At other times and in other places the secular has maintained
its ascendancy over the religious. In still other cases the religious
and the secular forces have maintained an uneasy balance leading to
acrimonious bickering and sometimes to civil war.
Central to their discussions is the nature of life. Is it continuous, as
it appears in vegetation and the animal kingdom, or is it discontinuous
like the rocks on the mountainside or the grains of sand on the
seashore? Those who live for the moment prefer discontinuity. Those who
observe their natural environment are forced to the conclusion that life
today is part of a sequence or progression which relates the life of
yesterday to that of tomorrow.
Recorded history, from fossil and geological remains, to the books on
library shelves assures us that man has had a past. Projecting this
experience, it seems quite reasonable that barring accident or a
purposed intervention, man will have at least some future. To prepare
for that future, using the knowledge and wisdom at our disposal, seems
to be a must for any reasoning creature.
Even for the short planetary life-span of the average human, the logic
of this position seems inescapable, whether it applies to the next hour,
day, year, or century. In terms of our children and grandchildren it is
even more impressive. Today we find it desirable to live as well as
possible. If there is any future, the same principle should apply to its
implementation and utilization.
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