The
Church of the Holy Shitters 10 Commandments
1. Thou shalt pursue the understanding of Shit.
2. One who taketh a shit must giveth a shit.
3. Thou shalt not act like your shit doesn’t stink.
4. Thou shalt not poke one’s nose into other people’s shit.
5. If thou hast nothing constructive to say then don’t say shit.
6. Thou shalt not buy unnecessary shit.
7. Thou shalt not giveth someone shit.
8. Thou shalt conserve shit.
9. Thou shalt not take other people’s shit.
10. Thou shalt treat someone else’s shit the same way you would want your shit treated.
Thou shalt not act like your shit doesn't stink: Just what is this commandment instructing us to do? What does this really mean?
To answer these questions we must first analyze where you and I view ourselves in the grand scope of existence. The prevailing thinking when placing man in the hierarchy of species is to put us at the very top. We are viewed at the pinnacle of the chain of life on this planet and many would argue in the entire universe. We are made in the image of God, endowed with an infinite soul and on our way to a life eternal in duration after our physical one here on Earth ends.
Here is an excerpt written by John D. Morris, Ph.D for the Institute for Creation Research entitled Is Man a "Higher" Animal? illustrating this line of reasoning.
...”Man is different. His "higher" characteristics have more to do with his intelligence, his ability to plan and consider the future, and ability to express emotions. Animal instincts and habits are remarkable, but something sets man apart.
We find this difference explained in the record provided by the Creator of man and the animals. In Genesis One we see that the fish, the birds, the creeping things, the cattle, the beasts of the field, and the beasts of the earth were all created "after their kinds." But when God created man, He created him "after His own image." We often have similar DNA to the animals, similar body parts, similar functions, similar consciousness, similar blood, but the comparison disappears when man's eternal spirit is considered. The animals have nothing like this. Something about man adequately reflects God's nature in a way that the animals don't share.
God created man with the wonderful ability to reason and comprehend abstract thoughts. He alone can speak in a language which communicates his inner yearnings. Most importantly, man can truly love and respond to love, most particularly the love of God. He can recognize his own sinfulness, repent of it, and appreciate God's gracious solution to his sin problem. He can respond to God's love by choosing a life pleasing to Him. Animals, regardless of their cranial capacity, know nothing of this.
Man is qualitatively superior to the animals in many important ways. But he is also quantitatively distinct from all animals.
No, man is not a higher animal. Man is not an animal at all. He is the very image of God, and nothing less.”
Because of this frame of reference we view ourselves as special and therefore commanding a unique place in the universe. We, in short, view ourselves as being pretty special.
This perception of "specialness" leads us into dangerously concluding we can do things differently. This is especially true when it comes to nature. Only we have a soul. Only we have the promise of eternal life. This is a supernatural reference point of ourselves and leads us into believing we can control the laws of nature. Our mental powers, coupled with our technology allow us to manipulate nature to satisfy our every whim and desire.
The thou shalt not act like you shit doesn't stink commandment reminds us to put a check on this line of reasoning. It reminds us that not only are we not the highest creature inhabiting the Earth, but in fact we are the lowest creature currently inhabiting this Earth.
It is our species that is polluting the air all creatures breathe and the water all creatures drink. It is our species that is poisoning the soil with chemicals and pesticides. It is our species overpopulating the planet.
We must never forget that our shit does in fact stink.. We are not in control of nature but dependent on it for survival. The sooner we come to terms with this fact the sooner we can begin to adjust our behavior to enable us to start to live in a sustainable way so that we may continue to exist on this planet.
The Church of the Holy Shitters will post articles on our holy S.H.I.T. day ( So Happy It's Thursday)
Last week: 10/3/13 - Toilet Think Tanks
Next week: 10/17/13 - Ass-backward Consumerism
Hoping to add some humor, provoke thought, spark debate, deepen understanding, and shed some light on the fecal side.
Remember: "If we really want to straighten out all this crap we really need to think about shit." ( Shitbit by Poop John the First of the Church of the Holy Shitters)
Church of the Holy Shitters
A secular environmental religion, scientifically based, with a focus on the psychology of it all. Our ego is the culprit when it comes to dealing with climate change. We cannot save the planet. We can only save ourselves. Our current egotistical self-perception makes that prospect a dubious one at best. Meekness, humility and a realization that our shit does stink, guides us on our path to true sustainable living and climate equilibrium.
Cross posted at http://holyshitters.com/