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Franklin
01-18-2006, 11:40 PM
Humanity is awesome. We've been put on this planet with virtually no guidance as to how to live and grow, save (possibly) a few vague scriptures. We have countless obstacles in our path: disease, poverty, drought, natural disasters, etc., yet we thrive. Most of us work to make the planet a better place in subtle or profound ways.

In spite of all the turmoil we see currently, life is better in general on this planet than it ever has been - because Life is the antidote to entropy. We see people starving somewhere? Most of us respond in some positive way. Scientists work for better agricultural techniques and cures for diseases, often with no expectation of financial reward. Artists work to raise money. People give their hard-earned money. Many even give blood, peacefully or otherwise.

We're struck with a devastating terrorist blow and we respond with energy and compassion. We don't even know for sure (at least not intellectually) that there is any point to life, yet we embrace it, protect it and revere it.

We have two major world wars, and the former enemies later become friends. We create massive cities, incredible works of art, ingenious devices of protection and comfort with no one teaching us. We learn on our own because we are determined to live more positively.
We are attacked with hatred, yet we continue to love. We fail, and keep trying. We even have compassion for the most violent criminal offenders in our society.

Some of us are so determined to become more loving, creative and responsible that we subject ourselves to cults, dolts and insults. And then when we see we were taken for a ride, and we continue to work towards these ideals, because it's better to be deceived than never have sought.

God created the Heavens and the Earth. Quite impressive. Mankind created Stonehenge, the Cathedral of Notre Dame, the Empire State Building, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Vatican, the Blue Danube Waltz, Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, Jazz, Rock and Roll, Romeo and Juliet, Great Expectations, the computer, the automobile, the airplane, the Mona Lisa, the Magna Carta, the American Constitution... Also quite impressive.

Disclaimer: there are some notable exceptions :)

Sunny Lincoln
01-20-2006, 07:39 AM
Heifer International's work has given me renewed faith in humanity. Their mission is to empower individuals so they become self-sufficient, and in turn empower their neighbors. It is the "pay it forward" philosophy in action.

NicoMoon
01-20-2006, 06:49 PM
Heifer International's work has given me renewed faith in humanity. Their mission is to empower individuals so they become self-sufficient, and in turn empower their neighbors. It is the "pay it forward" philosophy in action.

I'm not familiar with the Heifer organization, but I'll check it out, Sunny.

I was just thinking about "pay it forward", so funny you mentioned it! What I was thinking is that all social advancements are really "pay it forwards". Everytime one person contributes something to society, an idea, invention, wisdom, an act of kindness, it always ripples out in remarkable ways.

I'm not sure that the same can be said for destructive or bad acts and behaviors. They can and do spread, but I don't think they ever really take on lives of their own, the way goodness and contructiveness do. Let's face it, if they could, they would have, and we wouldn't be here mentioning it!

My argument against cynicsim is that if humanity wasn't fundamentally good, we would have all killed each other by now. :eek:

Sunny Lincoln
01-24-2006, 12:28 PM
There is a program in NYC called "God's Love We Deliver" (used to be Meals on Heels) which has as its mission "to improve the health and well being of men, women and children living with HIV/Aids, cancer and other serious illnesses by alleviating hunger and malnutrition. We prepare and deliver nutritious, high quality meals to people living with serious illnesses who are unable to prepare meals for themselves..."

Since Sept, 2005 GLWD has sent 240 meals a week to New Orleans.

womanistic
11-12-2006, 10:40 AM
God created the human race to take good care of his creations. But what are the people doing now? Creatures are ending up being extinct and people are killing people for prized superiority. What happened to this world? The people themselves are building their way to their own destruction.

Franklin
11-12-2006, 12:14 PM
Hi womanistic,

Are you suggesting that people are de-evolving, that things are getting worse? I don't believe that to be the case, in general.

It wasn't that long ago that mobsters were running wild in Chicago in the Roaring Twenties, gunfights in the Wild West, etc. Go back a couple centuries and armies were destrying everything in their path in Europe. Lords owned all property and surfs were virtual slaves to the Lords.

Opposition to capitol punishment is relatively new. No death penaly in the U.K. now, though they tortured peopl routinely in previous centuries. In the early stages of the U.S., the fire company would let your house burn to the ground if you didn't have the symbol showing that you had paid insurance.

No helicopter would show up to transport you to a trauma center. Your teeth would be pulled without anesthetics. Many rivers were far more polluted 70 years ago than they are today.

I would say that the human race has made quite a bit of progress. We can point to Iran, North Korea, etc. to argue that we haven't. But years ago those societies were the standard. Now they are shunned by most of the world.

We can look at evolution - Darwinian or social - as the growth of a child. Starting out totally helpless and totally selfish, the child - we hope - learns to become self-sufficient and develops compassion. We, as the Human Race didn't have the luxury of parents and other adults to guide us. Yet we figured a lot of it out. I think we deserve some props for that. And I think we have earned the right to be optimistic.

What happened to this world?

It's gotten a whole lot better, thanks to the wisdom, courage, vision, passion and compassion of people.

NicoMoon
11-12-2006, 12:29 PM
God created the human race to take good care of his creations.

I'm not sure how anyone would know that as a fact! :)

But what are the people doing now? Creatures are ending up being extinct and people are killing people for prized superiority. What happened to this world? The people themselves are building their way to their own destruction.

Well, I don't know, womanistic. We have four cats, and not many days go by that we don't have some kind of dead creature to contend with that one of them stalked and killed. Those cats and their prey all came from the same place that you and I did as far as I can tell. What's the solution? Kill the cats to protect the birds? But then who will protect the worms and the insects?

Not that I'm defending violence, or disagreeing that we could take better care of ourselves and our planet.

But that's what this thread is for, to acknowledge and celebrate the humans who have made significant contributions to the cause of life and freedom for all.

Don't you agree that if we're going to have a better world it's a good idea to notice those who are working hard to make it so? :clapping:

TinyStar
11-12-2006, 04:07 PM
It's gotten a whole lot better, thanks to the wisdom, courage, vision, passion and compassion of people.

Amen to that.
A lot of people like to say all the problems today are new. Bah, they aren't new in any shape or form - years ago, you just didn't hear that much about them. Now with the media and the Internet, everything gets over hyped.