It's the professor vs. the polls – who's right?
A political scientist who successfully predicted Donald Trump's victory in 2016 is predicting that his re-election – despite bleak poll numbers – is practically guaranteed.
A climate scientist is concerned that the Pope is aligning himself with secularists rather than theologians over so-called global warming.
Dr. William Briggs, an adjunct professor at Cornell University, studies the philosophy of science and has been keeping a close eye on the environmental views of Pope Francis.
Briggs says it appears that politicians with radical environmental agendas such as New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and California Governor Jerry Brown have the backing of the Pope.
Then, explains Briggs, you combine that with the fact that self-professed atheist Hans Schellnnhuber, a scientific advisor to the Vatican, influenced the Pope as he wrote his "environmental" encyclical.
"There's some decent theology in there in part," says Briggs, "but it's the politicians who are using this encyclical to say, We have the Pope on our side therefore you must accept our view of the science."
Meanwhile, he points out, there are no theologians involved, "just as there aren't any scientist who are skeptical of what's going on."
Briggs says it seems as if the Pope is more focused on a secular agenda than Christian agenda.
A political scientist who successfully predicted Donald Trump's victory in 2016 is predicting that his re-election – despite bleak poll numbers – is practically guaranteed.
News stories each weekday from reporters you can trust without the liberal bias found in much of "mainstream" media.
News stories each weekday from reporters you can trust without the liberal bias found in much of "mainstream" media.