Disclaimer: If you’re the type of person that gets offended this will probably offend you so please stop reading………..……and please stop being so offended all the gosh darn time! I hold you personally accountable if you continue.
Do you ever remember jokes or comments that you thought up as a kid that seemed so funny to you at the time but now you are a little embarrassed at how simple and stupid they were? You know that you are the only person on the planet that remembers them but you are little embarrassed nonetheless.
I remember back when I was in church, as a kid, with my chair leaned back against the wall (like ya did when you were too cool for Sunday school). During class I would try my hardest to think of something witty that would impress my friends (Sunday school teachers just love this compulsion for validation in boys I’m sure).
I’m sure I had seen a National Geographic special on evolution and I probably felt cool that I even knew what a Neanderthal was ( It was a cool ass way of saying caveman that’s what it was!).
As a child you are given pieces of information on different subjects. There are of course many large holes in the picture that are sometimes deliberately left open (such as why or how daddy goes about putting that baby in mommy). It is your job to ask “Why why why why why why why….” To fill in the holes, like my adorable 4 yr old son does (and I never get bored of answering :) ).
It’s interesting how and from where your knowledge gets filled in as you grow. As a kid I knew that National Geographic seemed to know what’s been happening with people right up until the time that they became beautiful -and started living on a freshly mowed tropical golf course where whales unfortunately have very little wiggle room in the small resort ponds- but after that point my Sunday school teachers seemed to know where things were going as far as purpose and all that.
It seemed very important to remember that the whole Adam and Eve thing is where it started. That’s the line god drew when he decided that people are going to start mattering from here on out. Maybe everything before that just existed as a means to genetically grow some awesome bodies from scratch to be inhabited by Adam and his trophy wife just like in the movie Avatar. Who am I to say why things were done that way. It was like 6,000 years ago wasn’t it?
One very cool thing about the LDS religion is that it is very liberal or open minded in regards to the little details. Many Christian faiths do not allow themselves this sort of flexibility in interpretation which I think is a little unfortunate because they have to convince themselves that the Grand Canyon was created just a few thousand years ago. I know of many LDS members who have accommodated scientific discoveries about evolution into their faith with ease. I think there are also many others who feel that there is always something sinister brewing within the bubbling beakers of Godless scientists and we should probably not spend as much time paying attention to their hypothesizesezs as we should spend reading our scriptures.
I think fear also plays a role in our motivation to control. We are afraid that we might somehow be grouped in the same category as all the other ignorant forms of life on the planet and we know we are more special. We are also afraid that we are going to disappear in as insignificant a way as they seem to. We are afraid to die and we will do whatever it takes to become immortal.
Please don’t jump to conclusions. I’m not saying anything extreme about reverting to the wilderness to reclaim the glorious life of a caveman. I am not saying anything about who or what should live or die. All I am pointing out is what is. For good or bad, God’s will or not, this is our current situation.
This attitude absolutely does exist throughout most of humanity. It does not matter if you believe in god or not. There is an underlying foundational belief that we have the right to make all the decisions concerning the future of this earth. We have the right to position ourselves as the main beneficiaries of all of those decisions at the cost of any other living thing. Either that privilege was gifted to us from god or because we got smarter faster than anything else did. We are the most important. That is a perceived right that we will never willingly relinquish.
It does not take a genius to understand that this mentality is not sustainable. It may seem like it is a good enough game plan to span the existence of your family and your family’s family for a few generations to come but eventually the complications will snowball into something bad for mankind. I guess we just hope that by that time we’ve become smart enough to handle any curve balls thrown at us because of our tampering. Perhaps that will be the Star Trek phase of our growth.
Anyway, let me revert back to the original question.
“Is it really all about us?”….Really? When we see an ant crawling on the ground do we really think that the ant's existence really has something to do with us? Is it there to entertain us? To bite us? Is it's importance defined only in relation to ourselves? Does the life of a fish at the bottom of the ocean, that is totally unobserved by humans, still have its own purpose and significance or are fish just filler for the majority (71%) of the earth that doesn't have people running around? Why did God bother with anything that cannot be appreciated by us?
Are we certain that this is even the attitude that God would want us to have? Are we certain about the literalness of having dominion over all creatures and resources?
I remember back when I was in church, as a kid, with my chair leaned back against the wall (like ya did when you were too cool for Sunday school). During class I would try my hardest to think of something witty that would impress my friends (Sunday school teachers just love this compulsion for validation in boys I’m sure).
I have no idea why this memory popped into my head but I recall on more than one occasion asking my Sunday school teacher…
“Sooo…were Adam and Eve like Neanderthals cuz weren’t they the first people?” (Spoken like a seasoned class clown).
