Creation
There seem to be two current views about questions like: What are we? Why are we here? What is here? That we were made by god. That we evolved from simpler life forms in a steadily changing and expanding universe that came into existence as a result of a “big bang” many millions of years ago. There is discussions about “who created god” and “how did the big bang happen” but still leave us wondering about persons, things and events coming from nowhere. It seems best to leave the question unanswered. Perhaps the first of many failures.
It is easier to explore the creation of humans more specifically by accepting the evidence of the theory of evolution. Religious people of other denominations can perhaps be kept on board by disregarding timescales referred to in scriptures; accepting that the process of evolution might have been set up by god, and that natural calamities that ice ages and natural calamities that have distorted the evolutionary process were initiated by god.
World Trends
Two strands. Fairness and dealing with change. What change can we expect. Insofar as predictable:
But power is shifting. Some eastern countries growing much faster than US and Europe. Africa remains poor. West increasingly dependent upon service sector but increasingly developing countries are able to develop their own service sectors and even export services (e.g call centres). There is a much stronger work ethic in the East compared with the West. Therefore as resources are depleted countries like China get increased share with growth in their economic power. With this comes growth in military power. The world order that favours the west evaporates. What is to be done?
Western countries tend to be democracies. Ideology has become less and less respectable and , as a result, politicians have become more and more responsive to expressed interests of constituents as opposed to overarching bundles of values to which electors subscribe. Political policies stem therefore from the immediate interests and tastes of the population and therefore inherently conservative – all about the status quo. The possibility of having government policies that do not support material expansion very unlikely.
Quotes
The only freedom of enduring purpose is freedom of intelligence, that is to say, freedom of observation and of judgement exercised on behalf of purposes that are intrinsically worthwhile. John Dewey Experience and education 1938.
Communities tend to be guided less than individuals by conscience and a sense of responsibility. How much misery does this fact cause mankind? It is the source of wars and every kind of oppression which fill the earth with pain , sighs and bitterness. Albert Einstein , the world as I see it 1934
The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious . It is the fundamental emotion that stands at the cradle of true art and true science. Whoever does not know it and can no longer wonder, no longer marvel is as good as dead and his eyes are dimmed.
Albert Einstein. The world as I see it. 1931
Government is at best a but an expedient; but most governments are usually, and all governments are sometimes, in expedient. The objections that have been brought against a standing army , and they are many and weight, and deserve to prevail, may also at last be brought against a standing government. the standing army is only an arm of the standing government. The government itself , which is only the mode which the people have chosen to execute their will , is equally liable to be abused and perverted before the people can act through it. Henry David Thoreau ‘Civil Disobedience’ 1849.
