The Value of Life

“Love your neighbor as you love yourself.”
“But who is my neighbor?”

Doesn’t that capture the heart of it? We don’t truly value life, certainly not the lives of others.

I dream of a world in which everyone has enough, and they are free to grow into the fullest potential of their minds and bodies. The population of each region is the right size for its long-term carrying capacity, so even in a bad year they can grow (or hunt/gather) enough to feed themselves, and there is plenty of room for pristine nature to function. Technology is so advanced that it is imperceptible. Global communication and access to human knowledge is universal. Healthcare is effective against every condition, such that humans live for hundreds of years with the strength and mental ability of their prime.

Is that world possible? If you’re holding out of Heaven, you might say no, and that would be a shame because it gives you an excuse not to try. I say a good world is possible, but it requires a radical change of attitude. The place to start is to value every life deeply, no exceptions.

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