"What does it profit a species to gain the whole world yet forfeit its existence in self-provoked extinction? "
(a slightly revised version of Mark 8:36 addressed to the 21st century world)
I can assure you: I don't know you, I don't know what you believe, I have no idea what motivates your activities, I have knowledge of your virtues and vices, I have no interest in knowing your agreements or disagreements either with myself or anyone else, I have no need whatsoever of either your praise of your criticism, and it would serve no purpose for me to change your opinions, thoughts, behaviors or expectations regarding the future.
There are 6.7 billion people on the planet and for that reason I will consider your opinions merely that of 1 of 6.7 billion people. In the great scheme of things the individual human is as innocent and also as guilty as the raindrop in the food. Raindrops, you should know, are harmless, but when there are too many raindrops they generate destructive deadly floods. Raindrops will refuse responsibility for the flood just as individual humans will refuse any responsibility for the mess which humans have made of the Earth.
Do you believe in science? Do you have faith in science? Do you trust technology? Do you entertain the hope that technology will solve humankind's problems before those problems become so large as to overwhelm humankind?
Don't answer these questions. I can assure you that I am not interested in your answers. I have just spent several hours scanning dozens of books reading a sentence here, a paragraph there and sometimes an entire chapter or two. What these books indicate to me is:
Humans have a vast amount of opinions and a vast majority of these are wrong.
No, I don't deny that this principle applies to myself. I began this particular line of thought years ago with a skeptical investigation of my own beliefs. All those things which seemed certain became doubtful and all those things which were doubtful became possible and for that reason I realized that while the effort serves some useful purpose in the end the Truth becomes an elusive and impossible goal. Everyone is born in ignorance and everyone dies just slightly less ignorant.
So I will only say this one thing:
Science & Technology bears direct and nearly complete responsibility for the destruction of the Earth, the exhaustion of the planet's resources, the eradition of the Earth's vital ecosystems, the pollution which has provoked climate change, the overpopulation which is quickly overrunning the planet with primate hyperconsumer pollution factories, the weapons of mass destruction and all of the horrific weapons of modern warfare, and all of the drugs and addictions which render modern humans so very unhealthy and life itself a living hell for so many people.
Which is to say:
If religion had defeated science 500 years ago it is very likely that the Native cultures of the Western hemisphere would still exist, the ecosystems of the world would still survive, thousands of species would have avoided extinction, the icecaps would not suffer from unnatural melting, the coral reefs would remain pristine flourishing habitats, a Texas sized floating island of plastic pollution wouldn't exist in the Pacific ocean, and humankind would have avoided the great wars of the 20th century along with all of their WMDs.
While religion is a silly outdated superstition it is science which has destroyed the world and driven humankind to the edge of extinction. For that reason I have no faith in either religion or science or technology or humankind.
Humans have chosen a dead-end path and there is no doubt that humankind will follow this path to its ultimate end, i.e. extinction.
Now that you have read this you can agree or disagree or think whatever you wish. Please do keep in mind that you are only a raindrop in the flood. I don't blame you for anything.
Humankind has run out of time. Nature will begin making decisions on humankind's behalf very soon and humankind won't have any means of objecting to those decisions. Nature doesn't respond to prayers or repentence or empty promises of reform.
David Mathews
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