Disjointed Cursing of the Darkness?

The Unexamined Life is not Worth Living.

Socrates

Man in his pomp, yet without understanding, is like the beasts that perish.

Psalm, 49:20

Living in 21st Century America not too many people speak about or believe in virtue. We truly live in a hedonistic culture: whatever floats your boat is the motto. Admittedly, since Modern Times the virtues have been held in suspicion. The Reformers, Luther and Calvin, really were the first advocates of discounting the virtues and we are their heirs whether we know it or not. We continue to have a sceptical view of human nature. The Reformers saw it as totally depraved redeemed only by Grace and Moderns simply beastly nature of a Naked Ape.

Of course in today's society we've dismissed any traditional teaching, thinking the technological marvels of this the industrial/computer age allow us to dismiss ancient outmoded thinking and views; science has demostrated its ascendance. Look how much longer we live and how we easily can routinely repair clogged hearts for example, like fixing a broken leg. People back then in those benighted times died of all manner of things: brutes that they were.

Today's educational system makes no pretense to true education. It's assumed that people will pick character or morality on there own... Ancients believed in the need to educate whose goal was for the rational (meaning far more than simply logical) to harness our bestial urges. The Ancient Church, benighted and backward as it was, believed we are fallen but innately good, created in the image and likeness of God. The Reformation revised this idea, terming our inner most self totally depraved (which admittedly can be demostrated by simply reading the newspaper... but of course the newspaper isn't revealed truth). And today Science tells us we are simply clever apes, creation of the struggle of evolutionary random chance. As we see the Nazi's picked up on that idea and ran with it. The victorious Volk (Folk, a national type) in this evolutionary struggle was meant be the master race, (Hitler thought this was the Germans); those that failed to survive would be enslaved or better yet exterminated . Like the silly radio host says ideas have consequences.


Few realize what is the worst evil of modern age, which of course is not hunger or disease or want but simply boredom. We do everything to keep us stimulated and entertained. I'm as subject as anyone to it I confess: for example my big screen HD TV with surround sound. Just like the movie theatre which I so much loved which has even a bigger screen and louder surround sound but alas in this society with its ofttimes lack of manners we had to suffer inconsiderate people chatting and having conversations during the movie; it drove me nuts. But it truly is a 5 minute attention span society.... let's make that few seconds attention span. Any more time than a few seconds without our favorite diversions then we begin to get bored. Blessed Augustine, 4th Century Church Father, realized freedom can only be exercised when we are free from our passions, desires and habits. America can be deemed a land of license not freedom. Take away the bread and games and we'd be restless and unfulfilled, lost or incensed. God is in the stillness when we meet ourselves.

The modern feeling is, if one refrains from exercising their urges, they'll burst out in frustration. Which explains all of those repressed Priests praying on the children. I have another view of that of course which is Roman Catholicism tolerated homosexuals as Priests and guess what they engaged in homosexual experiences with teenage boys many with homosexual tendancies! Who would have guessed? The policy of admitting celebate homosexuals to the priesthood has recently been ended now. Of course those in the Church, who have used their spiritual authority to pray on innocent minds, they should rot in hell; this is an abomination that perverts the young morally and spiritaully and whose punishment couldn't be severe enough. By the way I'm for married Priests as allowed in the Eastern Orthodox Church, however Bishops must be celebate. The celebate thing was a "discipline" introduced in the 10-11th centuries by the Roman Catholic Church. Anyway, I just agree along with the Socratics, Stoics, the Early Church, Church of the Middle Ages, etc. we shouldn't be totally subject to our desires, and must indulge them to our benefit. It's only today if we ask teenagers to refrain from sexual activity we've gone beyond the bounds of reasonableness. Rampant teenage pregnancies and abortions are a consequence. In fact there's a few (judges at least) that doesn't see much of a problem with a young teenage boy having sex with his female teacher. Once again this is a mindset that doesn't believe in any efforts to mold character as part of education. Something that's been part of education since Socrates. Now we know every teenage boy would like to have sex with anything with a vagina. This is a natural urge that needs no pompting. Come to think of it if I have to argue why its not a good thing for teachers to be preying on young minds or rather bodies I know I'm wasting my time with you. Currently we teach techniques and job skills which is good but it's not the whole picture of education. Most people will benefit by instructing them how best to behave in a moral framework. And again if resisting our urges is such a waste of time I wonder why all the talk about diets and such... shouldn't they recognize we have no or little control over our urges and just give up and cease that useless struggle against them .... lets just eat our fill and count on stomach stapling?



Really though modern industrial/technological society is the most repressive and alienating life styles ever devised. I work in a cube next to people I don't even have time to have a conversation with for the most part. Nothing would be more regimented not even the military. From the time we arrive to the time we leave we are monitored through our work tool, the computer. We work apart without co-operation. There's no community in the true sense. People come and go with virtually no ceremony. Ofttimes co-workers are summirarily cashiered and disappear so to speak never to be seen again. We know little or nothing about are co-worker. We might say hello but ofttimes not. These people can be our competitors not comrades. Where's the art, music, the singing, the paintings integrated into fabric of workplace? ...Frightfully unprofitable, it would be said! We can take solace that upon retirement we've got open heart surgery available to us to extend our lives. We have miracle medical procedures to rescue us from our indulgence of over eating, drinking and smoking. We can afford unimaginally exotic toys and diversions. But our work lives are a poverty and maybe our lives in general. Try this one day: turn off the TV and put away the diversions on the computer and step back from the routine of diversion and distraction. What's left of your life?

America is all about freedom. Slaves to our passions and desires and habits: no real freedom.