The World of Diversion, Dissonance, and Disdain
Today, I write with the full awareness and expectation that not many will take in these words but with a burning heart that aches at the anguish in the world I must write. There is a common thread that I can see that we have allowed to brew in our thinking for many years now and I will present them in a threefold manner. But first let me say that this is being written coming directly on the heels of the Florida school shooting, locally we have had school suicides, and yet another child has shot themselves this morning. This material of its own is confounding but what is more are the comments that follow events like these. The blatant disregard by those who furiously type as though their self-absorbed and cold opinions matter is utterly confusing. The lack of respect by those typing these comments is just puzzling on a grand scale because the comments are neither informative, helpful, further the cause, or add to the discussion. So what was the point of leaving the comment one might ask? To be heard, to feel important, to be seen, to feel as though they can contribute as part of the discussion (though there is no meat behind what was said), I truly do not know nor can I speak for those that are leaving these atrocious and hateful comments. However, what I will proceed to write is what I believe at the root of the issues that are rattling our communities in today's society and this will strike at the nerve center of all those who do not hold to an absolute version of truth and an objective moral standard in the world.
First, I submit to you (as the title suggests) that a major issue with our culture and the problems today is we are a culture and a community of "diversion." What does this mean? We seek any and every activity to distract us from what is really going on. The media sends us messages of all the bad things going on in the world but very little of the good so it leaves everyone feeling negative which may be partially the reason everyone has this desire to "get-away" (so to speak). With these shootings and suicides going on as of late, gun reform has been going off the charts crazy. The diversion on this issue are the guns (however my goal here is not guns but the root of the problems). How people use those guns and our view of guns is the issue and primarily we are dealing with sinful and fallen people (Rom 3:23). Even if you do not fall into a biblical worldview you can look back on history and see that people are capable of doing some very heinous things in the name of nothing and understand that there need not be a reason for evil except for evil (i.e. the absence of good).
But Ken isn't diversion a good thing? Some may say. Well, in short, yes and no. A diversion can be good to destress from work or just to let loose from lesser things in life. But psychologically speaking when faced with dire issues such as the gravity of suicide and life-altering situations that shift the communal dynamic, these issues must and need to be faced and resolved. There is no sidestepping large issues because they do not just go away they actually just grow until they get so massive that they cannot be circumnavigated any longer and they are nearly impossible to handle (at least alone). If I may go back to these people that leave comments (i.e. the death of one's child is not punishment enough...) they are a diversion from the real issue. These are examples of things that need to be avoided if we are to come together as a communal people and actually learn from one another. I personally do not care if you do not believe in a personal God or God at all, my heart aches for you and I wish that you would see the truth and I will love you until the end but this does not preclude us from working well with and us being a community with one another. We must not allow this attitude of diversion to seep in and distract us from the real issues.
Secondly, we live in a society of complete and utter dissonance. This is all-encompassing. This is a universal statement that includes: Atheists, Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Everyone. The world is fractured among worldview lines that have left these fissures that are only widening with time. Though I hold that the Christian worldview is the correct and only way to get to heaven and I am a Christian Apologist this does not mean that I am set against my fellow man and that it somehow precludes me from loving them. To the contrary, Jesus said that the greatest commandment was to love God with all your heart, mind, and soul and to love your neighbor as yourself (Matt 22:37-39). Not to mention the famous John 3:16, for God, loved the WORLD verse and if God loved the world how can I not love the few people that I will meet over the course of my life. But I digress, the idea here is that we have become so entrenched in this idea of rightness yet everything is a relativity not realizing the contradiction the world has caused itself. I believe in one ultimate rightness but the world preaches rightness yet everyone has their own rightness but if you do not believe in my rightness then you are wrong. If you cannot see from the above the dissonance that I speak of (because I have seen this in countless exchanges) then I will try to put it another way.
