Wisdom of Pre-Biblical, Biblical, and Early American times.

21:  Pre-Biblical Times wisdom offered:  Pre-biblical times provided us with several examples of sustainable practices and principles that are still relevant today for a healthy and thriving population: 

 Early agricultural practices, such as crop rotation and terracing, helped maintain soil fertility and prevent erosion, ensuring a consistent food supply.   Many prehistoric societies relied on a balanced diet of wild game, foraged plants, and fish, establishing our bodies need for diversified natural food sources for all the systems of our body.  Especially the immune system which has always been our first line of defence against our most lethal exterior threats.

 

Some ancient cultures led nomadic lives, moving in harmony with nature, which prevented overexploitation of local resources.  Modern technology can enable humans to do this in almost any local environment if this were a financial and political priority.  Consumed food locally available reduces the need for long-distance transportation and associated energy costs.

 

Some Indigenous communities had sustainable resource management practices, like the "seven generations" principle, which considered the impact of decisions on future generations. Those that did not usually didn’t survive.

 

Ancient civilizations, like the Romans, reused and recycled materials to minimize waste, showcasing resource efficiency.  Today we have the technological capacity to recycle most of our waste materials if that were a political priority.  Indigenous architecture often utilized local materials, like adobe or thatch, in construction, minimizing the environmental footprint.  They sometimes emphasized communal living and shared resources, fostering social support networks crucial for resilience.

 

Early civilizations like the Indus Valley Civilization developed sophisticated systems for managing water resources, which are still studied and admired today.

 Perhaps most important in pre-biblical cultures was the creation of spiritual beliefs and rituals closely tied to nature, promoting a sense of responsibility for the environment that enabled a healthy and thriving population while minimizing our impact on local environments.

 

20:  Biblical times wisdom offered: 

Biblical times offer some foundational principles and practices that can contribute to our modern world’s sustainability. 

In Genesis 1:26, the Bible contains teachings about human responsibility to steward and care for the Earth, often referred to as "dominion over the earth". This concept emphasizes responsible management of creation’s natural resources.  The biblical concept of the Sabbath promotes rest and rejuvenation.  Suggesting the importance of giving the people and nature time to recover and recharge.

Numerous religions have emphasize the importance of helping the less fortunate, which can be extended to environmental justice and ensuring that sustainable practices benefit all members of society and minimizing waste and excessive wealth and consumption.

The Bible’s Ten Commandments and other moral teachings in provide a moral framework that, when applied to human rights and environmental issues, can guide ethical decision-making to any open mind.

Some interpretations of the biblical Noah's Ark story view it as a covenant between God and all living creatures, emphasizing humanity's responsibility to protect and preserve the natural world. 

The Bible’s religious text, its teachings, and stories can be interpreted in many ways.  But it focus is the promotion of sustainability, ethical living, and responsible stewardship of the Earth. These principles are still not incorporated into most governments as modern economic, political, national, or personal efforts to engineer a sustainable world.

  19.  1776  Declaration of Independence wisdom.  American founders failed to codify the profoundly valuable “Laws of Nature and Nature’s God” into the 1788 Ratification of the US Constitution. This failure was a monstrous mistake resulting in the deaths of more Americans than all the wars we have fought in since then- combined!

While much progress has been made related to this horrendous crime, problems within our nation regarding this corruption of Godly values problems remain today in many forms and murderous hate crimes are growing.   Now our nation’s greatest domestic terrorism threat.  And this threat dangerously connected to the global extremist threats.  Humanity and many Americans are yet to realized there is only one race.  The human race.  And the concept of living in accordance with the "Laws of Nature and Nature's God" is often associated with natural law theory. Which unfortunately has been misinterpreted in various ways throughout history.

Depending on one's interpretation and perspective, a world where people universally adhere to fundamental principles could have several extremely valuable characteristics.  Like prioritizing ethical and moral behavior, guided by a sense of inherent justice and fairness. This could lead to a world population with greater empathy, compassion, and respect for the life and freedoms of others.  Plus living in harmony with nature's laws which would entail responsible and sustainable environmental practices spurring a greater emphasis on protecting the environment and addressing several other vital environmental issues in addition to climate change.