….Yeah that’s it. I know it’s not even really a joke is it? (But consider that you didn’t get to witness the delivery). I just thought it was hilarious for some reason. The teacher showed us pictures of a Ken and Barbie couple wearing classy cuts of animal skin hanging out in a garden. Wouldn’t it just be killer funny -thought my immature brain- to imagine Eve as a thugly cavewoman and not a hot blonde? I think my best friend even laughed but in hindsight a well executed fart noise may have stirred the crowd up some more. Boys will be boys.
I’m sure I had seen a National Geographic special on evolution and I probably felt cool that I even knew what a Neanderthal was ( It was a cool ass way of saying caveman that’s what it was!).
As a child you are given pieces of information on different subjects. There are of course many large holes in the picture that are sometimes deliberately left open (such as why or how daddy goes about putting that baby in mommy). It is your job to ask “Why why why why why why why….” To fill in the holes, like my adorable 4 yr old son does (and I never get bored of answering :) ).
It’s interesting how and from where your knowledge gets filled in as you grow. As a kid I knew that National Geographic seemed to know what’s been happening with people right up until the time that they became beautiful -and started living on a freshly mowed tropical golf course where whales unfortunately have very little wiggle room in the small resort ponds- but after that point my Sunday school teachers seemed to know where things were going as far as purpose and all that.
It seemed very important to remember that the whole Adam and Eve thing is where it started. That’s the line god drew when he decided that people are going to start mattering from here on out. Maybe everything before that just existed as a means to genetically grow some awesome bodies from scratch to be inhabited by Adam and his trophy wife just like in the movie Avatar. Who am I to say why things were done that way. It was like 6,000 years ago wasn’t it?
One very cool thing about the LDS religion is that it is very liberal or open minded in regards to the little details. Many Christian faiths do not allow themselves this sort of flexibility in interpretation which I think is a little unfortunate because they have to convince themselves that the Grand Canyon was created just a few thousand years ago. I know of many LDS members who have accommodated scientific discoveries about evolution into their faith with ease. I think there are also many others who feel that there is always something sinister brewing within the bubbling beakers of Godless scientists and we should probably not spend as much time paying attention to their hypothesizesezs as we should spend reading our scriptures.
For an LDS member an appeal to authority is not a good problem solver for the evolution discussion because there have been some Presidents of the church proclaim that evolution is evil garbage and others who are open to the possibility that god brings about his purposes through natural processes. If both President Joseph Fielding Smith and President Mckay (who had very differing feelings on the matter) were still alive maybe they could arm wrestle to decide the winner on this one. After all the hassle I think the LDS church has pretty much decided that what has happened on the Earth for millions of years before we showed up has little to do with our salvation and is not very important in the whole scheme of things.
Connecting these loose ends together about history, religion, and origins can be difficult for any person that’s really serious about figuring it all out. By it I mean THE IT; The unanswerable answer to life the universe and everything (42); The ultimate explanation that nobody will ever really know for sure about until after they take the one-way ferry ride across the river Styx...or you know…..…just….die.
Connecting these loose ends together about history, religion, and origins can be difficult for any person that’s really serious about figuring it all out. By it I mean THE IT; The unanswerable answer to life the universe and everything (42); The ultimate explanation that nobody will ever really know for sure about until after they take the one-way ferry ride across the river Styx...or you know…..…just….die.
When I start thinking about this amazing planet and why the hell I’m here there’s one question in the literal sea of questions (okay figurative sea) that keeps nagging at me…
“How do I even know that it’s all about me?”
Let me explain because I thought I’d thought about this but I don’t think I ever really did in any depth until recently. Actually I just read a novel titled Ishmael that brings this stuff up. It was a very thought provoking read.
There is one overarching theme in regards to the purpose of our existence that both Academia and religion seem to agree on and that is that nothing started mattering until roughly 6,000 years ago. This is when history began (or at least important history) which is maybe why everything before that time is referred to as Pre-history. When we think about our origins we always choose this as our starting place. This might be because we don’t know too many details about what people (or hominids) were like before then.
But we DO have some significant information about that time. We know that there were definitely bigger chunkier versions of ourselves extending back a long time before 4000 BC. By a long time I mean a LOOONG time. Right now the scientific community is drawing the line between primate and hominid around 5-7 million years ago (It’s wise to give yourselves a few million years flexibility in these things). But either way take a moment to absorb the contrast in timetables; 6,000 years and 5 million years. Our massive history extending all the way back to Samaria (or wherever) is just a dot compared to the long timeline that covers the progression of our species from monkey-man to agriculturalist.
