Republicans struggle to find a convincing reason not to take action on climate change, so they tend to recycle excuses. In the 2014 election, one line in particular caught on—the two top Republican congressional leaders, Mitch McConnell and John Boehner, insisted they were not qualified to discuss climate change science because they were not scientists. Since then, countless high-profile figures have called out this line, including President Barack Obama and Stephen Colbert.

But “I’m not a scientist” has fallen from favor in the GOP, perhaps because it polls terribly. Another very old meme is resurfacing to take its place.

Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum demonstrated the line in a speech on Thursday. Santorum, who uses his religion to justify policies such as discriminating against gay people and outlawing abortion in all circumstances, accused President Barack Obama of being motivated by the so-called religion of environmentalism. “[Obama] is against fossil fuels, for his own, in my mind, quasi-religious reasons, which is not a rationale," Santorum said. "If someone would go forward and put forth a religious idea as to how we should regulate the environment, and it was based on a Christian or other types of religious (ideas), they would be condemned up and down."

Similar remarks seem to be circulating within the GOP.

Earlier this month, Senator Johnny Isakson of Georgia juxtaposed climate change and religion on the Senate floor, while he misrepresented the scientific evidence. “I believe the climate does change, but I don’t believe climate change is a religion," he said. "I think it’s science. I’ve done everything I can as a United States Senator to educate myself on the carbon issue and the climate change issue. Seven years ago I went with Senator Boxer from California to Disko Bay in Greenland with Dr. [Richard] Alley, who’s the leading glaciologist in the world, to study for a while what he says about carbon being the cause of climate change. And there are mixed reviews on that and there’s mixed scientific evidence on that.”