OUR PASSIVE WAY
We have been discussing the necessity of playing a more aggressive role in initiating changes in our relationship with the Natural World. Why do we need to change and how do we change it? We know adult human beings tend to be opposed and somewhat frighten of change due to the uncertainty of the results. Our comfort level remains highest with the status-que. We start life unaware of failure and ready to experiment and learn. Aging continues to reduce our flexibility and willingness to try new ways. When faced with major issues and concerns, it is more comfortable to remain passive and accept the current status, rather than change course to resolve the problem. It is better to ignore the problem than risk the outcome of change! So, we stick our heads in the sand and hope for a better tomorrow but, tomorrow never comes. Improvement does not happen without action!
What will tomorrow bring if we fail to care for Mother Earth? What can we expect if we continue to remain innocent of the historical data that proves civilizations fail and collapse when their environments are destroyed? The passive positions of our leaders, even religious scholars, have failed to initiate actions to enlighten and protect the natural world from its rapid decline. E.O. Wilson states,” Civilization was purchased by the betrayal of Nature “. He goes on to point out, “Even if the rest of life is counted of no value beyond the satisfaction of human bodily needs, the obliteration of Nature is a dangerous strategy “. Urbanization has betrayed Nature for a second time! Much of our population now live in cocoon like environments, found in the cities and suburbs, believing this life-style capable of satisfying human fulfillment needs. Human needs go much deeper and broader than the artificial environments of urban living. Without a spiritual relationship with Mother Earth and our Natural World, can we expect people to understand the importance of protecting our majestic planet? Can one appreciate the necessity of our Natural World without the knowledge of the complexity and detail of the story of creation?
Much work is ahead, and it must start with the people! It must come from the bottom up, as leadership is too busy satisfying their individual needs and desires. Neither the secular nor the spiritual communities have effectively dealt with the issues of our Natural World and our dependency upon that world. There still exists tensions between the interpretations of the scientific community and religious community. Are these tensions standing in the way of resolution? We must recognize science has only provided a deeper appreciation of the facts within the story of creation and allowed us to better understand the detail of Creation. With this expanded knowledge base, we must now come together to re-kindle our spiritual relationship with Mother Earth! Religion must accept that the scientific facts about Creation are not in conflict with our deeply held religious beliefs and, science must incorporate the human element into the scientific decision-making process so we can redeem our spiritual relationship with our earthly home! Life is truly a circle, all things are connected and every organism contributes in a small way to the cycle of life. Together we can provide a more desirable future!
We have been discussing the necessity of playing a more aggressive role in initiating changes in our relationship with the Natural World. Why do we need to change and how do we change it? We know adult human beings tend to be opposed and somewhat frighten of change due to the uncertainty of the results. Our comfort level remains highest with the status-que. We start life unaware of failure and ready to experiment and learn. Aging continues to reduce our flexibility and willingness to try new ways. When faced with major issues and concerns, it is more comfortable to remain passive and accept the current status, rather than change course to resolve the problem. It is better to ignore the problem than risk the outcome of change! So, we stick our heads in the sand and hope for a better tomorrow but, tomorrow never comes. Improvement does not happen without action!
What will tomorrow bring if we fail to care for Mother Earth? What can we expect if we continue to remain innocent of the historical data that proves civilizations fail and collapse when their environments are destroyed? The passive positions of our leaders, even religious scholars, have failed to initiate actions to enlighten and protect the natural world from its rapid decline. E.O. Wilson states,” Civilization was purchased by the betrayal of Nature “. He goes on to point out, “Even if the rest of life is counted of no value beyond the satisfaction of human bodily needs, the obliteration of Nature is a dangerous strategy “. Urbanization has betrayed Nature for a second time! Much of our population now live in cocoon like environments, found in the cities and suburbs, believing this life-style capable of satisfying human fulfillment needs. Human needs go much deeper and broader than the artificial environments of urban living. Without a spiritual relationship with Mother Earth and our Natural World, can we expect people to understand the importance of protecting our majestic planet? Can one appreciate the necessity of our Natural World without the knowledge of the complexity and detail of the story of creation?
Much work is ahead, and it must start with the people! It must come from the bottom up, as leadership is too busy satisfying their individual needs and desires. Neither the secular nor the spiritual communities have effectively dealt with the issues of our Natural World and our dependency upon that world. There still exists tensions between the interpretations of the scientific community and religious community. Are these tensions standing in the way of resolution? We must recognize science has only provided a deeper appreciation of the facts within the story of creation and allowed us to better understand the detail of Creation. With this expanded knowledge base, we must now come together to re-kindle our spiritual relationship with Mother Earth! Religion must accept that the scientific facts about Creation are not in conflict with our deeply held religious beliefs and, science must incorporate the human element into the scientific decision-making process so we can redeem our spiritual relationship with our earthly home! Life is truly a circle, all things are connected and every organism contributes in a small way to the cycle of life. Together we can provide a more desirable future!
