Humor me, and let me play through this idea...
For many years now, I have wondered why bad things happen. Why do people kill each other? Why do people make viruses that infect computers simply for the pleasure of destroying someone else's property? Why do people hurt animals? Why do parents kill their own children? Why why why?
Today I learned that the evil that I've seen in people goes as deep in the world as to be microscopic. Literally. Viruses (the kind that make you sick, that is) have long been part of the world we live in and they infect everything from flowers and grass to bats, cows, and humans. A virus' only goal is to reproduce. Viruses carry DNA (that looks exactly like human DNA!) and they use that DNA to mutate the genetic material of their hosts. DNA is what tells our cells what to do. Viruses attach to healthy cells and basically take over that cell, resulting in a dysfunction that can cause a multitude of problems. Viruses such as herpes simplex 1 and 2 might just hang around on your cells and only cause you to have signs and symptoms every now and then, when you make them mad. However, the HIV virus causes your body to attack itself and eventually kill itself. It's even been suggested that there may be a virus out there that could be causing the obesity epidemic - and probably more than just a few people have it. Oh, and viruses also happen to cause the mundane problems like rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes.
So what does the original question I asked have to do with viruses? It seems that even life on a molecular level is affected by "bad" things that want nothing more than to cause harm. Viruses (which are neither living nor dead, mind you) intentionally set out every day to harm perfectly happy cells. They go knocking on the doors of our naive little cells and our innocent cells let the virus inside because that thing that wants to come in looks a little like "self"... but it's not. That's a little evil, in my opinion. Hmm.... so if life on a microbial level has issues with good and evil, then it stands to reason that bigger life forms have those same basic problems too. Is it a law of nature? Must there must be evil to balance out goodness?
Hmm... I'm still stumped about WHY bad things have to happen to good people and how people can be so malicious and evil but I at least understand that it seems it must happen. Viruses have helped plants and animals alike evolve over the past 3.8 billion years or so, resulting in Darwin's suggestion of "survival of the fittest". Weaker species have been bred off or killed off and stronger species have survived. Does the same thing happen with humans? Are we all trying to kill each other off and screw each other over just to prove who is stronger and more adept to survive?? Hmm. We must just think we are good. Food for thought on a Saturday night. :)
For many years now, I have wondered why bad things happen. Why do people kill each other? Why do people make viruses that infect computers simply for the pleasure of destroying someone else's property? Why do people hurt animals? Why do parents kill their own children? Why why why?
Today I learned that the evil that I've seen in people goes as deep in the world as to be microscopic. Literally. Viruses (the kind that make you sick, that is) have long been part of the world we live in and they infect everything from flowers and grass to bats, cows, and humans. A virus' only goal is to reproduce. Viruses carry DNA (that looks exactly like human DNA!) and they use that DNA to mutate the genetic material of their hosts. DNA is what tells our cells what to do. Viruses attach to healthy cells and basically take over that cell, resulting in a dysfunction that can cause a multitude of problems. Viruses such as herpes simplex 1 and 2 might just hang around on your cells and only cause you to have signs and symptoms every now and then, when you make them mad. However, the HIV virus causes your body to attack itself and eventually kill itself. It's even been suggested that there may be a virus out there that could be causing the obesity epidemic - and probably more than just a few people have it. Oh, and viruses also happen to cause the mundane problems like rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes.
So what does the original question I asked have to do with viruses? It seems that even life on a molecular level is affected by "bad" things that want nothing more than to cause harm. Viruses (which are neither living nor dead, mind you) intentionally set out every day to harm perfectly happy cells. They go knocking on the doors of our naive little cells and our innocent cells let the virus inside because that thing that wants to come in looks a little like "self"... but it's not. That's a little evil, in my opinion. Hmm.... so if life on a microbial level has issues with good and evil, then it stands to reason that bigger life forms have those same basic problems too. Is it a law of nature? Must there must be evil to balance out goodness?
Hmm... I'm still stumped about WHY bad things have to happen to good people and how people can be so malicious and evil but I at least understand that it seems it must happen. Viruses have helped plants and animals alike evolve over the past 3.8 billion years or so, resulting in Darwin's suggestion of "survival of the fittest". Weaker species have been bred off or killed off and stronger species have survived. Does the same thing happen with humans? Are we all trying to kill each other off and screw each other over just to prove who is stronger and more adept to survive?? Hmm. We must just think we are good. Food for thought on a Saturday night. :)
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