A passionate struggle for freedom is deeply embedded in the history of the western world. It still inspires us today. And it still inspires oppressed people everywhere. Freedom is our great meta-meme, the crowning jewel of our civilization...but lately, in our own back yard, freedom has taken a perverse, hyper-individualistic turn. We now drink more, do more drugs, live more promiscuously, spend more money, use up more resources, create more waste, and deliberately flaunt our wealth, power, and sexuality more than any other culture on earth. When a modest, pious man living in a poor village a world away looks at us, what does he see? While 79% of university entrants in 1970 said their goal in life was to develop "a meaningful philosophy of life," by 2005, 75% defined their life's objective as "being very well off financially." What happened? Have we found total freedom, or absolute disconnect? Are we becoming liberated, or just increasingly self-centered and alienated? (more)
2007-06-28 05:06:20 · 10 answers · asked by jaicee 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
What, really, are our moral, cultural and spiritual foundations now?
from Adbusters, Mar-Apr 2007
Trying to bring some interesting discussion to this arena.... Help.
2007-06-28 05:07:56 · update #1
Your answers are awesome. It's gonna be difficult to choose. I'm going to extend this a little longer to see if anyone else pops by.
2007-06-29 06:16:49 · update #2
Haysoos2, You’ve nailed it down. Do you think having enough money to buy “justice” is the only way to have freedom in today’s world?
Donald, comfortably numb is powerful imagery to describe the spiritual barrenness of the inner landscape of the human heart.
Suspendor of Disbeli… , Truly seems it’s getting worse.
queenof_tartz , thank you for your take on this. I don’t live in the US, so it’s hard to have a first-hand sense of these things.
Charles, Very insightful. Such irony!
P, You see the respect and honor the Source of All Being has for us, even when we self-destruct, and your compassionate heart connects to the pious man.
Moonviper, What is it that you think God wants us to learn here on earth? Thanks for the wonderful persona you project through your words!
djmant, true. Would you say that those same problems have become more dire with today’s super solider toys and converging multiple catastrophes on the horizon.
2007-07-02 05:26:46 · update #3
Every moment has its own truth . each society developes accordingly. What is freedom , for different thoughts it means different ways and ends. Jain thought understands freedom as liberation from sense gratification, quite contrary to what is thought in the west - as you have projected. As it says bondage is by human desire and sense gratification so freedom means to be able to go beyond (transcend) the demands of senses and desires.
2007-07-02 00:57:13 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
Perhaps the students of today are simply more honest than the ones in 1970. Based on the actions of those earlier graduates (who are often given the apellation 'Boomers'), and the growth of consumerism and greed during the 70s and 80s, it would seem that many of them were either lying about their aspirations, their aspirations changed, or they discovered that 'being very well off financially' was the meaningful philosophy of life they eventually found.
Today, many of these college students see that financial security is the only means to actual freedom in the United States. With the government taking away personal freedoms left and right in the name of 'security', and working harder than ever to oppress and disenfranchise anyone who is poor, unhealthy, disagrees with them, or worst of all, is Muslim, they realize that only those who have enough money to buy 'justice' truly have the freedom to live their lives as they please.
2007-06-28 05:17:11 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
I think there was a spiritual renaissance in the U.S. in the late sixties and early seventies, fueled mainly by the Viet Nam war. People get spiritual when there is the fear of death at their heels. But in the mid-seventies, the war ended and there was no longer that threat of being drafted and dying for the young people. Plus, those spiritual pursuits of the sixties turned up empty handed for the most part. Communal life had too many conflicts. People complained about the establishment but never found viable alternatives to it so, since they couldn't beat them, they joined them. Afterall, they had families to support and communal life wasn't working. Usually a few wound up paying for the many. So people went back to college or those who already had college went into their respective professions and became comfortably numb.
2007-06-28 05:20:12 · answer #3 · answered by Jameskan Video 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I think we have become absolutely disconnected from each other as well as with God. I think in order to gain knowledge of the true purpose of life, you have to look to God. I have a hard time believing that material things and money could be someones true journey for what God wants them to learn here on earth. I think that material goods are a way to help us achieve our goals but this is not the focus of life's journey. So, the drugs, drinking, sex, money and power are all distractions to throw us off the path of enlightenment. That's my story girlee and I'm stickin to it!!! Chat wit ya soon!!!! You ask great questions!!!
2007-06-29 04:40:28 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Too many people now seek as virtues what are in fact vices, acquisitiveness is a perfect example. The search for the good life, the life that the virtues can make possible stands in stark contrast to much of western thought and practice.
HTH
Charles
2007-06-28 05:26:21 · answer #5 · answered by Charles 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Western society and the spokespersons for it probably send a message of progressing depravity to that pious man a world away. My personal thoughts are that in the blessing of God, western society turned its back on God. If we do not invite God to be part of our lives, He will step back and let us have what human self-centeredness reaps. That is what is happening.
There are people within this society who do honor God. But the society as a whole, including Hollywood, and the current social mores do not.
2007-06-28 05:32:38 · answer #6 · answered by P 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Right-Wing, Fundamentalist Christianity.
That's what happened.
People got sick and tired of being talked down to, listening to, and Christians got tired of being associated with the likes of Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, Fred Phelps, Benny Hinn, Rod Parsley, Jim Baker, Oral Roberts, and the like.
The real Christian voices of reason and purpose were drown out by these and others who spout hate in the name of Christ. These people also teach that God through Jesus is a personal ATM - as long as you believe God will bless you with CRAP.
Face it, many Christians just are so embarassed by the recent past and current public Christian "leaders" that they don't want to be associated with them. They stop attending church - values change.
Funny thing is - this whole Christian Word of Faith movement is THE most selfish, self-stroking thing going. People who believe in a word of faith pray to be rich, to have things, to be blessed by God materialistically to show others how much God loves them and how "strong" their faith is.
Sorry - but it's disgusting. It has perverted the Bible to the point that many of us have left Christianity rather than stay in it and be part of these awful, un-biblical, and unethical cults.
2007-06-28 05:26:17 · answer #7 · answered by yarn whore 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Pray to God constantly mutually as attempting, as God enables people who help themselves extremely than people who're lazy. Lord Krisna pronounced in Bhagavad Gita, we could desire to constantly carry out our works and resign the fruit of our action. So we could desire to shop attempting and locate exhilaration in doing our paintings, regardless of if or not we get the needed consequence. we could desire to constantly not lose wish. Do your maximum suitable and flow away something to God,it rather is going to all come top some day or nighttime.
2016-09-28 13:46:04 · answer #8 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Liberalism happened.
God was kicked out of our schools, along with every reference to moral responsibiltiy.
What did you expect would happen? It was only a matter of time before this happened. And until we reaquire godly morals, it will only get worse.
2007-06-28 05:23:54 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
There is nothing new under the sun.
2007-06-30 18:57:34 · answer #10 · answered by djmantx 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