PNG Planet

The thought of inter-relatedness is an important part of the formation of religion. The importance of this relationship is an illustration of how man seeks meaning in existence. Some claim that religion was born out of a need for man to continue living, that living without a purpose, for a higher thinking life-form, would be torturous and not worth living. The surety of death in a life without purpose and place would be merely a wait for death.

When faced with these thoughts and questions that would subsequently follow, it is natural to seek answers in the familiar. When one observes the interwoven pattern of nature in general, it provokes the thought that personal existence is also intertwined. This realization makes bearable the instances of brutality known to some and the unavoidable totality of death experienced by all. It is also natural to, after having such a revelation about inter-relatedness, care more about the entirety of the system in which you belong, as well as form customs around celebrating the whole. If you are part of a system farther than the stars, it becomes more important than your mortal woes.

From the struggle with man's mortality came the realization of the grand design. Whether monotheistic or polytheistic, most religions incorporate some variant of the interwoven aspect of the worldly condition. So how is it that in the struggle for success and prosperity, the respect and acknowledgment of the balance been lost?

Has religion faded in meaning to something as inconsequential as whether or not you get fries at the drive through? How has this effected the relationship between the human populace and the planet it calls home?

Now, that is not saying that those curly fries and side dishes aren't a must for some folk, but how does that denial of mental and spiritual caloric intake impact the rest of society? What, if anything, is taking the place of this religion? If nature abhors a vacuum, then the absence of spiritual connectivity and religious outlet has got to be filled by an alternative of similar traits.

When objectively looking at common religious beliefs, a list of similarities can be seen. Thoughts of inter-relatedness,  an initial creator, the concept of immortality, and ritual tribute. In this instance, ritual tribute represents a number of actions from praying or communing, to cleaning and maintaining places of worship.

With these traits established as a comparison to judge candidates of substitution for religious voids, one system of interrelatedness and connectivity stands in the forefront.

Though the origin of its exact creator is disputed, a series of systems named the TCP/IP birthed its current form.

Concepts of immortality, while arguably different, are present and often sought.

Millions maintain equipment and turn coin for the chance to commune in mass, ritualistically seeking their singular salvation.

Many are dependent upon a download for their daily bread.

These are people living on a PNG planet.

Technology. Take another look.

The world suffers while worship and recognition remains behind the electric glow of the television, the pulse of the computer.The wonders of nature are missed, disregarded, with the need for a text message reply.  What importance does this existence, this planet hold if life is centered in a cybernetic reality?

It is time to stop. To go outside. To look at the sky. It is all connected. Even if you can't show a picture of it to your aunt in Cleveland, she knows its there.

You shouldn't anyway. You're clogging the bandwidth.