Dinosaurs
This past weekend I watched an animated movie recorded from the weekend before called "Dinosaurs." Besides being an entertaining program, mostly compared to the regular flood of crappy & boring offerings of infomercials, news commentators, and (gag) "sports", it also conveyed an important message. That message was that the "survival of the fittest" and "rugged individualist" fighting all comers with different ideas/opinions, with an unwillingness to not only acknowledge, accept or listen to something remotely different. Ends up in a thinning of the herd by predators, loosing your strongest allies and closest friends, a blocked life path and dying in vain just as you finally see the wisdom of others.
The Dinosaur herd was a diverse group of individuals who learned cooperation, working together for the common good, and taking care of each other for the common good of all. It demonstrated the value of honoring the wisdom of age, and just because someone was elderly, that person still had a lot of value, other than being a target for predation in order to give the herd a bit more breathing space before the next victim was singled out, and left behind to feed the constant hunger of the pack, which constantly attacked the herd. They learned that when faced with a threat, that by standing together and presenting a united front, they could over-come anything. But also, they had to be open-minded enough to accept different perspectives, and to be adaptable enough to change their course for a new one through which the goal of all could be had. Working together, they were strong, alone they were vulnerable, and this all reminded me of the Greater Pagan Community. A very diverse group, each with their own ideas, an unwillingness to accept the perspectives of others, thinking theirs is the ONLY way, stubbornly unwilling to change their course, and pretty much everyone for him/herself. The Dinosaurs learned that, this way only leads to tragedy for the majority, hardship for everyone, infighting and dying alone. I wonder when Pagans will learn the same lesson........
The Dinosaur herd was a diverse group of individuals who learned cooperation, working together for the common good, and taking care of each other for the common good of all. It demonstrated the value of honoring the wisdom of age, and just because someone was elderly, that person still had a lot of value, other than being a target for predation in order to give the herd a bit more breathing space before the next victim was singled out, and left behind to feed the constant hunger of the pack, which constantly attacked the herd. They learned that when faced with a threat, that by standing together and presenting a united front, they could over-come anything. But also, they had to be open-minded enough to accept different perspectives, and to be adaptable enough to change their course for a new one through which the goal of all could be had. Working together, they were strong, alone they were vulnerable, and this all reminded me of the Greater Pagan Community. A very diverse group, each with their own ideas, an unwillingness to accept the perspectives of others, thinking theirs is the ONLY way, stubbornly unwilling to change their course, and pretty much everyone for him/herself. The Dinosaurs learned that, this way only leads to tragedy for the majority, hardship for everyone, infighting and dying alone. I wonder when Pagans will learn the same lesson........
