Showing posts with label Culture. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Culture. Show all posts
Friday, September 14, 2018
What Would the Ancients Think of Our World?
I have often sat down, and pondered a very scintillating question: What exactly would the ancients think of our world - our tech-savvy, information-ridden generation? What kind of a world would this look like to those who have never experienced the abilities of technology we currently enjoy every day?
I can't help but imagine someone coming out of the 1st or the 2nd century, and wondering what their first thoughts would be. Depending on where they emerged into our timeline - that would make all the difference in the world as to the "shock and awe" of our generation.
I'll first imagine the gentler scenario. Our time-traveling friend finds himself suddenly in the middle of a farm field. Everything looks pretty much the same, but it only takes a minute or two to suddenly notice the differences.
He hears a gentle roar like distant thunder overhead. Looking up, he sees a small finger of cloud drawing in the sky above. He has no clue what it is, or where it came from, or where it is going. To him, in our language, it's a genuine UFO!
Our friend hears an approaching rumble. He ducks for cover, scared out of his mind, in the rows of corn. An object is moving from right to left at incredible speed, but it has no legs! It passes by, changing pitch as it goes. By now our friend is scared out of his mind.
He goes to try to find help - wherever he can find it. He stumbles out of the corn field, and into the street where the object passed by. He looks around, and sees these strange poles with what looks like snake heads on outstretched arms. They're connected by some kind of thin ropes. He walks on - shocked to see in front of him glowing colors. First green, then yellow, then red.
Well, by now, our friend is completely freaked out. He looks right, and sees a strange, shiny building - with about twenty of those moving objects in front. Scared to go past them, he knows he needs help, and enters the building. The doors open for him, causing him to just about fall flat on his butt. His face, by now, is ashen white. Looking around, he sees people - in strange clothes - holding these strange, glowing devices. One person just stands in the corner staring at it. Another person is holding it to their face, talking into it. Another just put one in their pocket.
Our friend goes into shock. He sees a person behind a desk run to him. He pulls out his strange glowing device, flashes his fingers over the surface, and yells that he needs help into it. Suddenly, and within just 4 minutes, somehow, some way, this gigantic moving object full of strange, flashing, multi-colored lights, shrieking with the most awful yell, moves toward him. Our friend panicks, and has to be held down. Four people, dressed the same way, walk toward our friend, now in a full panic.
He can't speak. The four people are holding what appears to be some strange, metal, gleaming boxes with what looks like some special, glowing brick things. One pulls out some sort of strange pointy thing, while another holds down our friend. Panicking, our friend tries to force his way out, thinking the worst. Our friend, in full and complete shock and panic, is held down, as the pointy thing is thrust into his arm. Strangely, however, our friend, somehow, begins to calm down and relax a little bit.
He is moved into the large moving object with the strange, flashing multi-colored lights. The four people get in with him. The door shuts. The moving object then moves - faster than he's ever gone in his life. Everything is going so fast! But he feels strangely relaxed, and calm.
It's such a strange world going by him. So many things he has no idea what they are. Trees without leaves or branches that hold glowing lights. Moving objects everywhere, that glow white in the front and red in the back. People outside walking around holding the strange glowing devices. Strange lights in windows that glow in a language. Buildings made of strange material - and walls you can see through!
Our friend has yet to experience the boxes that talk and sing, the flat walls that make pictures and sound, the lights that turn night into day, the water that comes from the pipes from nowhere, the heat and the cold that obey the humans with a flick of a wrist or a touch of the strange glowing devices. The boxes that keep food cold somehow, or the strange powerful boxes that can heat up food in just seconds.
Yes, what would a person think of such a world? How would such a person initially think about such a world?
Would a person imagine that the world is absorbed and surrounded in witchcraft and sorcery? Or would he think it is a paradise once he sees the size of a Walmart or a Target? How would he react to the scope of our wealth as a nation - the depth of the power of our society? How would he feel about modern toiletry - no more need to dig holes and bury waste?
Would he take for granted what we take for granted every single day?
How long would it take for him to feel and think just like we do - where such massive achievements are an every day thing?
What would he say to us? And what would we learn from him?