Everyone (at least most) know who Ben Stein is, he hosted a documentary called "Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed." This documentary dealt with the Intelligent Design movement and how anyone within the public academic realm, especially within the educational system if they publically accepted or even gave a nod to this movement their career could be in serious jeopardy. I do not use this example to stir up controversy but rather thought because we always pride ourselves (especially the field of science) of free thought and exploration. Well, unless you fall in line with what is the general acceptance then you are cast aside and not accepted. Acceptance is such a key factor that is missing from our culture that is needed so badly and is partly why we are living in such dissonance with one another. Whether it be someone looks different, holds different views (political, religious, etc), is poor, or whatever it be people are just not being accepted. This is where bullies are coming in and I absolutely love the big anti-bully movement they came in several years back and that has helped in this area but we are still miles away from where we need to be. But I will say that there is one place that is the most accepting place on earth and that is the loving arms of Jesus Christ and the thief on the cross next to Christ had that acceptance and so can everyone else (Luke 23:39-43).
Lastly, we live in a culture of general disdain. What else can be said here? Look at the violent protests during the election season, on college campuses and elsewhere and you will see it. People just generally do not view others as worthy recipients of respect. This may in large part be due to the materialistic worldview, which if true gives human beings little to no value whatsoever (axiology). Well, how can you say people have no value if we can from materialism Ken? Well, I would say, if we are simply the products of material processes then what value do we have and what basis do we make our value off of? Our value is simply self-constructed and can be toppled by the next thing that decides to take the top spot as the next valuable thing. In a materialistic worldview, the sense of value lives in a tenuous balance between the next best thing and it can be overthrown at any time. Not to say that the view cannot be correct but it is to say that there is very little value is the valuableness of human value in this system.
What I submit will go against the grain of the mainstream view but is a cogent view of the value of people and why everyone from poor to rich, from every race, is worthy of respect and love. According to Genesis 1:27, we were all created in the Imago Dei, the image of God. This sets us apart from the rest of creation (please do not get wrapped around the axel about the age of the earth here, that is a tertiary issue). So when we approach an issue (even with one we disagree) it should be done so through the eyes of dignity and respect for the other person. In the end, we all want the same thing, a better place to live. The only difference is we all may not want it "in" the same way. But one fact remains true though we want the same thing but in different ways, we can all go about it in the same manner, a manner of respect of love for each other.
Culturally, we need to stop diverting our attention away from these big-ticket issues because we do not want to face them because they must be faced if we ever want to progress past them. We have to start acting in cohesion because if we do not we will continue down the road of dissonance that will inevitably lead to self-destruction. We absolutely must respect and love each other. Not that he must earn my respect first. Every person should have respect initially based on their status as a unique creation until they have given you a reason to lose it, then they must earn it back. Only until we can have this shift in thinking and have a shift in our value of human interaction can we have a progression in our culture.
First, I submit to you (as the title suggests) that a major issue with our culture and the problems today is we are a culture and a community of "diversion." What does this mean? We seek any and every activity to distract us from what is really going on. The media sends us messages of all the bad things going on in the world but very little of the good so it leaves everyone feeling negative which may be partially the reason everyone has this desire to "get-away" (so to speak). With these shootings and suicides going on as of late, gun reform has been going off the charts crazy. The diversion on this issue are the guns (however my goal here is not guns but the root of the problems). How people use those guns and our view of guns is the issue and primarily we are dealing with sinful and fallen people (Rom 3:23). Even if you do not fall into a biblical worldview you can look back on history and see that people are capable of doing some very heinous things in the name of nothing and understand that there need not be a reason for evil except for evil (i.e. the absence of good).
But Ken isn't diversion a good thing? Some may say. Well, in short, yes and no. A diversion can be good to destress from work or just to let loose from lesser things in life. But psychologically speaking when faced with dire issues such as the gravity of suicide and life-altering situations that shift the communal dynamic, these issues must and need to be faced and resolved. There is no sidestepping large issues because they do not just go away they actually just grow until they get so massive that they cannot be circumnavigated any longer and they are nearly impossible to handle (at least alone). If I may go back to these people that leave comments (i.e. the death of one's child is not punishment enough...) they are a diversion from the real issue. These are examples of things that need to be avoided if we are to come together as a communal people and actually learn from one another. I personally do not care if you do not believe in a personal God or God at all, my heart aches for you and I wish that you would see the truth and I will love you until the end but this does not preclude us from working well with and us being a community with one another. We must not allow this attitude of diversion to seep in and distract us from the real issues.
