Something Else to Ponder:
On Thanksgiving Day, I attended a "mini" family reunion. I met up with a cousin that I had not seen in many years; and it turns out that her son is attending Geogetown University as a graduate student in theology. After introducing me to him; I discovered that he definitely has the family trait for intense discussion. He posed the following query, which I admit still has me thinking long and hard:
If we accept that man (humans) are the dominant species of the animal kingdom; why is it that we are the only species that actively plan( and create tools for) our own extinction?
I thought this question might give our thought processes an excercise. He called me this morning and wanted to know how I felt. I'm still pondering over this myself-how do you feel?

a. it's true

b. it's only because we are able to think and make more efficient killers of ourselves, going beyond the basic teeth and claws that the rest of the animal world uses.

In this off the cuff answer to your question, I'm gonna say paranoia mixed with intelligence is a scary and dangerous thing. If you are paranoid that another human is out to "get" you for one of any number of reasons, you are gonna always be in a defensive position. And the best defense is always to be prepared for the worst the offense might throw at you. That's totally neglecting that the saying that the best defense is a helluva offense.

A byproduct os a good defense will always be better offensive weapons. When you have the intelligence to come up with weapons from any number of otherwise very useful advances, you eventually will end up with something lethal. Medicine and technology have the capability to save and terminate millions of lives depending on intent.

I say the answer is in the B-I-B-L-E...

We were created in God's image.

Sad to say, but even as a believer who does love the Lord, I can't in my own capacity come up with the answer to why an Omnipotent God had to act out of self-preservation ever. But he is recorded to in the Book.

And in those acts, he plowed many a whole people group over.

See this all comes back to the problem of evil.

OhDear

Oh oh, that's gonna get a few responses...But I might like to add that maybe you should say "religion" instead. There are a few non-Christian countries that have the power to cause worldwide havoc.

I would ask him to explain the question.

Fx, I meant God not religion. A god who would even kill his own son???

OhDear

That's why I like my more fluid idea of "God" better. I don't think "God" has very much if anything to do with us here. He facilitated our being here, but we are free to kill ourselves if that's the direction that we end up. I don't place as much importance on the human existence to this planet. There are too many mechanisms that can pretty much erase anything we can do to it in a planetary eye-blink.

Competition among groups isn't a distinctly human characteristic. What is distinctly human on this planet is our capacity to become aware of our own mortality, and perhaps in turn react in a ruthless panicking behavior of delusion-reinforced conflict. However, we also have the capacity rise above the 'teeth and claw' and accept our impermanent existences and attempt to usher in a better world for our species through cooperation. Unfortunately, people are too attached to their delusions for the latter to come to fruition any time soon.

I think the "better world for our species through world cooperation" is a delusion to itself. There are so many different mindsets that I seriously doubt that you will ever get that kind of cooperation. A rich country will not want to lower it's own standard of living to help a dirt poor country up. A poor underdeveloped nation will always be jealous of the educated and technologically advanced one. And all the conflicts that arise from different cultures, religions, and races. Not to mention some regions are rich is different things from fertile lands to oil to diamonds. World cooperation from all humans???? Not a chance.