Population, The Earth, And Me

TUES., FEB. 4, 1992, 12:01 PM
OFFICE, PULLIAM HALL

In the midst of your preparation for a class that will deal with population and the earth, I want you to hear how I, the Holy Spirit, am a part of this issue. This is not a new topic. I have given you many Teachings, and We have composed several Ruminations with this theme. I am not calling on you to be an abrasive advocate of this whole message, but neither do I want you to deny it (and Me) when you must take some side. You know that it is not a popular position, culturally nor religiously. Hear again, however, that it is a spiritually powerful stance, for I do present it.

Human life is precious. Human life is excessive. Myriad other forms of life are precious to their Creator… and should be to humans. Myriad other forms of life are being extinguished directly and indirectly by the excess of human life. Just as individual humans are both saints and sinners, both saved and lost, both related to Me and far from Me, so I can see this precious creation as excessive and in need of reduction.

I appreciate how babies are desired and loved as they come into a human family. The young of almost any species of animal are cute, but if they grow to adulthood they lose that cuteness and may become an asset or a liability in the earth scene. Ironically, in your culture some who appear to be the most concerned about present conditions of recession are advocating actions that are harmful to the earth and to the well-being of future generations. To increase production of all but a few necessities is one such harmful advocation. But don’t look to Me for easy answers. The answers are simple to state: diminished population and simpler life styles, with more human muscle power. The difficult part is how to achieve this, from the current situation, in any easy fashion.

For it is obvious that economies must give up some present values and willingly and positively accept some others, some quite opposite of present ones. The economies of some less developed countries pose more of a sustainable model that does that of your culture. Yet who believes this? People need work to do, from childhood through old age. Much manufacturing, farming, and transportation policy negates such a value. Be aware of this as you continue to develop and enjoy the lifestyle of your older years.

But if changing the values of the social and economic system is difficult, you know the reduction in population is more so. Not only must the death rate rise and the birth-rate fall, but there must be a comfortable acceptance of this change in aspirations. Most causes of death are going to have to be looked at with some favor. Various attempts to prolong life must fade out as cultural values. This means that positive efforts can be made to help people develop healthy lifestyles and to remain healthy, but medical attempts to correct weaknesses, inherent or developed through unhealthy practices, will no longer be valued.

There will be some disasters that take and shorten many lives… and may leave some portions of the earth uninhabitable, in memory of developments (like nuclear power) that seemed, initially, to be so beneficial. Human compassion must still be felt and expressed, but this must go to the survivors rather than for the “victims”. Responses to disasters will be somewhat different, with a more conscious mixing of compassion for those killed and injured and assurance that such happenings are necessary.