Isn't it wonderful to live in an enlightened society? I mean, look how much we know about our world, our universe, our bodies, and so on. I can Google just about anything and have an answer in seconds. If I want to know how far it is to Alpha Centauri, I can just hit a few keys and presto!
But, when I stop to really think about it, I begin to realize that maybe we ain't so smart after all.
I mean, it was only about 500 years ago that the "experts" knew that the earth was flat. After all, they reasoned, if it were round, we would fall off. (Now, before you go thinking that 500 years is a very long time, stop to ponder the fact that 500 years is today's approximate life span for 7 people).
It was only yesterday that antibiotics were discovered. We still have no cure for cancer, or heart disease, or ALS, or even the common cold. I can practically assure you that in 100 years, people will look back on the way we treat such afflictions as cancer and marvel at our backwardness and lack of understanding.
We have many problems in this world, from energy to health care to education to overpopulation to pollution. Many of these problems cannot be discussed in a rational manner because of a dogma that occurs in these fields.
For example, for centuries the Roman Catholic church maintained that the earth was the center of the universe. To say otherwise, even in the face of overwhelming fact, would be heresy.
In the United States and other countries it is maintained that "diversity", the mixture of different cultures, languages, beliefs, etc, is the strongest possible society. To think otherwise is to be politically incorrect.
Many "experts" say that global warming is occurring and the reason for it is humanity's dependence on fossil fuels. It is politically incorrect for many other scientists to speak out in opposition to this belief.
I could go on and on---and so could you. But the point I would like to make is this: we are no smarter than previous generations, and when it comes to finding truth, we suffer from the same dogmatic thinking they did. We haven't really learned much over the centuries.
Your thoughts?
Call these the music, poetry, fact and fiction of a dreamer....Call this LYRICS of LOVE and LORE.
It is "amusing" to think of how the latest medical advances today will be laughed about as we 'laugh' today of some of the medical "advances" of one hundred years ago.
ReplyDeleteWe are still treating cancer as we did 50 years ago---radiation, chemicals and the knife.
unfortunately, until individuals and whole cultures stop thinking of themselves as the 'center of the universe', we're going to keep creating our own problems instead of fixing them. americans are a big part of that. :)
ReplyDeleteYeah I agree. What frightens me is the wellness testing. Now they want us to get multiple tests each year when we are healthy? The reason is so Insurance Companies don't have to spend so much money. Someone's gonna laugh at this age from the future for sure...
ReplyDeleteSome times I think we are less smart. For example they built the pyramids with no tractors, power tools, etc. Do you think anyone could do that today. We still can't figure out how it was done. And dogma is a very bad thing. Closes the mind on so many levels. Good post.
ReplyDeleteI suppose at the end of the day in another 500 years sure there may be a cure for cancer but something else will be incurable.A catch 22 situation.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the visit and comment, as always much appreciated,
Yvonne.
We've progressed further in many ways in the past 100 years than mankind has in all its history before. And yet, like was suggested earlier, we're really no smarter. I think of Beethoven and Mozart and how they composed music and didn't have any way of recording it audibly, and yet here we are centuries later, able to reproduce their music. But now, we have autotune and effects and CDs and iPods and digital formats that, in some ways, almost takes away from the genius of what those men did. It is steps both forward and backwards!
ReplyDeleteWe are progressing at such a fast rate these days! 10 years ago, what took 50 years to do only took 10 years. Today, what took 50 years to do only takes a millisecond. I for one wonder how we can even last another 100 years. Isn't it scientific theory that says things go from order to disorder? I think we are on an inevitable path towards self destruction, personally. Unless Jesus intervenes!!!!
Mankind increases in wisdom and stature much the same way as children. What I though about the world at 5 has changed quite a bit and today at almost 40, I laugh at my younger self. Maturity brings understanding. Mankind is "maturing" and I believe that just as a man is born as a baby, grows up, grows old, and eventually dies...that is the same fate of our collective existence. The end has to come at some point! When is only in God's hands!
Wow! My head is spinning now! Very thoughtful post, Clint! You come up with some good ones!
The Bible does not teach politically correctness. God is sovereign and His Word is final. Whether Al Gore and the rest of the worlds politicians like it or not.
ReplyDeletethought-provoking post. we've been raised to look for all the answers "out there", when i think they're all "in here", it's just a matter of remembering.
ReplyDeleteWe are maturing and evolving and there are fewer of us who are dogmatic than a hundred years ago. Without putting faith aside, we have learned to think for ourselves and don't need others to interpret God's word for us. While we haven't cured cancer, we have made medical strides. Polio and TB are no longer pandemic and we are living longer, a lot longer. Women rarely die in childbirth and most childhood diseases have been eradicated. I think an argument could be made that we are smarter than our ancestors because food and medicine have allowed more of us to develop to our fullest potential. Each generation has produced it own share of savants. Those musicians whose work we lionize probably had math skills that were unidentified and unappreciated in their own times. There is a correlation between the two skill sets. Many say that da Vinci was the greatest genius who ever lived. He designed a plane, but two country boys, centuries later, made it fly. They looked at the moon and we walked on it. I could go on but I think you understand my reasoning. I'd love to see the world as it will be 500 years from now. That is, of course, assuming we don't kill ourselves first. Have a good evening, Cliff. My best to you and Cindy. Blessings...Mary
ReplyDeleteWe are so smart now we concluded that we came from monkeys. We are so smart now that we could not decide if to kill a baby in a mother's womb is okay or not, we are so smart now, we have to redefine simple basic words like husband, wife, marriage. We are so smart now we think we are the smartest in the history of mankind. We forgot, just like the people before us - we were once a clot in our mother's wombs and that soon we shall be reduced by worms back to earth or just be burnt to ash.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with Ron. I am one of the least politically correct people there is. I think that although much knowledge has been gained we are foolish. What is knowledge without wisdom. We can create black holes, and stringlets with Cern, but if it explodes the world with antimatter, what have we gained?
ReplyDeleteMany things were found in the past and invented and we found that much bad has come of it.
ReplyDeleteReally smart we are not yet become.
Beautiful day and greetings
Petra
Oh dear, don't get me going! I go ballistic about the science vs dogma topic! LOL. People are just as stupid as they were when they ate that fruit!
ReplyDeleteTo me, evolution is the Number One reason that proves that human beings are still as gullible and dumb as ever. I can't even believe it's considered "science."