17. Humans Are Wolves To Humans – (Homo homini lupus est)

Karl Marx defined, “Human beings are the sum of social relationships.” We see no individual here. If we separate a person from society, he is no longer human. In some ways, Mark was right. Humans are born social. It has its physical form thanks to its parents, and grows up thanks to social environment. That is natural beyond discussion.

The Book of Genesis records that, after God created all things and finally humans, He said, “It is not good for the man to be alone” (Gen 2:18) and He created the woman of the same species and assigned to Adam, “Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it” (Gen 1:28). From the beginning, humans have lived collectively to form a common society.

Whenever we share our life, we have to interact. But what is the nature of social relationships?

1. JEALOUSY, ENVY, EXPLOITATION.

Marx went too far to extremes and fell into delusion. Marx wanted to build a society in which each person “works according to his ability and receives according to his needs,” a dream-like society on earth. No one exploits anyone in absolute fairness.

Everyone knows what the reality is. Today’s world, after a long period of unsuccessful experimentation with Marxism, has returned to a market economy, where individuals compete with one another for progress. Thus, competition is a natural law of society. Competition breeds jealousy to win or to lose.

With a lot of thought, we realize that so many things in the society we live in are full of fierce oppositions, self-interest, possession, injustice, mutual exploitation, often hidden under flowery words, charity work, and moral tricks.

The Book of Proverbs says, “Oppressing the poor for enrichment, giving to the rich: both are sheer loss” (Proverbs 22:16).

Kark Mark and Vladimir Lenin, had a reason to make a proletarian revolution, destroy feudalism and serfdom, which lasted everywhere, for too long a time in human history, causing unmerciful exploitation.

In slave societies, officially abolished only 150 years ago, humans are still inferior to robots. They are brutally exploited for the master’s benefit, with less dignity than that of animals.

Not long time ago stories, in many places today there still exist practices of human trafficking, exploitation of children who cannot protect themselves, and exploitation of prisoners’ labor for their own benefit. Those are injustices we often find normal.

This is clear in markets. When you go to the market and bargain with the seller as a competitor for prices, to protect yourself and get the cheapest price. You don’t care for others’ loss, although you often talk about sacrifice, altruism, kindness, others’ happiness, and your own loss. So who has to sacrifice, your family or someone else’s family?

People often coldly say that one person’s risk is another person’s opportunity. Simply put, one person’s loss is another person’s gain. Humans scramble and compete for food like a pack of wolves.

We see this clearly in casinos:

In casinos, there is no brotherhood, and people compete fiercely to take advantage of each other, exploit each other to get things for themselves. They show off selfishness and unmercy to others. They are elated to win, and careles of others’ suffering from loss. In casinos, there is no charity or love.

Selfishness and self-interest inevitably lead to war on the national level.

2. WAR

One Latin proverb says, “Si vis pacem, para bellum”, meaning if you want peace, you must prepare for war. If war is inevitable, it is sure to happen. In relative peace, we must be prepared for the war that is sure to happen. It is a vicious circle of peace on the brink.

In the world, war has existed since ancient times, and in all times. War is hatred and killing. Are humans cruel by nature? It is not easy to establish peace. True peace only exists in tolerant souls, in an atmosphere of sympathy and tolerance from all sides, who find is no need to compete with one another.

The Lord said to his disciples: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you” (John 14:27). God’s peace is not a free thing, but must be obtained through sacrifice of one’s own benefits.

Christ is born with wishes of peace on earth for people of good will.

God’s peace is only found in people of good will. Good will leads to mutual trust, which is a necessary factor for peace. Because we lack trust, we are suspicious and need to prepare to fight. Good will needs to come from both sides, without empty promises and with sincerity from the heart.

I am surprised by the war between Russia and Ukraine. Since ancient times, with the Christian tradition, why two long-standing brotherly countries have been in merciless wars. This fierce and deadly war was not only because of modern weapons but also had fanatical nuances. Both sides claim God’s support, without realizing that their God is just a vile childish idol, not the real God.

As long as we continue to profit from the war, and the nation’s arrogance are not bruised, the war will be difficult to end. It’s all due to human calculations.

War is clearly caused by human arrogance, selfishness and intolerance. People treat each other like wolves. It is very difficult for people to tame wolves, even young wolves far from the pack for many generations.

Conclusion:

Science says that the genomes of domestic dogs and wolves are very similar. But it is very difficult to tame wolves so that they are as friendly to humans as domestic dogs.

Will human morality evolve, at some point, into godhood as Father Teilhard de Chardin hoped in the process of Christianization? Hopefully it will work, even if it takes a long time.

The prophet Isaiah wrote,

“Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat;

The calf and the young lion shall browse together, with a little child to guide them.

The cow and the bear shall graze, together their young shall lie down; the lion shall eat hay like the ox.

The baby shall play by the viper’s den, and the child lay his hand on the adder’s lair.

They shall not harm or destroy on all my holy mountain” (Isaiah 11:6-9)

A perfect society, and a wonderful paradise, probably only existed in the Garden of Eden when our ancestors were still pure, not yet tainted with profanity.