So it's 6:26 am, a time of day I don't see that often. Been up all night, watching Bill Hicks, Dylan Moran and Richard Pryor stand up and having some beers. Although I'm alone right now I pretty much feel great! Listening to Bobby Dylan on the hphones and sipping a chilly beer... And I can still type, result ;)
This picture is in Wendover woods near to me. I had to stop to snap those roots, greedy tree, it's taking what it needs ;)
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When someone, or some living thing, takes what it needs in order to live - it is not being greedy, just entirely practical. Even Yahweh acknowledges this absolute fact in the scriptures. Being "Greedy" is: taking more than one needs [or than they are rightly and properly entitled to]!
Should the tree either: grow fewer roots than it needs to support its much larger structure, sneakily hide them underground from your less than neighborly and covetous eyes, or merely with and die to appease your foolish and arrogant sensibilities? Which is it?
Perhaps, others among us could learn from these principles as well. Rather than displaying contempt for what our neighbors have that we don't and coveting them so much that it leads us to wickedness [or societal enslavement to others], perhaps we should try: working harder, saving for those things we want, and keeping our eyes upon our own personal business. A man's home is his castle - no matter how insignificant a castle it may be - and wars have ensued over such seemingly trivial matters.
Soon, we shall see a great one in North America... perhaps, even as great as World War II? And the reasons for rapidly approaching war are quite historically obvious. The Greed of those who declare yet others to be greedy, while quite openly coveting the fruits of their hard labor or skin flint lifestyles.
Just because some people have the wherewithal to save a few dimes over the course of a lifetime going without your own personal minimal standards, doesn't mean they were saving it up for you to steal every last cent from them! Anyone who would begrudge a tree the room to properly set down its roots, needs to re-evaluate their own spiritual condition respecting toward others.
the roots are doing the job of supporting the body to stand up, and of course supply what they need to survive...
Strictly speaking this tree (and nearly all other biological life) could be called greedy as it doesn't need all those roots to survive or support itself. Iv'e been a landscaper in the past for a few years and severed tree roots in the course of work and it doesn't effect the tree one bit, not one leaf lost! There is obviously a point where it would start to effect the stability and health of the tree but you might be surprised at how much of a trees root system can be removed without any negative effect :]They grow far more roots than needed to allow for damage, pest attack, dry spells etc I guess. Trees and other plants spread into their environment as much as they can, over much for their needs, even to the point where they strangle or light-starve other plants. I understand the metaphor in a spiritual sense but this post wasn't really a deep thing, just a little pic and an off the cuff remark that the tree is greedy ;)
So by definition the tree has more roots than it needs to support and sustain itself healthily and even when it is in a stable and self sustained position it will destroy other plant life to retain it's health.
So it certainly is greedy !
Actually, by your own admission you are incorrect.... Didn't you state: "To allow for Damage, Pest Attack, Dry Spells, Etc...?" Which, of course, are all factually correct!
Moreover, when you cut back those roots severely, didn't you also trim back the upper branches to lessen the strain upon the tree itself? Any good tree surgeon would, because the tree will otherwise be stressed and possibly die....
Moreover, you talk about it shading out other plants. Which plants, those that would choose to come later and rob it of its needed room, water, nutrients, and resources?
In the plant kingdom, there is a strict competition for limited resources, since plants cannot just pack up and move whenever they choose - unlike animals and humans. Such facts of life are not indicative of greed, but rather factual necessities of life!
What total double-speak! First you call the tree greedy, stating it doesn't need all of its roots. Then you state: "They grow more roots than needed to allow for damage, pest attack, dry spells, etc..." Thus, you [yourself] clearly express the need for the tree having all of those roots.
So by definition "the tree has adequate roots to its needs to support and maintain its health. Moreover, in the highly competitive plant kingdom - where plants cannot readily move, adapt, or relocate - it encroaches on others only to protect its own life and health.
By definition, Greed is to take what you do not need... and by your own words, the tree hasn't done that! Enough said.
Francis, the extent a tree over produces a root system far exceeds any reasonable allowance for unforeseen things such as pests and drought. Going on the premise that the tree must over produce to some extent to allow for these things raises the question; at what point should it stop ? Should it have a 50 square mile radius root system to allow for desertification ? Should it kill off every other plant on earth, which is logically the only way to ensure it has sole use of the grounds resources and open sky for sunlight, ?
Of course not, but the definition of greed comes into play somewhere in the grey area. You can have your definition, I'll have mine its Ok.
But your ad hominem way of addressing this is a little faithless wouldn't you say ? Brush up on your logic and biology and have a rethink ;)
Oh and Francis, just to clarify; nothing I've said here is anti-god or his creation, or intended to be anti-you. The plant kingdom just like the rest of the world, isn't perfect at the moment so we can only derive limited insight into God through examination of it. (God being perfect, the world imperfect, it's only logic to say that we aren't going to learn huge amounts about a perfect being by studying an imperfect system that essentially has been 'wild' for a few thousand years without his direct management). God cursed the Earth with weeds etc after Eden and put the animals at odds with us. Nothing of his earthly creation is working 100% as intended at the minute. So I'm not having a go at god or creation, just commenting on the little details of the imperfect 'cursed earth'.
Wooow.
Nice roots of tree. Why with the fight in here? Cheer up friends.
No fighting Zez, just debate :-)