Last year another milestone was reached by human beings: Population reached 7 billion mark. In a world already struggling, and failing, to meet the nutritional needs of it’s inhabitants this was not one of our shining moments. In impoverished and uneducated parts of the world the population continues to expand.

Human population growth is proceeding at levels which are outstripping the means to maintain them. If we were only a small number such growth rates would be necessary, yet, as vast as we are in number, the growth proceeds at rates as if we were recovering from near extinction.

The reasons for such growth are myriad. In the past many children were necessary as many of them did not make it past childhood. Medicine has improved and now death in childhood is major news. Due to such improvements in medical care people are living longer than ever before. Diseases which were death sentences at one time in history are no longer a controlling factor on population. Even the many wars which humans engage in are no longer a limiting factor to population growth, and as population continues to grow unabated such wars will become more frequent as struggles for dwindling resources will increase.

Food production has improved as well, making food cheap and plentiful in progressive nations even allowing for distribution to far points of the world. This growth of food production has it’s limits and is governed by weather and by availability of suitable agricultural area. One horrendous weather related calamity and food prices will soar out of reach and a vast segment of humanity will starve. Starvation is not a desirable mode for controlling population growth.

Human beings realize that population is an important consideration in the animal world. Since humankind has eliminated many of the predators it is necessary to limit the growth of animal populations of those remaining. Deer, left to themselves will proliferate beyond the capacities of the land to support them. So we cull the herds, sometimes sending out groups of individuals to take “game” which is then provided to agencies for distribution. Our domestic animals, pets, are also controlled through neutering or spaying as well as euthanasia.

With our population growth out of control we are expanding into every nook and cranny of this planet. As a result habitats available for the varieties of other creatures on the planet are decreasing. Many species have gone completely extinct and many others are headed in that direction. The diversity of this planet is being eliminated.

Taboos against contraception and abortion of unwanted pregnancies continue to hamper the curtailment of this unprecedented growth of the human population. The consideration of the preciousness of human life, though commendable and necessary, has led to unceasing growth, and eventually life as we know it will not be worth living. We are headed towards a disaster predicted by Gene Roddenberry’s Star Trek series of the 60’s. The “Mark of Gideon”, where a people had eliminated all disease, where death became a desirable element. People were living a nightmare where population had grown to such proportions that they were crammed shoulder to shoulder. To return their planet to a manageable population these people were determined to reintroduce disease.

Religious groups and others they have persuaded to join them continue to villanize  contraception and abortion. Family planning agencies are frequently protested along with abortion clinics. Abortion clinics have been bombed by fanatics.

Where is the value of life when life is undesirable? Life is precious and can only be kept so when life is enjoyable. Continued population growth will make life less precious by making it miserable. Progress in stemming the tide of growth will never occur as long as a majority of people guided by belief in an ancient tome 3400 years old, that promotes procreation with abandonment, continues to oppose it. As long as a majority continues to believe it will be rescued from such a fate by imagined deities returning to Earth there will be no efforts toward managing this growth of population, nor will there be any efforts at preserving the Earth for future generations.

A question was put to Yahoo Answers:

“Mankind is slowly, but surely, destroying the Earth, is that also part of “god’s plan”?

The best answer chosen:

“Yes, the quality of the earth means nothing to those who await their entrance into heaven.”