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From my perspective (and relative to this forum), it’s a question of environmental ethics and doesn’t have anything to do with man’s concept of religion. Rather, our morality (and purpose/usefulness) is based in our (flawed) separate existence.
Are you speaking in terms of (religious) guilt and shame, as CCS414 (above)?
I can't see a difference. When somebody says we aren't useful, to me that says we should be useful.
I can't see a difference. When somebody says we aren't useful, to me that says we should be useful.
Since it’s a philosophical thread, I took it to mean usefulness as a purpose relative to teleology or complex functionality (and discussion relative to such).
We aren't useful (purpose, humans, life, self) .....I've been fascinated with size of the Universe and the origin (and meaning?) of it............
But humans are not useful to the planet.........
Nice thoughts, and I wanted to comment on those points.
My take is not that humans are supposed to be useful to the planet, but that earth itself is useful to humans. Humans, in turn, are a visible expression of God - His visible thoughts, so to speak. His musings.
For all the grousing we hear about humans spoiling the earth, I don't think that is the case. There is evidence of our activity, sure, but the earth has not been "spoiled".
Population will now decrease and 150 years from now the population will be much less than it is today. I know the UN has numbers that say differently, but the UN numbers have always been wrong, and they are now, too.
Humans will be fine and will continue to evolve philosophically. The earth will be fine. Life will go on. Learn and enjoy - that is the mission we are all charged with.
Nice thoughts, and I wanted to comment on those points.
My take is not that humans are supposed to be useful to the planet, but that earth itself is useful to humans. Humans, in turn, are a visible expression of God - His visible thoughts, so to speak. His musings.
For all the grousing we hear about humans spoiling the earth, I don't think that is the case. There is evidence of our activity, sure, but the earth has not been "spoiled".
Population will now decrease and 150 years from now the population will be much less than it is today. I know the UN has numbers that say differently, but the UN numbers have always been wrong, and they are now, too.
Humans will be fine and will continue to evolve philosophically. The earth will be fine. Life will go on. Learn and enjoy - that is the mission we are all charged with.
That is an interesting thought - thanks.
But of course, with that, I can't stop my brain from extrapolating that there is a sizable "other worlds" other than Earth and an entire Universe and the usefulness, not usefulness or purpose of that and if that is also a visible expression of God. That seems like another thread/topic but that's where my mind goes after reading yours.
We're beings on top of the food chain. We're designed to survive and reproduce like all the other animals here.
Usefulness is as useful as what humans decide can help us better survive and reproduce.
If that means cutting down trees, sadly, then that's what humans will do. Earth will be fine, it will outlive humans very easily.
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