The Shifting of Definitions

 

You’ve heard the metaphor of the frog in a pot of water with the temperature slowly rising. Whether or not the science is true, you understand the meaning. One only needs to think through the last one hundred years of history in the United States to see that this is exactly what is happening in our culture.

What was considered sin seventy years ago is now culturally acceptable and even considered normal.

What was a shameful situation seventy years ago, is now ‘no big deal’.

What was considered immodest seventy years ago is now regularly seen in churches and accepted as fashion.

There is no arguing that our culture influences us and when we are unaware and uneducated, we think nothing of it. Our taste in fashion, our definition of good and true, and our definition of love must not be defined by our culture but by the Church. Even though the Church does not lay out a list of rules, it does expect us to be wise and do all things according to love.

Organized Religion

 

People will say, “I have an issue with organized religion,” while I understand what they mean, the meaning of what they are saying is nonsensical. What then is the inverse of what they oppose? Unorganized religion? Chaotic religion?

They are trying to contrast personally invented “religion” against faiths that have been extant for millennia. But if one steps back and looks at the foundation for this argument, the result is less than fulfilling. They are suggesting that beliefs about eternity, about the existence of god/gods, and the multitude of philosophical questions are better answered by oneself with decades (at best) of experience and knowledge versus the millennia of experience and study by millions of people. Refusing to stand on the shoulders of the giants that came before them, they willingly truncate their potential for growth in wisdom.

Is this not the epitome of American arrogance? In essence, their argument is this. I, with my personal experience, with my very, very limited knowledge, know and understand more than the millions who have gone before me as a collective whole.

This approach is the definition of American Evangelical private interpretation. Ultimately this is about a worldview and belief system that is based on feelings, rather than objective truth, and authority outside of oneself.

Our Goal and the Results

 

We are called to love our neighbor, but we are not called to seek out being loved in return.

We are called to holiness, but we are not called to be nice.

We are told that the world will hate us.

The more holy one becomes, the less he will be like the world and the world will like him less and less.

The man who is walking the path of holiness will be seen as a fool by the culture around him.

The Question of Play

 

The problem is not that children like to play. This is what they are supposed to do. Play and games creates an environment where children learn hard work, teamwork, and sacrifice. The problem is that this love of play has moved into adulthood. The normalization and prevalence of it on social media has made play seem like “this is what life is supposed to be like”.

If you aren’t beautiful, laughing, and having fun, then you must be a failure. This has been a slow decline into immaturity. We need to learn how to be adults.

The Problem of Perspective

 

So many of our problems come from our shortsightedness. We only look at the moment and forget about the omnipotence of God, the love of God, and the big picture. 

We forget about resilience, and the short-term impact of emotion. We need to learn to step back, acknowledge the temporary nature of the current situation, and remember that every situation changes, either by our efforts or by the flow of everything around us.

Spirituality as an Objective Goal?

 

I am currently reading a collection of essays/lectures on suffering, pain and resilience written by those in the psychology field. One of the papers is exploring the idea that American culture has turned spirituality into a marketable field. The idea is that appealing to one's spiritual needs is really no different than appealing to one's physical needs/wants.

While that may be how religion is commonly viewed in our culture, but this is not how Christianity is. The Christian faith is about one's relationship with God. It's not about feelings, or about things to do to avoid going to hell nor is it about appealing to God as a Santa Claus to get what one wants.

The final goal of spirituality is not an object to be gained but about loving and being loved by the one God in three persons. This is similar to thinking that marriage is for financial reasons rather than love and relationship. 

https://www.amazon.com/Suffering-Resilience-Orthodox-Christian-Perspectives/dp/1936773481

The Problem of Authority

 

The problem of authority. Rebellion is always about pushing back against authority. But it is likely the case that the way that the West has established and enforced authority has been wrong. Proper authority is not about control but about preparation. Authority is in place to prepare the immature for making decisions for themselves when they become mature. Sometimes errors should be allowed with the subsequent negative consequences, not from punishment but from natural results.