Belief destroys
Created | Updated Jan 28, 2002
It is our belief in gods that has destroyed our world. The belief that we are somehow better than everything else, that we have been chosen, that, ultimately, we are not animals, has allowed us to change things. And we are proud of this change.
We believe we have the right to choose what happens to life, to judge what lives and what dies, what we eradicate and what we nurture. We destroy ecosystems through our hatred and fear of the vital animals in the link. Our colonisation of secluded areas has led to predators being forced into contact with us, their hunting grounds destroyed and their prey driven away or hunted for sport. We introduce alien species to closed environments with no thought as to the consequences. When we colonise areas we bring with us our own mirror species, the rats, as well as the various hangers-on: domesticated animals, insects and diseases. We feel free to tamper with nature: we create killer bees, leylandei and so on. We mutate those most feared of animals, the wolves, and create vicious little things which do nothing to help anything, but that we judge worthy for our affection. And now we have cloning, and the desire and means to spread to other worlds. Are we are mature enough? I think not.
There are no answers now, no turning back the tide. A hundred years ago, there was still hope, but now? We are doomed to live in a hell of our own creation. And we will look at our world and think how perfect it is, and yet deep inside we will know there is something missing. We will think that what is missing is God, but what is really missing is the mystery of life. We will bounce around the inside of our own heads, with the power of gods, knowing that nothing is unreachable, that wherever we go and whatever we do we are safe, that there is no mystery. Ultimate power will bring the ultimate sacrifice.
Therefore I propose that we return to the old ways, to the hunter-gatherer way. True, it will be hard, it will be dangerous, and many will die young. But what is the use of a long, empty life? Give me a short, fulfilled life any day.
We believe we have the right to choose what happens to life, to judge what lives and what dies, what we eradicate and what we nurture. We destroy ecosystems through our hatred and fear of the vital animals in the link. Our colonisation of secluded areas has led to predators being forced into contact with us, their hunting grounds destroyed and their prey driven away or hunted for sport. We introduce alien species to closed environments with no thought as to the consequences. When we colonise areas we bring with us our own mirror species, the rats, as well as the various hangers-on: domesticated animals, insects and diseases. We feel free to tamper with nature: we create killer bees, leylandei and so on. We mutate those most feared of animals, the wolves, and create vicious little things which do nothing to help anything, but that we judge worthy for our affection. And now we have cloning, and the desire and means to spread to other worlds. Are we are mature enough? I think not.
There are no answers now, no turning back the tide. A hundred years ago, there was still hope, but now? We are doomed to live in a hell of our own creation. And we will look at our world and think how perfect it is, and yet deep inside we will know there is something missing. We will think that what is missing is God, but what is really missing is the mystery of life. We will bounce around the inside of our own heads, with the power of gods, knowing that nothing is unreachable, that wherever we go and whatever we do we are safe, that there is no mystery. Ultimate power will bring the ultimate sacrifice.
Therefore I propose that we return to the old ways, to the hunter-gatherer way. True, it will be hard, it will be dangerous, and many will die young. But what is the use of a long, empty life? Give me a short, fulfilled life any day.
