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How is it that some people think the world has been getting worse?
Race, Religion & Politics / 9:53 PM - Friday November 20, 2009

How is it that some people think the world has been getting worse?

While it must be said that most of the people with this point of view come from a religious background, there are also others who share this pessimistic outlook.

I don't see how that opinion can be formed rationally. The world seems to consistently become more evolved and tolerant. A few hundred years ago people were burned as witches and murdered for their religious beliefs...in Western societies no less. And even in recent history, just look at how the rights of women, minorities, and gays have changed in the last century.

Examining the facts only, and taking out of consideration the ravings of some televangelist trying to scare people into buying their books and voting for their candidates, I don't see how it's possible to think that way.

Do you think the world is a better or worse place than it was?

- Asked by vabyss, An Intellectual Guy, Male, 29-35, Who Cares?

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I think it's better.

I remember a time of segregated schools and facilities.

It wasn't that long ago that women weren't allowed to vote and didn't have birth control options.
It wasn't that long ago that we were throwing all our plastics and glass into the trash and pouring our dirty oil into the street.
It wasn't that long ago that people were allowed to smoke in restaurants and offices and bars polluting the lungs of the non-smokers.
My older sister died of breast cancer 24 years ago. If she were diagnosed today, she'd have a good chance of surviving.
We have more vaccines now against diseases than we've ever had to include a vaccine for cervical cancer.

We aren't perfect. We have a lot of things to "fix" but I think we are better now than we've ever been.



- Response by jenny12, A Thinker, Female, 46-55, Other Profession

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Ehh I don't know that the world's getting worse, or better. It's evolving that's for sure. While it evolves and attitudes shift and change with it new prejudices and biases spring up. Many times they come from the same root: fear and ignorance. While we've made great strides in many ways there's always going to be some racist, homophobic bigot who will represent how far we as a society still need to come towards true tolerance and acceptance. While nothing will ever be perfect, there's good and bad in the world; it's all in how you choose to see it: glass half full or glass half empty.

- Response by lioness21, A Player, Female, 26-28, Consulting

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It is worse for *drugs and safety for kids........imo

As far as growing and changing, eh -- it's Life, it's Destiny

People have been killed and murdered Forever and this will continue throughout My Lifetime and Yours ...

The World --- It Is What It Is !!!!!



~w

- Response by wolfspirit, A Sweet Sarah, Female, 29-35, Self-Employed

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Depends on where you live. My folks live in a small town. People still go to bed without locking their doors. Leave their keys in the ignition when they run into church etc..

Personally, I would NEVER do any of that. But on average, there are still alot of good people in the world if one pays attention. I mean, even on the internet, there are people that care who I have never met. ;)

I know I sound like I have a "lala" attitude and perception. But I truly try to make a difference for the better, and that is all I focus on.




- Response by lovelylife, A Thinker, Female, Who Cares?

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Most of the people with this point of view come from religious backgrounds? There are over six billion people on this planet. I cannot see how you get a "most of the people" going on here. Were they all canvassed? Things getting better? Ever talk to the starving babies in Africa who's faces are obscured by the very flies their diseased and starving mothers cannot even swat away?

People being burned as witches have given way to people being burned because of narcotics. Waterways polluted in countris like China and India and all other developing countries. Polar Bears dying and species upon species disappearing due to environmental neglect.

Over a billion people going to bed hungry every night. Are you trying to tell me that a religious person has something wrong with him/her if they are gravely concerned for such. Don't know what to tell you, but the US is not the center of the universe.

- Response by william45, A Career Man, Male, 46-55, Chicago, Teaching

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I'll paraphrase something I always told my kids growing up...about life...but I think it applies to the world as well.

The world (life) is about 85% bullshit.

But, oh........that other 15% is pure and unadulterated joy....and makes putting up with the rest more than worthwhile.
It makes it mandatory.

- Response by drumboi2, A Guy Critical, Male, 56-65, Technical

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The world you are talking about for your self and the world as it is that we all live in have two different perspectives. The world in which you live in is the one you choose to perceive as an understanding of your responses and feeling towards what you ingested into your conscious mind where as the world as whole without your conscious beliefs being reflected for your own personal demeanor is based on statistics and those statistics can reflect parts of the world that have affected certian branches of life all together like the unemployment rates, foreclosure rates and many other statistical factors that can be determined as being worse than when the stats looked better.

- Response by diglebe2, A Guy Critical, Male, 29-35, Self-Employed

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All you have to do is look around and see how much more selfish Mankind has become to answer this. *People* care a lot less about each other than they did 40 years ago.

- Response by buffersclone, An Intellectual Guy, Male, 46-55, Los Angeles, Managerial

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Haha. Those religulous people. Worse? It's ALWAYS been a harsh world.

Things have sure changed since my parents time and many generations before me though. I can't imagine segregation, sexism, racism, and all those other things. Now I have so many opportunities. However, change always walks with it's own shadow of doom but I think they are worth the blood.

- Response by TheSshhmoe, An Alternative Girl, Female, 18-21, Student

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Haha. Those religulous people. Worse? It's ALWAYS been a harsh world.

Things have sure changed since my parents time and many generations before me though. I can't imagine segregation, sexism, racism, and all those other things. Now I have so many opportunities. However, change always walks with it's own shadow of doom but I think they are worth the blood.

- Response by TheSshhmoe, An Alternative Girl, Female, 18-21, Student

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"A few hundred years ago people were burned as witches and murdered for their religious beliefs"

And today people are brought before courts and brought up on charges for making innocent (or ignorant) comments.

In some ways the world is improving, but in many ways it is also degrading. Many countries are repeating the mistakes of those who came before us; the fall of the Roman Empire comes to mind, as does the mistakes of the Soviet Union.

When it comes to our scientific knowledge and understanding, we're growing by leaps and bounds. But when it comes to society and culture, we've lost our way:

The value of family and tradition has given way to high divorce rates and children without parents.
National sovereignty is taking a back seat to the whims of other nations.
The ability of parents to raise their children as they see fit has been appropriated by the governments.
Timeless literature and music are being shunned because they weren't created by minorities and might be considered "offensive".
Personal responsibility has been traded in for the victim-mentality.

- Response by avatar83, An Intellectual Guy, Male, 26-28, Teaching

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