Roughshod over Nature

Why “modern” man treatsWhy “modern” man treats

the earth and its inhabitants with such the earth and its inhabitants with such devastating impunity…devastating impunity…

To understand why we must go back…

Back to the Holy Bible and the Book of Genesis:Back to the Holy Bible and the Book of Genesis: And God said, Let us make man in our image, after ourAnd God said, Let us make man in our image, after our

likeness: and let them have likeness: and let them have dominiondominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, andAnd God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and

multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that is upon the earth.living thing that is upon the earth.

THE KEY WORD HERE IS THE KEY WORD HERE IS DOMINIONDOMINION!!

DOMINION means:

Control or the exercise Control or the exercise of controlof control

A territory or sphere A territory or sphere of influence or controlof influence or control

Mastery or supremacy Mastery or supremacy over another or othersover another or others

SubjugationSubjugation ExploitationExploitation

DOMINION does not mean:

To act in harmony and To act in harmony and accord with…accord with…

To treat with respect To treat with respect and consideration…and consideration…

To understand the To understand the value and worth of…value and worth of…

To love or cherish…To love or cherish…

However, dominion does mean that one controls much…

MONEY!!!

And, in today’s world, dominion = money = power!

So why does Man ride roughshod over Nature?

In the first book of In the first book of the Holy Bible, God the Holy Bible, God commands it…commands it…

Man has Man has interpreted this interpreted this command as license command as license to abuse Nature for to abuse Nature for his own his own materialistic ends.materialistic ends.

For the first few thousand years Since the Bible was written…

It didn’t matter too It didn’t matter too much what Mankind much what Mankind did to the earth.did to the earth.

But , in the last 50 But , in the last 50 years, with years, with technology, technology, industrialization and industrialization and overpopulation:overpopulation:

Things have changed!Things have changed!

What does god really want for our small planet?

Does dominion mean the Does dominion mean the same as destruction?same as destruction?

Are material gain and Are material gain and money more important than money more important than a healthy environment?a healthy environment?

Do we really think that God Do we really think that God would want us to lay waste would want us to lay waste to the only planet we’ve to the only planet we’ve got?got?

Food for thought… It is inherently wrong It is inherently wrong

for the greedy few to for the greedy few to ruin our world to make ruin our world to make a fast buck!a fast buck!

It is up to each and It is up to each and every one of to ask, in every one of to ask, in our hearts, what God our hearts, what God would want us to do to would want us to do to save the earth and then save the earth and then act on what God tells act on what God tells us…us…