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For the next two weeks at the Writers Island the prompt is the Earth.
The month long writing prompts at Cafe Writing include a prompt for a timed writing exercise of exactly nine minutes about Tradition.
“In the beginning”
There is much controversy about religion and science. Both claim to have the ultimate truth and strive in opposition to discredit the other. It’s tradition to hurl insults and epitaphs at one other and accuse practitioners of being deluded. This has been going on for a long, long time.
The Earth has spun through space and time regardless and the once lightly scattered humans have spread over much the surface of our planet. From space, it is hard to see the impact we’ve had, but artificial structures are everywhere. We claim to hold dominion over every living and not living thing on land or sea.
This is something that religion and science actually agree upon. We humans are the top of the food chain, masters of fish and fowl. Rulers of the world and given the intelligence to create a better world by using all the dumb beasts.
So how’s that been working out?
Do you think we have been granted the right to rule?
Why are we immune from extinction?
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I don’t think we are immune from extinction. We need to be careful.
We are immune from nothing, in my opinion.
Here from Michele today.
It doesn’t seem to be working out as well as it should, because collectively we are not communicating with each other in a manner that gets enough of us to stop and think versus “protect” our own conclusions. Whether we were granted the right or not, we have it and are not immune to extinction any more than any other “ruler” was. If you think about it, it really takes only a few major mistakes to make humans extinct. We do, as Yellojkt commented, “need to be careful.”
Beautiful photo of earth, thank you, Brian.
Have a great long weekend!
We’re not immune from extinction, one day it will come whether because we pollute the planet so much we destroy our own life support system or whether earth is destroyed by a huge meteorite shower.
Happy Christmas!
Immune from extinction? That thought truly is a clear indication that someone thinks mankind has dominion over forever — and perhaps we do in a perverse sort of way. We certainly have the power to destroy and we are using it rapidly. If we don’t stop soon the world’s forever will be a Mankind Free zone.
“Extinct? Us?!? No way, dude!”
“Way, dude. You don’t believe me, just go try out that surfboard again.”
“Dude, Makaha Beach won’t hold six billion people!”
“Lucky you, dude. Ever hear of a population growth curve?”
“A popahakahoohah what? I want curves, I’ll sit on the beach watching some chick wipe out, and hope for a revelation.”
“Watching with your binocs, you mean, ’cause that’s as close as you’ll ever get. Which is fortunate for the population.”
“And just what do you mean by that, dude?”
“It means that a creature that thinks it has the planet all to itself just makes more and more and more of itself. Like kudzu vines, or gypsy moths. Or people. Until they eat themselves out of house and home, or some predator says to itself why should I be letting all this free food go to waste? And then? Boom! The species formerly known as Homo”
“Who’re you calling a homo, dude?”
“Only you, dude. And better me than that chick with the curves. Eh?”
We are definitely not immune from extinction. I believe we are insignificant in the ultimate life of the planet. But we are very significant to all life, including ours, sharing the planet right now. To get the complete story of why I believe this is the most important part of the issue, read my post in response to the Writer’s Island prompt at: http://willtaft.com/environment/will-earth-survive-one-humble-opinion/
-Will
We only think we have dominion because we think. And have exhibited cognitive abilities. We are able to recognize thoughts beyond those related to survival of ourselves and our offspring. Otherwise, we are destined for extinction, in some form or another, like all other forms of life that have, do and will share this tiny rock.
Well, I go with what the Bible says. In Genesis chapter 1 verses 26-30, God states that the people he created “will be masters over all life…”
Verse 28 sums it up well, “God blessed them (the people he’d just created) and told them, “Multiply and fill the earth and subdue it. Be masters over the fish and birds and all the animals.”
So, we are doing what we were made to do. Not sure that we are doing it as well as we could be, though!
Humans will survive and the earth will contenue to be our home. We think too much. That’s our problem. We forget the gifts of the earth and we neclect to care for her gifts. Let’s stop awhile and fall in love with her beauty again and realize that our home needs cleaning up and she’s worth all our attention for she is the only place we have.
I wish you well.
~ Jeques
Merry Christmas! Or, as we say in Hawaii, Mele Kalikimaka!
Interesting Thought of our continued existence on our earth! Happy Holidays!
No, we are not immune at all, and we are in grave danger of finding out how very close we’re coming. I asked a similar question in my own response to the prompt, from a slightly different point of view.
We are going in the way of destruction..
I believe we can very well become extinct and to think we are above it is totally ignorant.
Thought provoking post Brian-thanks!
i agree we are immune from nothing, we are but flesh and flesh burns, flesh bleeds, flesh has it weakness.
BTW, You have been chosen to do a hoopla
Heavens no we aren’t immune. We live on the earth! Nothing is immune to everything! Including us. Ah-well.
What a huge prompt! It may be a small world, but it’s infinite in all it’s own way.
We think we are masters of it, but one day, we may find out how far that idea is from the truth.
Thank you everyone for all your comments. I hope that your holiday went well and I wish all of you a good New Year.
You sure no how to stir up a debate Brian! Me? I’m in the not sure camp. Life’s too short to send yourself to an early grave worrying about things you can’t do anything about.
Hello Brian, Michele sent me over the very early west coast morning. I decided to comment on this post rather than your top post because, well honestly, I have a hard time relating to poetry. Not your poetry, all poetry. Sorry, nothing personal.
I do, however, like what you’ve brought up here. The idea that we are somehow masters of our planet is one whose time must really go. We aren’t even competent stewards of it. True, we were ignorant for mush of our history, but we aren’t now… well, at least some of us aren’t.
As an aside, I’m curious how the self-publishing is working for you. An avenue worth exploring??
Mike
Thanks again for all the wonderful comments. I am being bombarded with ‘earth’ searches, nearly 400 a day thanks to this picture.
Mike, I answered on your blog, feel free to email me if you have detailed questions.