There are those who think Man is on the same level as any other mammal within an ecosystem controlled by "Nature" and that all lifeforms--be it rabbits or whales or Man--are the same. If that were the case, then Man is free to do as Man pleases without consideration of other lifeforms because the Law of Nature is self-preservation. You don't see other mammals limiting their predation or consumption or reproduction based on the "collective good of all creatures".
There are others who think Man is supreme and as such free to destroy the world to suit his needs. He only will succeed in destroying himself in the end. (And, I've read the end of the book and the END is not pretty -- but thankfully there is a New Beginning!)
Then, there are those, of whom I'm one, who believes that Nature was created by God Almighty and that God gave Man dominion over nature. Dominion does not mean "free to destroy" but rather stewardship. I do not worship Nature but rather the Creator of nature and in His Name I steward the earth and it's creatures. I do
not consider other creatures to be on the same level as myself because the scriptures say they are not. I do consider it my duty to be humane in my treatment of them. If I act to preserve the earth and it's ecosystems so that I benefit, "nature" will benefit as well because our mutual good comes from that proper stewardship. So, being "above" does not make me free to destroy but rather responsible to care for and preserve.
No comments:
Post a Comment