by onacruse 17 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
Recent conversations and threads prompt me to ask these questions:
Have humans evolved/developed/learned beyond what we were several thousand years ago?
Do you think life, in general, is better now?
For myself, now, I'd say: nothing has changed.
Craigster
Craig,
I thought from the title you meant after dubdom!!!! In which case it's a resounding YES!!!!!!
But then I see you were getting all deep and I don't know about that.
Still, we like to think it is......but I have my doubts.
Cheers, Ozzie
Ozzie:
I thought from the title you meant after dubdom!!!! In which case it's a resounding YES!!!!!!
And, in that case, you know how much I agree!!!!!!!
but I have my doubts.
My friend, I'm glad you were so bold as to admit this, because in so saying you evoke the same convictions/doubts that I have in my own heart.
In essence..the hunter gatherer mentallity will always be there i believe...no matter how much we evolve/change, there is still something that needs to be there to be considered humanity.
With all that "freewill" and "man's goodness" out there, you would think somebody would have gotten it right by now.
D Dog
There is no doubt that life is seemingly better, and lasts longer, but it is actually about quality, not quantity. We have more, and live longer to enjoy it. But as someone recently said about giving up smoking and drinking, "nothing is worth denying yourself for an extra ten years in a nursing home in Clacton." For American readers Clacton is a stereotypical rainy seaside town in England you don't want to end up in waiting to die.
Hello Craig,
A moment ago I finished a page long reply explaining why I answered yes to your question and upon hitting the "submit post" button I got "Service not available" and my post was lost.
So I take back all the positive things I didn't get to post and right now I say NO, LIFE STINKS.
jst2laws
On average, people probably do live longer lives now, however it is debateable as to whether the quality of those years is greater or lesser than in previous times. The answer to that question depends on what culture one examines in the present day, compared to what culture in some previous time, and also, what is the station in life of those being examined. Compare a New York apartment dweller of today to someone who lived in exactly the same apartment 125 years ago, who has the better quality of life? Compare an employee of White Castle to a medieval scullery maid, who has a better quality of life? Compare an inner city crack-baby to, say, a native American child of almost any tribe 400 years ago, who has the better life now? What was the average quality of life for a Viking, compared with, say, Arab tribesmen of the 18th century?
I would say life was more fulfilling in the past, in that we were much closer to our true nature. There was no media cramming ideas into our heads and coercing us to amass material posessions. We toiled directly for the benefit of those we loved, not for some corporate machine that dispenses paychecks on Friday. And all that work was done with the sights and sounds and smells of nature to inspire us, the ultimate soundtrack IMO. Sure, life was physically demanding and dangerous, but that was all we had to compare it to anyway. It just seems to me that living in sync with the earth and having lots of time for deep thinking would lead to a spiritual and deeply grateful existence.
Different times different problems. Blown up by a terrorist bomb or skewered on a mammoth tusk. Take your pick.
