Death For the Benefit of Mankind.
I'd hate to start off my first blog with such great controversy, yet this idea had been floating about in my mind for a while and I just needed it to get out. I'm hoping that some people could see the same side of life with me, just to know that i'm not alone in this topic that many of you might and will bash me about.
-I don't mean to offend anyone through this text and I accept concerns and opinions about this, feel free to comment your own opinions :)
We all have our own beliefs. Whether it be superstition or religion, theres this high respect and understanding of an ideology which may have little to no evidence. What holds us to it is mainly faith, and most possibly peer pressure. In some areas of South East Asia where I live, there are way too many kids who are forced into religion by their parents. Luckily with the modern world and its growing liberty, most of us can choose whether we want to hold on to those beliefs or not.
An individual is made to think and feel for himself, there shouldn't be a forceful influence by elders or the society to change who he is. I am not implying that parents should not teach their children religion at a young age. It is actually a good idea, since the kids will then have a closer relationship to their 'higher being' and may just be on the right track, though we aren't really in the position to say anything about the afterlife, we know that in most religions good values and manners are being well taught. All I'm saying that once he has grown up and seen the world in his own eyes, we mustn't restrict all the curiosity from happening. Curiosity is what drives us to success.
But this is a minor problem to what i'm going to have to say. I'll just come out clean. Our beliefs should not get into the way with development for the benefit of mankind. There I said it. You may read it and just think you agree, but no, its so much more.
See, cremation is practiced all over the world, in different countries and in multiple religions. I perceive death as the detachment of the soul and the body, the host does not feel his body anymore, he has no ownership over it, he doesn't care, has no emotions, and thus the flesh is useless, just a rotting piece of meat who used to be a great person. The body is not the person, the person is gone, so there really is no use for such 'fancy' ways to dispose of the body, what came from dust will return to dust. The combustion of the human body would not simply emit CO2 but also mercury and CH4, methane gas, which lasts for 12 years in our ozone layer, killing our Earth slowly with the rays of the sun.
Burial may have more benefits, such as our bodies being fertilizers for plants, fossilization allowing humans to be the next energy source, and quite possibly a great underground discovery while digging the grave. But with mass deforestation and the rapid decrease of green all over, grand oak coffins which are seen for a mere few hours are just not worth it. Not to mention cost and the takeup of earth's surface, which could be better used for landfills or settlements.
I'd have to say that it is my dream to live in a world where donation of working organs after death is mandatory. This way we'd make better use of the body, and the person could finally serve the society even after death. Imagine how high our knowledge base would go, allowing medical students to clearly examine human bodies and conduct experiments on them, probably leading to a major breakthrough in science. The number of living people who are 'imperfect' would also be reduced. Honestly, it would be so much better to improve the living than still holding on to what has passed.
These rituals are mainly spiritual, and simply to cherish the memory of the deceased. I respect that, I respect the dead, but I wouldn't completely agree on treating a carcass like a king. That would be better for him alive. All in all I just hope that these beliefs shouldn't block a possible greater future of scientific and technological utopia :)
-I don't mean to offend anyone through this text and I accept concerns and opinions about this, feel free to comment your own opinions :)
We all have our own beliefs. Whether it be superstition or religion, theres this high respect and understanding of an ideology which may have little to no evidence. What holds us to it is mainly faith, and most possibly peer pressure. In some areas of South East Asia where I live, there are way too many kids who are forced into religion by their parents. Luckily with the modern world and its growing liberty, most of us can choose whether we want to hold on to those beliefs or not.
An individual is made to think and feel for himself, there shouldn't be a forceful influence by elders or the society to change who he is. I am not implying that parents should not teach their children religion at a young age. It is actually a good idea, since the kids will then have a closer relationship to their 'higher being' and may just be on the right track, though we aren't really in the position to say anything about the afterlife, we know that in most religions good values and manners are being well taught. All I'm saying that once he has grown up and seen the world in his own eyes, we mustn't restrict all the curiosity from happening. Curiosity is what drives us to success.
But this is a minor problem to what i'm going to have to say. I'll just come out clean. Our beliefs should not get into the way with development for the benefit of mankind. There I said it. You may read it and just think you agree, but no, its so much more.
See, cremation is practiced all over the world, in different countries and in multiple religions. I perceive death as the detachment of the soul and the body, the host does not feel his body anymore, he has no ownership over it, he doesn't care, has no emotions, and thus the flesh is useless, just a rotting piece of meat who used to be a great person. The body is not the person, the person is gone, so there really is no use for such 'fancy' ways to dispose of the body, what came from dust will return to dust. The combustion of the human body would not simply emit CO2 but also mercury and CH4, methane gas, which lasts for 12 years in our ozone layer, killing our Earth slowly with the rays of the sun.
Burial may have more benefits, such as our bodies being fertilizers for plants, fossilization allowing humans to be the next energy source, and quite possibly a great underground discovery while digging the grave. But with mass deforestation and the rapid decrease of green all over, grand oak coffins which are seen for a mere few hours are just not worth it. Not to mention cost and the takeup of earth's surface, which could be better used for landfills or settlements.
I'd have to say that it is my dream to live in a world where donation of working organs after death is mandatory. This way we'd make better use of the body, and the person could finally serve the society even after death. Imagine how high our knowledge base would go, allowing medical students to clearly examine human bodies and conduct experiments on them, probably leading to a major breakthrough in science. The number of living people who are 'imperfect' would also be reduced. Honestly, it would be so much better to improve the living than still holding on to what has passed.
These rituals are mainly spiritual, and simply to cherish the memory of the deceased. I respect that, I respect the dead, but I wouldn't completely agree on treating a carcass like a king. That would be better for him alive. All in all I just hope that these beliefs shouldn't block a possible greater future of scientific and technological utopia :)
Comments
Post a Comment