Cult Recovery Lesson: I have the Right to be Treated with Dignity and Respect
This is the second installment of a series on "Basic Rights" by the Blog Owner.
Dignity and Respect.
These two words seem like something that should be a "basic right", correct?
When you go to a place of worship for spiritual nourishment, you would think it is second nature to be treated with Dignity - and with respect - from those who purport to be your spiritual leaders, wouldn't you? Unfortunately - at least, from my experience, and from the reports of many others who grew up in my environment - this was not the case.
Dignity is defined as "the state or quality of being worthy of honor or respect."
Respect is defined as "a feeling of deep admiration for someone or something elicited by their abilities, qualities, or achievements."
As a member of the Cult that I grew up in, again, the Worldwide Church of God - I felt neither dignified, or respected.
As I mentioned in my previous post - we did have a duty of conforming. We also had a duty to pray for our leader, and to go to church, and to give our tithes and offerings. Any notion that a minister was bound to treat us with dignity and respect was entirely contingent on the condition that we adhere to the rules of the Church and are obedient to the rule of their authority over us. In short, dignity and respect were absolutely conditional on our obedience to every decision made by the minister in subjection to "the Government of God."
In order to conform us to "the Government" - our dignity was consistently degraded. Any "worth" of honor or respect was only contingent on how well we obeyed their commands.
There were articles written, and sent to the membership - that literally blasted us with every single thing we were doing wrong- regardless of how petty. From the way we cut our hair, to the way we washed our hair. From the clothes we bought, to the way we shook hands with another. From the words we used, to the way we sat. Everything we did was under constant and thorough critique. "Living up to the expectations" was a way of life - and part of our quest and journey to "overcoming" while "Recapturing True Values".
In summary - the way we were was not good enough. We were not entitled to dignity, nor were we entitled to respect the way we were. In the words of one of the leaders - unless we acknowledge how putrid we were (and he used about twelve other demeaning adjectives along with putrid), and abhorred ourselves - we were not fit to become members of the Church. This man set an example to those who trained below him to squelch any attempt of dignity and respect until they conform to the standards expected of them.
In a personal experience - I once asked a minister many years later why I was subject to the treatment that he gave me, personally - as a youth. The answer he gave me was that I was not meeting the standards that were expected of the youth by the denominational leaders of the Church - he was basically following orders. This answer told me everything I needed to know. That in the cult, dignity and respect are not human rights - but only earned by completing the objectives of mind control.
The notion that we have the RIGHT to be treated with dignity, and with respect, was a foreign concept at it's introduction. But it's true.
I have had to learn that I am a person, an individual, unique and different. I do not have to conform to any particular standards except for those I have made the personal decision to hold dear to - it is my decision, and between me, and my God. I have the right to be treated with dignity and with respect - and those who I encounter also have the exact same rights - to be treated with both dignity, and respect.
This is regardless of whether one is male, or female, or black, or white, or Christian, or atheist, or whatever they believe or however they act. Their choices in life do not give me the right to treat a person cruelly, or inhumanely, or as if they are worthless, or as if they are le then the person that they are. Their choices in life are between them and their higher power - and the responsibility of how I treat them shifts to me if I devoid them of dignity and respect.
It is not my job as a Christian to impose on them my standards, or my beliefs, or my opinions, and MOST of all - my judgment. I have learned the only job I have is to be the reflection of the standards that I claim to represent. The standards of dignity, and the standards of respect - two basic rights I was never believing that I had - but now know that I do.
Basic rights are adapted from The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook by Eugene Bourne (Oakland, CA: New Harbringer Publications, 1995)
Dignity and Respect.
These two words seem like something that should be a "basic right", correct?
When you go to a place of worship for spiritual nourishment, you would think it is second nature to be treated with Dignity - and with respect - from those who purport to be your spiritual leaders, wouldn't you? Unfortunately - at least, from my experience, and from the reports of many others who grew up in my environment - this was not the case.
Dignity is defined as "the state or quality of being worthy of honor or respect."
Respect is defined as "a feeling of deep admiration for someone or something elicited by their abilities, qualities, or achievements."
As a member of the Cult that I grew up in, again, the Worldwide Church of God - I felt neither dignified, or respected.
