Get your own Free Home Page Since the beginning of time, man has seen himself as the protector of all creation, thus instilling within him the belief that he is powerful enough to conquer nature. To begin with, man is constantly trying to act as a god on earth. Accordingly, he has assumed that is is he who decides whose lives will be prolonged or shortened. This authority has come about as science has advanced, and has introduced to society aids such as life supports, respirator, and transplants to preseryve life, as well as creating movements to legalize doctor assisted suicide, and abortion as a method of advancing death. In reality, these decisions should fall into the hands of a greater being, of which is far beyond the power of man. Similarily, man makes many attempts to alter the natural state of the environment. He is caught in the endless battle to change the natural world in order for it to better suit his purposes. For instance, the destruction of the rainforests to meet the needs of a growing population, and the establishment of cities on fault lines in order to allow one to live in a prestigious location. However, the forces of nature, which are much more powerful than man, will return to haunt humanity for its ill errors. As a punishment for the human desire to play "God", hundreds of cures for fatal diseases will disappear along with the rainfoesrs. Likewise, earthquakes, especially along the California coast, will annihilate man's constructions, causing them, with time to fall into the sea. Man's high opinion of himself as a god on earth has accounted for his ill awaiting fate, which is beginning to show evidence of truth.
Society values those who are young and beautiful, as a result, it becomes obsessed with retaining these gifts even if it involves resrting to artificial means. The public is influenced by the media subconsciously. This form of communication dictates, mainly through advertising, that youthfulness and beauty are the keys to social success. Consequently, man is lured into spending fortunes on cosmetics and apprel in his attempt to apprea as young and beautiful as possible since he is given the idea that physical appearance is extremely important. Also, stereotypes have been created regarding the elderly, those who are the most wise; labeling them to be useless in this quick paced society. It is typical for one to think that only the young, yet inexperienced, can keep up with this ever changing world. This belief brings about restriction for the elderly, who are forced into retirement or placed in old age homes, and more liberty for the young who are pressured with education and are seen as the most knowlegeble and intelligent. Humanity's physical vanity has been a factor in its arrogance and self-labeled superiority.
Man has the notion that being of a higher intelligence and having a more intricate composition than most earth-dwelling creatures, he has been granted a position of superiority. In North America, this is illustrated in a fault in the beliefs of the Western World as opposed to those of the Eastern World. When determining the class structure of libing things, both worlds have a differing point of view. The West sees a pyramid with humans at the highest level and plant life at the lowest level, suggesting that all other life forems are controlled by man. The East, on the other hand, sees a wev, implying that all life forms are equal and interdependant. Due to this doctrine of the Western World, it has lead to the mistreatment of the "lesser" species. This idea is forever beheld in man' dominance of animals through animal testing, and hunting for sport, both threatening the existance of certain species; the pollution of water bodies, causing harm to marine life; and unnecessary foresty, further impariting the air one inhales. Man's vanity and arrogance can once again foreshadow his extinction from the worlds he once ruled.
The vanity of humanity has proved to be very detrimental to its existance and to the natural environment on earth. Perhaps being created in the "image of God" has done more harm than good with respct to preserving precious creation.
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