The Only War That Should Be Fought

 People can continue to be at each other throats, divided over religion, politics, race, ethnicity, or any one of the many things that make groups of people different from one another, or they can finally unite and fight to save this dying planet on which all life depends. 

The only war that humankind should be fighting is the war to save this planet. Everywhere there are plastic particles contaminating air, lands and every body of water. The long list of heavy metals, forever chemicals, pesticides, herbicides, poisons of every sort, are pervasive throughout the environment and in many instances, inside of our bodies. Coral reefs, mangroves, wetlands, sea grass beds, tropical rain forests and much more are being lost at rates that bring our existence closer to the end. Biodiversity is collapsing under the weight of our reckless development, destructiveness, greed and shortsightedness. The planet is being destroyed by death from a thousand cuts. 

Looming in the background is the ever present threat of death by one cut from complete destruction by nuclear weapons. 

As the planet dies, people remain at each other's throats. For those that are not the pawns in life, the ones with the power to change things for the better, many instead choose to incite hatred, war and fear, or to exploit others, as they pursue their own selfish pursuits and pleasures.

There is a role religion can play, every single religion, in helping avert tragedy, which is to completely renounce violence and greed. Religion combined with violence always was a toxic mixture. Earth and its rich and diverse life, including human life, was not for humans to destroy.

The endless stupidity of war, hate, greed, demonizing others, especially in these last days while the very things that sustain life continue to collapse, only hastens our final demise.