CREATED EARTH DAY

"BROTHER BEAR" PROMISES TO
BE A BUNCH OF BULL

    Outside a building, I saw a pigeon grounded with an injured wing. Pigeons, of course, are closely akin to the dove which is the very symbol of peace. That is, a symbol as chosen by men, and at least once by God, for the benefit of men. Just how much pigeons appreciate the symbolism in their own behavior was quick to be seen. One after another, the rest of the pigeons in the flock began darting in to attack the injured one. Not because there was any possible need to do so; they did it simply because they could.

       We always hear that "only humans are cruel." That is simply false. Many animals are vicious without any cause, even innocent-looking pigeons. And by the way, this icky meat-eating Republican saved the life of that injured bird, and got it into the hands of animal-shelter people. Funny how you never see wild animals running charitable shelters, for their own kind or for us. And funny how the Disney Corporation fails to understand this.

     It was about seven years ago that a Disney cartoon movie turned history on its head with regard to Pocahontas. The actual Pocahontas became a believer in Jesus; but the Disney Politcorrectohontas was depicted as converting John Smith to nature-worshipping paganism. And now, judging by the movie trailers, Disney's animators are taking the next logical step: not only are pagans better than Christians in their view, but wild animals are better than any humans, and so a stupid human has to learn wisdom by being transformed into a bear by some shamanistic spirit. This is the premise of "BROTHER BEAR." (Oh, did I mention that, in reality, adult male bears  routinely try to kill bear cubs? The Goldilocks story, with a Papa Bear living peacefully with his offspring, is an early example of human storytellers sugarcoating animal nature.)

      When C.S. Lewis envisioned the Talking Beasts of Narnia, he pointedly explained that their becoming rational beings was a departure from common animality. When the children and the dwarf in PRINCE CASPIAN ran into a non-humanized bear, it tried to kill them...just as, in the real world, some bears will attack humans who are sleeping in sleeping bags and obviously not "provoking" the bears at all. But the tree-huggers at Disney will have their fantasy of wild beasts being sages at whose paws we must kneel--and they will try to make us accept this fantasy as profound truth.

       However, to cite Lewis again, the problem with making Mother Nature your teacher is that she will only "teach" you the lesson you wanted to "learn" anyway. The clarity of creation revelation appealed to by Paul in Romans 1 can only be gotten at if (by God's grace) we penetrate the layers of  wrong inference which have been built up around nature by pagans (or are fortunate enough to be positioned where the smokescreens are not in the way). Pantheists will argue that nature proves pantheism, as evolutionists argue that nature proves evolution and Muslims argue that nature proves Islam. The heavens do declare the glory of God; but generations of men with self-serving motives to revise the declaration have made it harder for those who came after them to see it. And the pagan priesthood of the entertainment industry keeps adding more layers of confusion.

              "SO NATURAL A MAN"

Take me home to Mother Nature, let my innocence return;
For Nature is the only lesson that I want to learn.
Don't need to read no books;
I'll read the rivers and the brooks,
And I'll grow wise by watching the seasons turn.

I'll observe a herd of deer, so I can live the way they live.
I notice that the strongest buck takes all the does can give.
That must mean, if I'm strong,
I won't have just one girl for long;
I'll have as many as I can shack up with.  

So thank you, Mother Nature, for making it so clear;
I love it when you tell me only what I want to hear,
For I'm so natural a man!  

There's a cowbird slipping eggs into the nest a robin made,
So that the robin has to hatch the brood the cowbird laid.
So I need feel no guilt
At living off what others built;
The world owes me a living, and I'll get paid.  

I've been told the pike and muskellunge will eat up their own young,
So if my girls get pregnant now, my conscience won't  be stung.
Abortion's not a crime;
The muskies do it all the time;
No fetus is going to rob me of all my fun!   

So thank you, Mother Nature, for making it so clear;
I love it when you tell me only what I want to hear,
For I'm so natural a man!  

By our cabin there's an anthill full of black ants, and I see
The red ants are attacking to put them in slavery.
So slaving's no disgrace;
I'll try it out at my own place--
So long as no one thinks of enslaving me.  

Now my girls are watching nature too; they're watching spiders mate.
The female spider's done, and that's her husband she just ate!
I fear my fun is through;
My girls are adding two and two;
I'll take a hike before it becomes too late!  

So goodbye, Mother Nature--my first wife's got a gun!
I wish I hadn't sold my car, but I'll just have to run,
For I'm so natural a man,
I'm far too natural a man!  

Yours for Christ and liberty,

Joseph Richard Ravitts
Columbia , Maryland  

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