Stop for a while and take a brief look at current world events. Anyone with a smidgeon of common sense can see that the world is not doing too well. Wars, bombings, murders, kidnappings, man-hunts, environmental disasters, hunger, disease, exploitation, discrimination – even with a truncated list of problems like this, it is quite a surprise that we do not consider ourselves to be the most barbaric and destructive creatures on the face of the Earth.

Reality check – we are.

What has dragged humankind down to such a level? In my opinion I would have to say that the power of suggestion would have a lot to do with it. For centuries man has preached and passed on a dismal message about the dreaded “end times”. Could it be that this repetitive message of gloom and doom is finally beginning to settle in? Are religious leaders merely assisting the rest of the world in following written manuals of self-destruction?

Humans were given free-choice - the will to control our own destinies. With this power it is our responsibility to ensure the survival and enlightenment of our species. Yet millions of us choose to naively believe that all of our problems will be over soon and a better existence is soon coming in the “twinkling of an eye”. This road is definitely the path of least resistance and one that exploits the inherent laziness of the human race. Having to live in this messed-up world is a condign punishment for this lackadaisical way of thinking.

So what should we do about it? Instead of wallowing in our fate we must, in our own divine way, pick up the pen and begin writing a new chapter of existence, one that counteracts and nullifies the common belief that the world will go out in a flash of flames and a bang that closes the book on our mundane existences. The term “self-fulfilling prophecy” comes to mind every time I hear a shocking newscast or read a disheartening headline. If in the event that anything at all must be destroyed, it is humankind’s current way of life which selfishly exploits this world and the living entities that reside in it.

Facilitating a move towards an enlightened society will be such a feat that so-called great empires and kingdoms will no doubt fall from their present status of grace, especially since some of them so actively contribute towards the downturn of human society. Perhaps this is the destruction that is spoken of in scared (I mean ‘sacred’) texts. In any event, interpretation should be left up to each individual and not mass induced, largely because of flaws that can exist in a mass interpreter's psyche or because of possible manipulation by those in the throes of power (there is, without a doubt, truth in the saying that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely - a look at mankind's history books proves this).

It must start somewhere. In much the same way an electrical spark travels through a wire, humankind has to begin channeling itself along a different circuit. Our current route (which we have chosen to follow) only leads to burn-out; It is our choice to divert from our current ways (pun intended).

Look at it this way, it is only a suggestion.

You asked, "What has dragged humankind down to such a level?" I don’t think he was "dragged." This is the level mankind has always worked at. It is our nature. If anything religion has tried, with varying degrees of success, to lift us up.

We are born into a world where "life lives on life!" Everything kills and eats something else so that it might live. Have you ever thought of it in that way? Even we, the "mighty" human is nothing more that another food item for something else. If you doubt that, stick your foot in the water when a hungry shark goes by!

Even the earth we live on is unstable - always has been. It kills millions of people a year - always has done so. Nature is wasteful - always was, always will be. Far more creatures are born that can possible live. Most become food for other creatures - some just die! Life is brutish and short. That is it’s nature. It is built into the game!

Mankind is accused of being the only creature that kills its own. But that is not true. Most creatures kill others of their kind. They kill and eat their young. Jane Goodall showed us that there was cannibalism in chimpanzee groups. Chimpanzees even formed up sides and went to war! Even the humble ant take’s part in war on their own. But is that evil? Or is it just the struggle for life? After all, is a Lion evil because it has to kill Zebras to live? Or is it just a Lion?

This is a world build on death and struggle. Mankind is just very good at playing that game. How then can we be surprised that we have turned out the way we have? Which, by the way, is not so bad when you consider everything! In the last two or three centuries mankind has made great strides in understanding and conquering many of the ills that have plagued humans from the beginning of time. He has set up laws (outside of nature’s laws) to govern and bring a kind of order to an unordered world. Medicine has rid the globe of many illness (or at least brought many under control) However, the Earth is not cooperating, it keeps inventing new ones! Yet, I think, if anything, we are better, and better off, than ever before.

We may blow ourselves up. We make kill each other off, or we many become extinct, naturally, as many species before us have. Yet, it is more likely that the planet on which we live will some day just quit and die, as planets do. No sin involved, no power of suggestion - just the nature of things.