A commitment to natural law principles could promote social justice, equality, and the protection of human rights with this likely achieving equitable societies and sustainable global institutions.  This would establish reliable means of resolving conflicts peacefully and justly as a central focus.  Thus avoiding the pitfalls of diplomacy and dialogue which alone often lead to violence and war. 

 Instead, people might emphasize cooperation and collaboration, recognizing the interconnectedness of humanity and the need to work together for common goals.

Health and well-being must be prioritized at every level.  There can be no health without mental health.  With the basic mind set of putting humanities survival and thriving for generations to come the highest goal - miracles could be achieved.  Vital would-be personal responsibility of our actions, knowing that each of our choices have consequences for ourselves, others, and the environment.

Any interpretation of natural law must involve a sense of spirituality or a search for deeper meaning in life. This could lead people to seek fulfillment through a greater purpose than being happy, feeling good, looking good, fame, or wasteful wealth.

Interpretations of the "Laws of Nature and Nature's God" can vary significantly among different cultures, religious beliefs, and philosophical traditions making any transition difficult given the diversity of beliefs and values in the world.  But in reality what we all want most is to survive and thrive.   And values such as environmental stewardship, social justice, and cooperation can contribute to creating a more harmonious, just, and sustainable world, even if individuals interpret and apply these principles in different ways

What were the fundamental principles linking the revolutionary war to the Declaration?  Both were intimately connected.  The Declaration played a significant role in both the lead-up to the war and its aftermath.  Before the outbreak of the Revolutionary War, tensions between the American colonies and British authorities had been escalating due to issues like taxation without representation and British infringement on colonial rights. The idea of declaring independence from Britain gained momentum as a response to these grievances.  An engineer would have titled it “the Declaration of Separation” given the reality that independence is a flawed concept that is only a mental illusion.

The Declaration was primarily drafted by Thomas Jefferson had input from others like Dr. Benjamin Rush who suggested he edit the word “happiness” from the best-known phrase to “the pursuit of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Health”.   Modern culture has redefined “Happiness” to mean ‘what makes one feel good”.  In 1776 it meant finding your bliss in using your talents in serving one’s community.  Most philosophers today understand the true happiness cannot be found without service to something outside of oneself.   The Declaration also argued that governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed.  These ideals served as a catalyst for the Revolutionary War.   This inspired many American colonists to support the cause, and galvanized public opinion and encouraged individuals to enlist in the Continental Army or provide support to the patriot militias.

But the Declaration also had international significance. It served as an announcement to the world that the American colonies were seeking separation from another power. The declaration’s principles and grievances helped garner international support, particularly from France, which became a crucial ally during the war, and inspired other’s separation from colonial powers.

Unfortunately, the Declaration of Independence led to the establishment of an enforceable legal and political framework we know as the U.S. Constitution.  A political framework that President Lincoln later called a “Frame of Silver” around our “Apple of Gold” – the Declaration of Independence.  And to this day Americans, our nation, and the world continues to suffer from our public and political delusion that we, our laws, and our actions are independent from the consequences of our freedoms to act both here and abroad.  

And after World War II our nation joined with others in cementing this delusional concept into the United Nations Charter during its creation. And to this day we still don’t question this catastrophic decision.  An undemocratic global governance system that puts the protection of national sovereignty above the protection of human rights and the environment.  The very same systemic error of judgment our nation’s founders made in creating the US Constitution and codifying a law that slaves would only be counted as 3/5ths of a human being.

Throughout the Revolutionary War the flawed concept of independence served as a source of inspiration and propaganda.  And went on to inspire the writing and bold signing of the Declaration of Independence and the eventual creation of the United States.   And it remains a seminal document in American history, symbolizing the honorable values of freedom, democracy, and self-determination.  But now its ideals expose the harmful reality of our Constitution’s hypocrisy, dysfunction, and lack of accountability for our nation’s actions domestically and globally.  And for all that it has done for most Americans, “We the people” have elected policy makers and largely sat back allowing them to commit crimes against nature, our fellow Americans, and too often humanity.