Spiritual/Political/Philosophical Blog on the Nature of Truth and Falsehood and Heaven
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| Sunny Days in Heaven Spiritual/Political/Philosophical Blog on the Nature of Truth and Falsehood and Heaven |
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Friday, June 14, 2002 Life as we know it I was watching some TV program the other day that featured a story about medical research on geriatrics where the researchers studied centenarians and other older people who were still in excellent health and well being. Many of the old folks were people who had done nothing special to live long and had not tried very hard to take care of themselves. Many had smoked and drunk alcohol in large quantities for much of their adult lives. The researcher wondered if, perhaps, their long lives and freedom from disease was because of genetic factors. So he began to study the genomes to see if he could find markers and sequences that might signal a genetic disposition for health and long life. He claimed to have found such sequences and said we might expect drugs in the near future that would mimic the genetic effect of healthy old folks. Then I heard Steven Spielberg promoting his new movie saying that in 50 years people might start to look forward to living 150 years or so. All of that began to make me wonder - why? Why live 150 years when 100 years of it or so will be that of a wizened human being? Ever talk to old people? You don't generally find a lot of wisdom in old folks. You won't find any more in people fifty years older than the top age now. So what will these folks offer the rest of the world? How can they serve? They will be retired from work for longer periods than they ever worked as adults. (Hoped they saved for retirement.) For me, the most joyous aspect of human life is raising a child, but creating such would effectively end for a faithful husband at around forty when the wife becomes infertile. I can't imagine what I would do with a hundred years of infertility. Grandchildren might be nice to have but nothing really takes the place of creating and raising your own. I am looking forward to eternal life since neither age nor disease shall have any part of it - and whatever heaven is - it will be fruitful and creative. But to live on earth as an old man for a long, long time? That doesn't really appeal to me. It would take a special kind of either egotism or ignorance to look forward to fifty more sterile years, shambling gait, and watching the pretty girls go by one's decrepit frame - and doctor's appointments, more dentistry, lots of pills to take, and wanting to drive and be in the way. posted by Mark Butterworth | 1:14 AM | |
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