God’s Biggest Mistake?

If you claim to be a Christian, you believe what the Bible says about Creation: “On the 6th day, God created man in his image and likeness.” If this is true, God made a huge mistake with that decision.

The Evil Men Do

Without mankind, the world would not be struggling to survive as climate change threatens to destroy every living creature on the planet. Without mankind, there would be no war. As a matter of fact, without mankind, none of the atrocities I read about every day would exist.

Mother Earth and the animals are His greatest creations. They are perfect. Man is flawed in many, many ways, and has devolved over time.

So Many Bad Things, So Little Time

I was in my 20’s when I said these words for the first time to my friends: “God only f**ked up once, He created people.”

Little did I know then that I would become a writer in my later years and be forced to read and write about the worst of mankind, and on a few occasions the best.

Why Are There Religions?

Raised a Catholic, I believed everything I was told when I was young. I gladly went to church, attended Catholic Elementary school, became an altar boy, and said my prayers morning and night. However, during high school, I began to have questions. The answers were always the same: “It’s God’s will,” or “God works in mysterious ways.” That was no longer good enough. I decided that all religions were created by men to gain power over others, and force their own beliefs on their followers.

Growing Backwards?

Today I believe that human beings are a freak of nature. As quickly as we evolved from animal life, we began to devolve. Greed, ambition, envy, and other more evil emotions including racism and bigotry began to dominate an unacceptable percentage of mankind.

Wars, famine, racism, bigotry, hatred, and every other negative act and emotion are the creation of man. We kill animals, sometimes for “sport.” People kill each other for multiple reasons. We ignore those in need, revealing our selfishness. People ignore the teachings in the Bible and refuse to be the “stewards” of our planet. We learn prejudice, often at an early age and hatred prevents compassion and understanding as we age.

Renewing Hope and Trust

Although this is all true, every once in a while I read a story that restores my faith in the majority of humankind. In the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, which devastated the southwestern coast of Florida on September 28, 2022, I read story after story about strangers offering aid to their neighbors. At least 40,600 people were suddenly homeless. Those who escaped the worst of the disaster offered their homes or assisted displaced families in securing shelter immediately. Unlike Florida’s governor, there was no exception because of race or sexual orientation.

However, one story I wrote will always remain close to my heart.

It happened in Forrest County, Mississippi, in September of 2021. Brittany Walters was a senior at Forrest County Agricultural School. She was one of the young women in consideration for Homecoming Queen. Her mother was dying from cancer. Brittany lost her mother on the morning of the event, and before her mother passed, she promised to attend her final senior celebration.

Friends and family helped her find a dress, did her hair and makeup and escorted by her father she was in the stands alongside the football field.

The title of Homecoming Queen was received by Nyla Covington, one of Brittany’s many friends. After she received her crown, Ms. Covington asked for the microphone. She asked Brittany to come to the center of the field. Her father walked with Brittany, then stood back as the two young women embraced each other. Then Nyla did the unexpected. She took off her crown and placed it on Brittany’s head as the crowd roared. By the way, Brittany is white and Nyla is Black.

Elections Which Helped Me Believe Writing the Truth is Important

I would be remiss if I did not mention that the 2020 and 2022 elections renewed my hope in the people of our nation. The majority do care about the future of our country and their fellow Americans.

We can do better, and we can be better. I hope to live long enough to write more positive stories than negative ones. Sometimes dreams do come true.

By James Turnage, Author of “Tales from Between the Sheets”

Sources:

Scientific American: Humans Are Doomed to Go Extinct

Independent: The human race has peaked in many areas and will now decline, scientists suggest

WLBT: Miss. homecoming queen gives crown to friend who lost mother to cancer

Top and Featured Image Courtesy of Jean Bean‘s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License