Interesting observations, but quite a few nonetheless that reduce mankind’s logic to the level of an animal - creatures that by pure instinct often kill only to feed and survive.

In a few species of mammals the act of killing may even extend as far as the result of protecting one’s territory or group, but this exception, no doubt, is nature’s way of maintaining a moderate level of food supply for that particular group of animals. Looking at the entire scheme of things however, nature’s droughts and gluts naturally balance themselves out. Man (on the other hand) will build, occupy, kill, destroy, and pollute on a large scale (and often on a permanent basis), then move to another location when natural resources have been depleted.

We are the most destructive species.

Besides that, many diseases can be attributed to the manner in which we live. We are, in many cases, products of our own polluted and globally warmed environments. Even the medicines that we use to treat our sicknesses have been documented as creating what are called “superbugs” – drug resistant strains of common bacteria and viruses. But anyway I digress…

What my first post was about is the way in which world leaders appear to be following the “end time” signs that are spoken about in many religious texts. If we humans have all these “warning” signs and seem to know what will happen if we continue down the current road, then why aren’t efforts being made to change? On one side you have religious leaders telling people to prepare their souls and not to fear these “wicked” times and on the other hand you have the world leaders, making sure that the “wicked” times occur due to their own political greed. The suggestion that the world is in the “end times” has led many to not care about their futures. They are only concerned about “here and now”. What we then end up with are the members of general society who do not fully look ahead because they are too busy looking to the heavens and a bunch of politicians who don’t care about what happens in the future because they are too busy looking after filling their pockets.

Therein lies the problem. Do you see the point that I’m trying to make?

.......... Do you see the point that I’m trying to make?
No, I am not really sure what you mean. Are you saying that religion is responsible for the decline?

If as you say, "The suggestion that the world is in the "end times" has led many to not care about their futures." I would doubt that. Most people really don’t take that seriously.

Man is, at some level just another creature. After all we share 90% of the chimpanzees DNA. We are very closely related. We are a primate with an attitude!

No, I'm not saying that religion is responsible for the decline, but in fact the approach that many religious leaders have used in response to these troubled times. Most have compared the recent periods of war, famine and pestilence to the "end times" written in the Bible (Revelations) and have used this as a call to the "lost souls" to join the flock per se.

Dont believe me? Just think of how many people go to watch night service on December 31, purely out of concern that their souls may be lost. Now that definitely is a sign of instilled fear caused by religion. These people obviously take that seriously enough to show up.

What I'm suggesting is not a re-write of the final chapter of the Bible, but in fact a re-enactment - a different approach to how end time prophecies are interpreted, suggested and disseminated to the masses. Instead of fire and brimstone or war and pestilence, perhaps we were given these texts in advance to be able to actively divert from the path that leads to doom in our human lifetimes and nullify the need to be concerned of the destruction of this world. But instead we have passed the message on of "wars and rumours of wars" so much that we expect nothing else to occur! Hence we prepare our souls for the afterlife.

My suggestions are indeed far-fetched, but such is the realm of human thought. Ponder this though: It does seem sometimes as if organized religion is responsible for some of the destruction and mayhem found within this world. When world leaders begin to believe that they are being called upon by a superior being to attack other humans to invoke holy war or to simply "keep the world safe", conscious citizens of this world have no choice but to be a bit suspicious.

OK, now I think I am getting your point. What you are saying is that the end times program is becoming a self fulfilling prophecy of doom?

You wrote, "What I'm suggesting is not a re-write of the final chapter of the Bible, but in fact a re-enactment - a different approach to how end time prophecies are interpreted, suggested and disseminated to the masses." That would be nice but I doubt it can happen. Much is invested in the belief that the end time will be a God lead blood bath. All true believers pray for and look for it coming soon - have done for 2000 years. (I assume we are talking about the Christian & Islam faith)

You suggested that "Instead of fire and brim stone or war and pestilence, perhaps we were given these texts in advance to be able to actively divert from the path that leads to doom in our human lifetimes and nullify the need to be concerned of the destruction of this world." That is indeed a possible reading of the text. However, at the moment it is not read that way, but read as a fate that we cannot avoid. Also, don’t forget that this is what all good believers want!

How can we get people to read it in the way you suggest? Can’t be done. These mythologies require a bloody end, or at the very least, an end. The whole point of their scriptures collapse without it.