When did they start being like us I wonder? When did they start feeling real feelings? When did they stop acting like animals and began to really observe their environment and culture in a way like ourselves? It’s hard to even pin down what attributes separate us from other animals. It seems like we are more capable of seeing the big picture and planning ahead in a way most animals can’t. We seem to understand concepts and ideas in much greater depth and we can talk about them (of course that is all just based on our perspective).
What is really the biggest difference between the “us” that began 6,000 years ago and the “us” that existed before that, the “us” that acted more like an animal?
“How do I even know that it’s all about me?”
Let me explain because I thought I’d thought about this but I don’t think I ever really did in any depth until recently. Actually I just read a novel titled Ishmael that brings this stuff up. It was a very thought provoking read.
There is one overarching theme in regards to the purpose of our existence that both Academia and religion seem to agree on and that is that nothing started mattering until roughly 6,000 years ago. This is when history began (or at least important history) which is maybe why everything before that time is referred to as Pre-history. When we think about our origins we always choose this as our starting place. This might be because we don’t know too many details about what people (or hominids) were like before then.
But we DO have some significant information about that time. We know that there were definitely bigger chunkier versions of ourselves extending back a long time before 4000 BC. By a long time I mean a LOOONG time. Right now the scientific community is drawing the line between primate and hominid around 5-7 million years ago (It’s wise to give yourselves a few million years flexibility in these things). But either way take a moment to absorb the contrast in timetables; 6,000 years and 5 million years. Our massive history extending all the way back to Samaria (or wherever) is just a dot compared to the long timeline that covers the progression of our species from monkey-man to agriculturalist.
When did they start being like us I wonder? When did they start feeling real feelings? When did they stop acting like animals and began to really observe their environment and culture in a way like ourselves? It’s hard to even pin down what attributes separate us from other animals. It seems like we are more capable of seeing the big picture and planning ahead in a way most animals can’t. We seem to understand concepts and ideas in much greater depth and we can talk about them (of course that is all just based on our perspective).
What is really the biggest difference between the “us” that began 6,000 years ago and the “us” that existed before that, the “us” that acted more like an animal?
I think one of the biggest differences is that we came to the conclusion that this whole creation was all about us. The whole friggin thing is ours. All the creatures and resources of this Earth are here as gifts to help us realize our destiny. It’s easier to understand why a cow was made for us more than a deep sea Angler fish but there’s got to be a reason why the Angler fish belongs to us as well (If not just to inspire awesome Sci-Fi monsters) right?
It seems like there could almost be a law that exists in nature that all creatures follow in which they are all allowed to compete for resources but never go so far as to hunt out and destroy all of their competition, but we are the first species to challenge that law. There seems to be a mutual respect and balance that exists in the natural world. If you have watched The Lion King recently Mufasa has expounded greatly on this issue.
This idea could be totally off base and over-idealized as well. Who says it’s not natural to ensure the survival of your species by any means possible? It seems like even viruses just want to live and multiply, but their time becomes limited as their resources for survival diminish.
The difference between the new “us” (4000 BC-->)and the old us (<-- 4000BC) is one of ideology. The new us is convinced that our species is the only one that should have no limits to its growth; That our species should have control over all the earth’s resources. We are convinced that the earth should bend to our will because it belongs to us. We are its stewards. God grew us like seeds in a garden over millions of years and we are the long-awaited fruit. Everything else is going to the compost heap.
It seems like there could almost be a law that exists in nature that all creatures follow in which they are all allowed to compete for resources but never go so far as to hunt out and destroy all of their competition, but we are the first species to challenge that law. There seems to be a mutual respect and balance that exists in the natural world. If you have watched The Lion King recently Mufasa has expounded greatly on this issue.
This idea could be totally off base and over-idealized as well. Who says it’s not natural to ensure the survival of your species by any means possible? It seems like even viruses just want to live and multiply, but their time becomes limited as their resources for survival diminish.
The difference between the new “us” (4000 BC-->)and the old us (<-- 4000BC) is one of ideology. The new us is convinced that our species is the only one that should have no limits to its growth; That our species should have control over all the earth’s resources. We are convinced that the earth should bend to our will because it belongs to us. We are its stewards. God grew us like seeds in a garden over millions of years and we are the long-awaited fruit. Everything else is going to the compost heap.
If the earth was a micro-organism and you could observe it from a distance under a microscope how would you make sense of the growth and domination of one species over the entire organism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_population_estimates) So we’re at a point where we are expected to add a billion humans to our population within 20 years. That number is just going to shrink exponentially). It used to take hundreds or thousands of years to double our small population. Soon we will be doubling that already massive number (6 billion) every 10-15 years. As you saw this growth in this population what would you think would be the motivation of those tiny humans and why wouldn’t they understand that the whole thing only really works in a state of balance? If anyone gets too selfish it all eventually falls apart (at least for the humans).
Well we know what our motivation is. We understand that we are fulfilling our purpose. Up until us I doubt any other creature thought there was any other purpose to their existence other than rejoicing that they were alive to experience something incredible. I don’t think they were concerned (or capable of being concerned) with the big picture, only with being happy.
Well we know what our motivation is. We understand that we are fulfilling our purpose. Up until us I doubt any other creature thought there was any other purpose to their existence other than rejoicing that they were alive to experience something incredible. I don’t think they were concerned (or capable of being concerned) with the big picture, only with being happy.
I think fear also plays a role in our motivation to control. We are afraid that we might somehow be grouped in the same category as all the other ignorant forms of life on the planet and we know we are more special. We are also afraid that we are going to disappear in as insignificant a way as they seem to. We are afraid to die and we will do whatever it takes to become immortal.
Please don’t jump to conclusions. I’m not saying anything extreme about reverting to the wilderness to reclaim the glorious life of a caveman. I am not saying anything about who or what should live or die. All I am pointing out is what is. For good or bad, God’s will or not, this is our current situation.
This attitude absolutely does exist throughout most of humanity. It does not matter if you believe in god or not. There is an underlying foundational belief that we have the right to make all the decisions concerning the future of this earth. We have the right to position ourselves as the main beneficiaries of all of those decisions at the cost of any other living thing. Either that privilege was gifted to us from god or because we got smarter faster than anything else did. We are the most important. That is a perceived right that we will never willingly relinquish.
It does not take a genius to understand that this mentality is not sustainable. It may seem like it is a good enough game plan to span the existence of your family and your family’s family for a few generations to come but eventually the complications will snowball into something bad for mankind. I guess we just hope that by that time we’ve become smart enough to handle any curve balls thrown at us because of our tampering. Perhaps that will be the Star Trek phase of our growth.
Anyway, let me revert back to the original question.
“Is it really all about us?”….Really? When we see an ant crawling on the ground do we really think that the ant's existence really has something to do with us? Is it there to entertain us? To bite us? Is it's importance defined only in relation to ourselves? Does the life of a fish at the bottom of the ocean, that is totally unobserved by humans, still have its own purpose and significance or are fish just filler for the majority (71%) of the earth that doesn't have people running around? Why did God bother with anything that cannot be appreciated by us?
Are we certain that this is even the attitude that God would want us to have? Are we certain about the literalness of having dominion over all creatures and resources?
I don’t have any answers because it’s hard to imagine things being any different from how they are now. All creatures want to survive and we are the ones smart enough to ensure our security above all others, but we know we can’t continue like this indefinitely. Perhaps we will just keep going on until everything is so screwed up that god has to shake this planet like an etch-a-sketch or perhaps our species will eventually just destroy itself while some lower species continue to do their thing until we eventually get some higher forms of intelligence who might make better decisions.
Thoughts?
Thoughts?
1 comment:
First of all, I want to say, whoa. You don't look this deep on the surface, little bro. Here I think you're this shallow worldly cool artist krav maga guy, and then this pops out...
Just kidding.
Yeah, I've wondered that same thing before. In an Honors Biology class I took at BYU the teacher shared this scripture with us, which I think kind of sums up the LDS church's view on the purpose of the world and our relationship with it:
16 Verily I say, that inasmuch as ye do this, the fulness of the earth is yours, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, and that which climbeth upon the trees and walketh upon the earth;
17 Yea, and the herb, and the good things which come of the earth, whether for food or for raiment, or for houses, or for barns, or for orchards, or for gardens, or for vineyards;
18 Yea, all things which come of the earth, in the season thereof, are made for the benefit and the use of man, both to please the eye and to gladden the heart;
19 Yea, for food and for raiment, for taste and for smell, to strengthen the body and to enliven the soul.
20 And it pleaseth God that he hath given all these things unto man; for unto this end were they made to be used, with judgment, not to excess, neither by extortion.
21 And in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things, and obey not his commandments.
--D&C 59:16-21
The point my professor made regarding the astonishing variety of things in the world that don't seem to have any practical application to our daily lives is the part where it says God has given us these things to "gladden the heart" and "enliven the soul". Man enjoys studying and discovering the creations of God, even if we don't eat them or make them work for us. That goes for biologic diversity as well as geologic formations. I think God made them very interesting on purpose, to stimulate our minds, if you will. Sure, it does make it sound like it's all about us, but really, that is what the LDS church believes, that this world and everything on it was indeed created for us. OK, now I gotta go watch conference in my jammies.
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