Heaven on Earth

1. Heaven on Earth

It was suggested that we shrink the earth's population to a village of 100 people, with all human ratio's remaining the same. The village would then have 57 residents born Asians, 21 Europeans, 14 from North and South America and 8 Africans.
That idea came, unsolicited, during National Friendship Week (which I presume to be restricted to the United States of America, that country that murders well over 30,000 of its own citizens every year by shooting them with a gun).
Just over half, 52% would be female, leaving 48% males. Racially 70% would be non-Caucasian, 30% would be white (Caucasian). The same proportion would be labelled Christian, just 30%, but whether those people just carry that label or are active believers is questionable.
Surprisingly 89% would be heterosexual, meaning that 11% were not. That is difficult for someone of my ancient years to properly comprehend. During my formative years I didn’t have any contact with homosexuals. That’s difficult to understand these days, and even more perplexing as my first job was in a hospital for the mentally ill. This place contained about 5,000 people; 3,000 patients, 2,000 staff. We were a tolerant bunch, that’s one of the joys of mental instability, it allows for alternative perspectives. Yet, in that whole place I knew but three practising homosexuals. They were great blokes, life and soul of the party, and very openly homosexual. Undoubtedly there were more in that hospital, covert creatures unwilling to expose themselves but even so the present statistic of about one in ten of the adult population as homosexual is difficult to accept.
It’s not that there is anything particularly objectionable about homosexuality. It does not offer me any great appeal, although I will admit to having let one of the male nurses try it on one evening, and that it did come as something of a relief to find that I was not in the least interested in his persuasions. Male homosexuality does have some unpleasant attributes, but they are a pleasant bunch, very often making better friends than heterosexual acquaintances.
I once had a wife who turned to lesbianism at one stage in her life, post me. Not that she is a reliable indicator of the progress of female-kind as for a time she was apt to jump upon any passing fad, not that she should be unduly blamed for that, we were both searching for something, we knew not what. Reality now suggests that we were really looking for each other, but that’s another story.
Feminism started her fall from the divine, partly because that led to her sharing favours with anyone who happened to be passing, in a search for her independence from the yoke of marriage. Perhaps it is wrong to blame the feminist cause for her diversions, but there is a link. She wanted to find herself, feeling that being described as ‘the wife’ was demeaning, and who could disagree? From that state of mind it was an easy step to sexual freedom. Not everyone saw it that way, myself included. There will be more later of the woman I adored, for now just accept my bitter cynicism.
Of our population, just 6% would possess 59% of the entire world's wealth and most would be Americans, although that is slowly changing. That’s a ridiculous situation, even if material wealth is regarded as of little consequence. Relate that wealth to the odious fact that 25% of all pollution comes from the North American continent and someone needs to start thinking. Not least Americans because they are living in an unstable world. China is increasing its hold upon world economics and the future for USA does not look attractive.
Four-fifths (80%) of the world lives in substandard housing, and that does not mean that they just lack a dishwasher, or two bathrooms. This statistic can be expanded, as housing is a valuable indicator. Alongside the poor housing will be found bad or no water supply, no reliable electricity or sanitation, insufficient schooling and a base quality of life.
Half the world does not have enough to eat. It’s not just that these people cannot afford a MacDonald’s burger (lucky people in that at least) but they have so little food they suffer from malnutrition, with attendant consequences of high infant mortality, increased risk from crippling diseases and short life span. Think about that unseen partner of yours, the other person who shares this world with you, as you tuck into a hearty meal, or consider buying some new toy; a new car, an overseas holiday or an even larger home. Your mate is dying of starvation.
It will not be easy to tell most of the poor people how badly off they are compared with us, as over 70% of the world cannot read. That’s a comfortable feeling for us, as what the poor don’t know about they will not miss. Except that the Internet is opening up our world to even these people. Some Indian villages have Internet access, admittedly through sites that are specially created for them – as they have not been taught to read or write, but the future is there. One day everyone will know what is available; the trick will be in ensuring that they can get what they want. If they are deprived the fragile world we have created for ourselves is in danger of being over-turned. The old hags sitting at the foot of the guillotine, quietly knitting as aristocratic heads toppled to the sawdust will easily be matched.
Just one child in our hundred would have a college education, and by that I mean an American college, meaning that they went to school until after their eighteenth birthday.
A million people will die this week. For over 500 million of the earth’s people death often comes as a release from the dangers of war, or the loneliness of imprisonment or the agony of torture. You can probably attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture, or death. Yet more than three billion people in the world don’t have that luxury. Church leaders should reflect upon such repression, and ease up on implied guilt.
Most of us have food, clothing, a roof over our head and a place to sleep. Most of the world is not so privileged as they have no money in the bank or even in a wallet. Spare change is a luxury that less than one in twelve of us ever enjoy.
Old adages state; what goes around comes around, work like you don't need the money, love like you've never been hurt, dance and sing as if nobody's watching or listening. Live as if it is Heaven on Earth. Believe it as you read this, in comparison you are in heaven already.