Putting things into perspective:

If we could shrink the earth's population to a village of precisely
100 people, with all the existing human ratios remaining the same, 
it would look something like the following.

  There would be:

  57 Asians
  21 Europeans
  14 from the Western Hemisphere, both north and south
  8 Africans

  52 would be female
  48 would be male

  70 would be non-white
  30 would be white

  70 would be non-Christian
  30 would be Christian

  89 would be heterosexual
  11 would be homosexual

  6 people would possess 59% of the entire world's
  wealth and all 6 would be from the United States.

  80 would live in substandard housing

  70 would be unable to read

  50 would suffer from malnutrition

  1 would be near death; 1 would be near birth

  1 (yes, only 1) would have a college education

  1 would own a computer

  When one considers our world from such a compressed perspective, 
the need for both acceptance, understanding and education becomes 
glaringly apparent.

  The following is also something to ponder...

  If you woke up this morning with more health than
  illness...you are more blessed than the million who
  will not survive this week.

  If you have never experienced the danger of battle,
  the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture,
  or the pangs of starvation ... you are ahead of 500
  million people in the world.

  If you can attend a church meeting without fear of 
  harassment, arrest, torture, or death...you are more 
  blessed than three billion people in the world.

  If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your 
  back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep...you are 
  richer than 75% of this world.

  If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and 
  spare change in a dish someplace...you are among the 
  top 8% of the world's wealthy.

  If your parents are still alive and still married...
  you are very rare, even in the United States and 
  Canada.

  If you hold up your head with a smile on your face 
  and are truly thankful...you are blessed because 
  the majority can, but most do not.

  If you can hold someone's hand, hug them, or even
  touch them on the shoulder...you are blessed because
  you can offer healing touch.

  If you can read this message, you just received a
  double blessing in that someone was thinking of you,
  and furthermore, you are more blessed than over two
  billion people in the world that cannot read at all.