
Originally Posted by
Rodri
Fire is both alluring and frightening at the same time. It has been suggested that the harnessing of fire was a major step in the evolution of human civilization as it gave us the ability to cook and eat meat and provide light in the night. The Zoroastrians worshipped fire which rose from the ground (gas leakage from oil reserves) and that is seen as the precursor to the mono-theistic God of the three major religions of today. Fire can cleanse and purify, such as in the case of smelting pure metals such as iron, gold and silver. Fire can revive and regenerate, such as the new growth and germination which follows a fire, especially in an environment that has evolved to cope with fires, such as here in Australia. (Many native Australian plants only germinate well after a bush fire or being treated with smoke infused water.)
A large fire is a threat to life and can destroy everything that we think we own. Burns are among the most painful wounds we can receive and are difficult to treat. It has also been used as a weapon of war, probably since humans started fighting each other, and is still used as such today. Sorry OP but I disagree with you that fire was banned as a weapon after WWII as Napalm was used in Vietnam and is still available to most modern armies as far as I know. It could also be said that a bullet or artillery round harnesses a small controlled fire to operate (gun powder burns quickly in a confined space, causing heat, which increases the air pressure in the confined space, which propels the projectile forward from the barrel). Most of our modern-day weapon delivery systems rely on some form of combustion as well, from internal combustion engines to rocket propulsion.
Anyway, fire can be fascinating. We can sit and stare into the fire at night and it can keep us entertained or create a trance-like state where our thoughts are free to wander and ideas explored in depth. Staring into a fire is staring into the heart of a small nuclear reaction. The heat we feel is radiation caused by the energy that is being released (energy = electrons) in that reaction.
Fire is also one of the four elemental forces that have been described and worshipped since early civilization (earth, air, fire and water). All four elements are seen as being vital in creating and sustaining life and at the same time, being capable of wreaking terrible destruction upon life. The elemental forces are not seen as being either good or evil, or perhaps are more often seen as encompassing both. I prefer to think of them as basically neutral and it is how we perceive them and the results of their power that we describe as either (good or evil).
We would not be what we are without fire and our ability to learn how to and think of new ways to use it. It will probably continue to be one of the major factors in human development for a long time to come.
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