IS THE WORLD REALLY GETTING WORSE?

by ruari 72 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

• 

  mkr32208

  Biological warfare possible on Global scale (this takes age-old problems to new heights)

  But it hasn't happened! Could, ain't did!

  Nuclear arms and delivery systems (this takes age-old problems to new heights)

  See above

  Rampant drug use (this is a major contributor to increase in crime and immorality)

  This is actually BETTER now than at most periods in history!

  Environmental pollution of soil, atmosphere, oceans Global dependence on a non-renewable energy source (petroleum) co-linked with a shift of world population from agriculture to urban settings.

  You have a point here... But thats not mentioned anywhere in the bible!

  "Food shortages and war and stinky air and this black viscus stuff everywhere!"

  Admitedly he didn't ask about the bible but I always think of the stuff on this board in that context!
• 

  metatron

  Rampant drug use? Are you kidding? Are you aware that drugs like heroin, morphine and opium were legal to buy over the counter

  in the US , at one time? Are you aware of widespread alcoholism in many periods of history - bad enough to get the US to ban all

  alcohol production in Prohibition?

  Environmental pollution? Where? Our air and water are vastly cleaner than in years past. Have you ever ridden on a wood or coal

  fired steam train - and gotten covered with soot if you opened a window? The transition away from agriculture has been an enormous

  improvement in the Western world - caused by a huge increase in farming productivity. This industrialization has caused vast tracts

  of land to go back to nature, unfarmed, because such large farms aren't needed anymore. Go thru most any area of New England

  and this becomes fairly obvious.

  Bacteria or nuclear war? So far, that's just a threat - and medieval people were terrified by comets threatening the earth.

  Worse? Did your ancestors have Social Security? a welfare safety net? did they fear Indian attack? Was hand to hand combat

  a common occurence? Have crime statistics gone down? Do black men still get lynched for looking at a white woman in your

  neighborhood?

  metatron
• 

  daniel-p

  The key is population density. The reason why a lot of the old timers talk about the "good ol days" is because back then, in North America, population densities were much lower as the 50's were the begining of the suburbanization of America. But if you go back to the cities - whatever time period - there were always reports of murders, rapes, robberies, etc....
  Now that large portions of the West and East coast have urbanized and become sprawling metropolises, it has brought all the issues of pop. density to everyone's door.
• 

  Legolas

  Welcome to the board!
• 

  Bonnie_Clyde

  Frogleg - I also saw the history channel about the "Little Ice Age." I was astounded at what historians have been able to uncover. They think that the cold spell that lasted for some five hundred years contributed greatly to the dark ages as people were more concerned about staying alive than reading and learning.

  Also the program on the bubonic plague. One expert disagreed with the opinion that one-third of Europe died during that plague. He felt that HALF of Europe died. He also mentioned that we have no information about how many died in Asia, but that was where the plague started.

  Interestingly, the latest Awake tells us that the Spanish flu was much worse than the bubonic plague. Maybe it was according to the numbers through the world who died; however, if we don't have all the numbers from the bubonic plague, how do we know for sure?

  The history channel also had a program on the Spanish flu, but I fell asleep.

  I'm really starting to think I would like to become a history buff.
• 

  Carmel

  Verily this is none other but one of the wonders of this wondrous age, this glorious century. Of this past ages have been deprived, for this century -- the century of light -- hath been endowed with unique and unprecedented glory, power and illumination. Hence the miraculous unfolding of a fresh marvel every day. Eventually it will be seen how bright its candles will burn in the assemblage of man.

  (Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 32)
• 

  mkr32208

  Carmel-What is this gibberish you're always spouting?
• 

  Armani

  You have no clue what you're talking about, I work for Statistics Canada, stats are right in front of me. I suggest you practice what you preach, and if you don't know what you're talking about, better no to talk at all. Things are getting worse, it's a FACT.
• 

  Armani

  Ruari,

  Good question, the reason why JWs say that is because we are experiencing all these problems (violence, disasters, crime and so on), on such a widespread (worldwide) basis. If you look at statistics (don't listen to crumpet, she's clueless, I work in this field, I study crime for a living), you will see that events are occuring differently today than let's say 50 years ago. Previously we used to go through many disasters, but they weren't as frequent and as widespread as they are today. Crime is escalating at an alarming rate. For example, statistics show that in High Schools rape has more than tripled in the past 50 years.
• 

  mrsjones5

  Things are getting worse, it's a FACT.

  Show us something to back up those facts, we deal in facts here not opinions.