Sunday, February 12, 2006

What's It All About?

Large dog had a bath yesterday; he smelled good enough to be allowed to serve as my comforter as I couched in front of the TV to watch "The Day The Earth Stood Still". Remember the old black and white movie starring Michael Rennie and Patricia Neal? Rennie played an alien who, along with his faithful robot warrior, came to warn we warring earthlings the planetary worlds beyond would no longer tolerate our ways. Shape up or be destroyed was the essence of the warning.

This is the stuff from which Dogwalk Musings originated. The philosophical questions I would struggle with as Bacchus and I strolled in the peace of the early morning. Have you ever wondered what mankind is so afraid of? From the beginning of our existence the world has been filled with war after war after war; some ideological, some religious. Even our science fiction - looking into the future - always has the premise that the unknown is to be feared. Is it because we have opposable thumbs? Can't be - so do apes. But then there was "The Planet of the Apes" series; and Star Trek, Babylon Five and how many others - all encounters with loathsome aliens out to get us. Occasionally we'd find like minded allies that would join with us - to do what? Beat "them" before they got us!

Wow. What a mind set. I am writing this on Sunday morning. In the Christian world, our day of worship. Just take a look at what's going on around us. The Muslims hate us because we don't believe in their deities. They want to drive the Jews into the ocean for the same reason. As far back as the Crusades the Christians wanted to annihilate the Muslims. Look at the Irish Catholics versus the Protestants. Even in this country many leaders of the religious right try mightely to intimidate those of us who don't believe as they do. So do the Mormans in Utah. Want wine with dinner? Want the bottle to sit open so the wine can open? Not a chance. The cork has to remain in the bottle. State law. By a governing people who don't believe the way others do and are going to mandate their terms. Yet these same people turn a blind eye to polygamy.

I've mentioned before that my other half is somewhere between an agnostic and an athiest. I'm a former Catholic; probably an agnostic myself by definition. It is said God created man in his own image. With that as a premise I struggle with man's inhumanity to man.

No comments: