Ownership and Custodianship in the World

When we talk about the world, 'owning' the world is a concept that provokes deep thought and debate. Is the world owned by everyone, or do only certain individuals or entities have legitimate claims to ownership and control?

The Origin of Ownership

Ownership is a complex and multi-faceted social concept. It is rooted in both legal definitions and religious teachings. Many religions, including Christianity, teach that the world belongs to God and He alone possesses all powers and rights over it. Humans are created beings, and our lives and bodies are not our own; they are God's. Our responsibility is to obey divine commandments.

Creative Ownership in a Social Context

Socially, ownership can be claimed over what one has created or produced, such as intellectual property like songs, stories, and artworks. For instance, if an author writes a novel, they hold the full copyright, meaning they control how their expression is used. However, the individual words themselves are part of a language that is collectively owned by speakers of that language. Copyright also has a limited duration, beyond which the work is often released into the public domain.

Ownership in Commerce

In the commercial world, ownership is more straightforward. If you produce something, you own it and can control how it is used, given away, or sold. For example, if you grow bananas, you can eat them or sell them, but not throw their peels away where they could cause others to trip. However, ownership of public goods like roads is conditional; they can be used by anyone, and the government can restrict access for maintenance or other reasons if necessary.

Custodianship and Natural Resources

Ownership is not just about control; it also involves responsible stewardship. This is particularly true for natural resources. While we can use and benefit from natural resources, we have a duty to preserve them for future generations. According to the parable of "How Much Land Does A Man Need" by Leo Tolstoy, after a man's life, his final resting place is all the land he 'owned.' This applies to both the literal land and the metaphoric land we leave behind.

The earth belongs to no one, but we are temporary tenants on it. Even if you grow crops on land, you do not own it in a traditional sense. You are merely allowed to use it, and your rights can be limited by the state. The land is the state's custodian, responsible for defending it against foreign invaders and maintaining public order.

Custodianship and Responsibility

The concept of custodianship extends to family and personal relationships. For example, a parent does not own a child, but has custodial responsibility. Similarly, in a marriage, bodies, and their functions, are not entirely owned by either partner, but they both share responsibility. Undermining this responsibility, such as through infidelity, is a violation of this duty.

Looking at the world as a whole, the idea of owning it shifts to the concept of custodianship. We must recognize our custodial duty to preserve the earth not just for future human generations but for all life on the planet. Our rights of use must be conditional, and it is our responsibility to ensure the well-being of the world's tenants, including plants, animals, and microorganisms.

Establishing ownership by means of war is not an ideal solution. Therefore, the act of creation, the right of use, custodial duty, and conditional limitations through contracts, such as with marriage, all influence our understanding of ownership. To truly own the world as custodians, we must be willing to protect and preserve it for all its inhabitants.

Are you willing to be the protector and custodian of the people and all life on this planet? As a custodian, you enjoy the right of use, but with the limitations of user rights.