Secondly, we live in a society of complete and utter dissonance. This is all-encompassing. This is a universal statement that includes: Atheists, Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Everyone. The world is fractured among worldview lines that have left these fissures that are only widening with time. Though I hold that the Christian worldview is the correct and only way to get to heaven and I am a Christian Apologist this does not mean that I am set against my fellow man and that it somehow precludes me from loving them. To the contrary, Jesus said that the greatest commandment was to love God with all your heart, mind, and soul and to love your neighbor as yourself (Matt 22:37-39). Not to mention the famous John 3:16, for God, loved the WORLD verse and if God loved the world how can I not love the few people that I will meet over the course of my life. But I digress, the idea here is that we have become so entrenched in this idea of rightness yet everything is a relativity not realizing the contradiction the world has caused itself. I believe in one ultimate rightness but the world preaches rightness yet everyone has their own rightness but if you do not believe in my rightness then you are wrong. If you cannot see from the above the dissonance that I speak of (because I have seen this in countless exchanges) then I will try to put it another way.
Everyone (at least most) know who Ben Stein is, he hosted a documentary called "Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed." This documentary dealt with the Intelligent Design movement and how anyone within the public academic realm, especially within the educational system if they publically accepted or even gave a nod to this movement their career could be in serious jeopardy. I do not use this example to stir up controversy but rather thought because we always pride ourselves (especially the field of science) of free thought and exploration. Well, unless you fall in line with what is the general acceptance then you are cast aside and not accepted. Acceptance is such a key factor that is missing from our culture that is needed so badly and is partly why we are living in such dissonance with one another. Whether it be someone looks different, holds different views (political, religious, etc), is poor, or whatever it be people are just not being accepted. This is where bullies are coming in and I absolutely love the big anti-bully movement they came in several years back and that has helped in this area but we are still miles away from where we need to be. But I will say that there is one place that is the most accepting place on earth and that is the loving arms of Jesus Christ and the thief on the cross next to Christ had that acceptance and so can everyone else (Luke 23:39-43).
Lastly, we live in a culture of general disdain. What else can be said here? Look at the violent protests during the election season, on college campuses and elsewhere and you will see it. People just generally do not view others as worthy recipients of respect. This may in large part be due to the materialistic worldview, which if true gives human beings little to no value whatsoever (axiology). Well, how can you say people have no value if we can from materialism Ken? Well, I would say, if we are simply the products of material processes then what value do we have and what basis do we make our value off of? Our value is simply self-constructed and can be toppled by the next thing that decides to take the top spot as the next valuable thing. In a materialistic worldview, the sense of value lives in a tenuous balance between the next best thing and it can be overthrown at any time. Not to say that the view cannot be correct but it is to say that there is very little value is the valuableness of human value in this system.
What I submit will go against the grain of the mainstream view but is a cogent view of the value of people and why everyone from poor to rich, from every race, is worthy of respect and love. According to Genesis 1:27, we were all created in the Imago Dei, the image of God. This sets us apart from the rest of creation (please do not get wrapped around the axel about the age of the earth here, that is a tertiary issue). So when we approach an issue (even with one we disagree) it should be done so through the eyes of dignity and respect for the other person. In the end, we all want the same thing, a better place to live. The only difference is we all may not want it "in" the same way. But one fact remains true though we want the same thing but in different ways, we can all go about it in the same manner, a manner of respect of love for each other.
Culturally, we need to stop diverting our attention away from these big-ticket issues because we do not want to face them because they must be faced if we ever want to progress past them. We have to start acting in cohesion because if we do not we will continue down the road of dissonance that will inevitably lead to self-destruction. We absolutely must respect and love each other. Not that he must earn my respect first. Every person should have respect initially based on their status as a unique creation until they have given you a reason to lose it, then they must earn it back. Only until we can have this shift in thinking and have a shift in our value of human interaction can we have a progression in our culture.
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