suffering. People are dying. Entire ecosystems are collapsing.
Thank you.”
You’re welcome, Greta.
I very ‘umbly submit Dr. Thunberg as an ideal candidate for King Charles’ advisory council.
A difficult Theological question then arises : would Dr. Thunberg have to also adopt Anglican verses, the King being head of the Church himself?
Is it more for the self promotion of the University to be seen as being in touch with society, linking themselves to personalities or even in exchange for large donations?
https://bromsgrovestandard.co.uk/lifestyle/honorary-degrees-what-are-they-and-how-do-you-get-one-39361
and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honorary_degree
states: ‘It is sometimes recommended that such degrees be listed in one’s CV as an award, and not in the education section. With regard to the use of this honorific, the policies of institutions of higher education generally ask that recipients “refrain from adopting the misleading title” and that a recipient of an honorary doctorate should restrict the use of the title “Dr” before their name to any engagement with the institution of higher education in question and not within the broader community.’ (links removed)
So as I read it, she shouldn’t sunsequentially be referring as John Cooper Clark does often as “Dr”!
It seems Dr. Thunberg can actually do arithmetic!
This Tweet she deleted :
https://twitter.com/BjornLomborg/status/1637916406141394944
2018 plus 5 does amount to 2023, and the world did not end!
As Jonathan Swift wrote, Gulliver was invited to the End of the World Ball, the tailors even measured his shadow for the gala at the Academy on the Flying Island of Laputa.
Now we know Laputa is Helsinki!
I don’t wish the best to her knowing cynical popularizers, though.
Here’s a suggestion: why not invite Naomi Seibt to offer a WUWT commentary on Greta’s apotheosis once-removed?
Then be sure that U Helsinki Faculty of Theology Dean Antti Räsänen receives a copy of Naomi’s insights. After all, he seems especially open to acting on the theological acuity of young women.
And Dean Räsänen has a face so open with compassion, as befits a man of god, that he’s certain to respond to Ms. Seibt with favor.
Pat ==> I had some hope that Naomi Seibt would begin to have some impact — but haven’t heard much of, from, her in while.
I wished Greta luck in her transition to adulthood. I could have used a little luck there myself.
Kip – you have my sympathy. I was raised Catholic and was very devout as a boy. It took years to recover from that.
If you do a proper doctorate, you have to defend your thesis against well-informed criticism.
Much easier to be given an Honorary one, isn’t it?
Just so long as no-one confers the intellectual rigour of an Honorary Doctorate to a real one.
That really would be unutterably foolish.
At the recent funeral of George Pell, Tony Abbott made the comment,
“His recent observation ,that the climate change movement had ‘ some of the characteristics of a low level, not too demanding pseudo religion’ was the kind of comment that enraged its adherents ,precisely because it was true.”
The elevation of Greta to an Honorary Theologian fills in some more gaps in this evolving story.
Gaia is the personification of the earth as a Greek primordial Deity.
The movement has its Dicastery of Dogma The IPCC,
which enunciates its Dogmatic Constitution.
Aspects include ‘Revealed Truth’.
Its Acolytes and Functionaries , The Green Movements.
Fellow Travellers
In Australia super funds including HESTA,green washed multinationals, some banks.
Chief Priest, Al Gore.
Prophets, Many, in particular David Attenborough.
Propaganda Fidae BBC/ABC/US mainstream media/ Aus Remains of Fairfax.
Sacramentals
Solar Panels Windmills.
It is love lite, rich in condemning deniers and their ilk,
deplatforming those who do not adhere to ‘The Word’ enunciated by the IPCC
especially in its summary to policymakers.
Peter Ridd,Patrick Moore.
Others may wish to expand on this.
LOL !!! And Al Gore was a pure politician lazy dope of a previleged student at Harvard – The Washington Post revealed that Mr Gore’s grades at Harvard were actually worse.than George Bush’s grades…. he capitalized on his family name, lost a presidential election and became a climate activist to take in millions and millions of dollars, include four private jets.