As I mentioned in my previous post - we did have a duty of conforming. We also had a duty to pray for our leader, and to go to church, and to give our tithes and offerings. Any notion that a minister was bound to treat us with dignity and respect was entirely contingent on the condition that we adhere to the rules of the Church and are obedient to the rule of their authority over us. In short, dignity and respect were absolutely conditional on our obedience to every decision made by the minister in subjection to "the Government of God."
In order to conform us to "the Government" - our dignity was consistently degraded. Any "worth" of honor or respect was only contingent on how well we obeyed their commands.
There were articles written, and sent to the membership - that literally blasted us with every single thing we were doing wrong- regardless of how petty. From the way we cut our hair, to the way we washed our hair. From the clothes we bought, to the way we shook hands with another. From the words we used, to the way we sat. Everything we did was under constant and thorough critique. "Living up to the expectations" was a way of life - and part of our quest and journey to "overcoming" while "Recapturing True Values".
In summary - the way we were was not good enough. We were not entitled to dignity, nor were we entitled to respect the way we were. In the words of one of the leaders - unless we acknowledge how putrid we were (and he used about twelve other demeaning adjectives along with putrid), and abhorred ourselves - we were not fit to become members of the Church. This man set an example to those who trained below him to squelch any attempt of dignity and respect until they conform to the standards expected of them.
In a personal experience - I once asked a minister many years later why I was subject to the treatment that he gave me, personally - as a youth. The answer he gave me was that I was not meeting the standards that were expected of the youth by the denominational leaders of the Church - he was basically following orders. This answer told me everything I needed to know. That in the cult, dignity and respect are not human rights - but only earned by completing the objectives of mind control.
The notion that we have the RIGHT to be treated with dignity, and with respect, was a foreign concept at it's introduction. But it's true.
I have had to learn that I am a person, an individual, unique and different. I do not have to conform to any particular standards except for those I have made the personal decision to hold dear to - it is my decision, and between me, and my God. I have the right to be treated with dignity and with respect - and those who I encounter also have the exact same rights - to be treated with both dignity, and respect.
This is regardless of whether one is male, or female, or black, or white, or Christian, or atheist, or whatever they believe or however they act. Their choices in life do not give me the right to treat a person cruelly, or inhumanely, or as if they are worthless, or as if they are le then the person that they are. Their choices in life are between them and their higher power - and the responsibility of how I treat them shifts to me if I devoid them of dignity and respect.
It is not my job as a Christian to impose on them my standards, or my beliefs, or my opinions, and MOST of all - my judgment. I have learned the only job I have is to be the reflection of the standards that I claim to represent. The standards of dignity, and the standards of respect - two basic rights I was never believing that I had - but now know that I do.
Basic rights are adapted from The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook by Eugene Bourne (Oakland, CA: New Harbringer Publications, 1995)
Thursday, September 13, 2018
A Moment To Consider Culture, Time, and Us.
I've always had a fascination with Ancient Egypt.
From the imposing pyramids of limestone and granite, to the unusual eastward stare of the Sphinx, staring into another time and space within our modern and sophisticated world is a little jarring. One is forced to wonder just how unusual and different their society is from ours, and their ways from our ways. There are certainly a great deal of mysteries - resolved and unresolved. The fascination lies within the differences of their culture.
From the simplicity of their music to the mythological backgrounds of their beliefs, it cannot be underestimated the complexity of their society, even seemingly lacking of sophistication. Even today, new discoveries are found that strike awe in our hearts. Years back, when the tomb of King Tut, with all of it's treasures therein were discovered, we were enthralled in the regal royalty that, like a beacon, told a story without words of the wealth of a society long past.
The reflections on Egypt tell us a lot about culture. What once seemed immortal now, literally, is dust in the wind. We can only reflect on what we see - the experiences of the past are etched only in hieroglyphics. What does this say about our generation? What will people look back and say about this generation?
Will we be regarded as "ancient" as we regard the Egyptians millennia ago? Will they look back at our I-phones as we look back at the Abacus? Will they look back at our televisions as primitive and obsolete? Will electricity itself be as obsolete as an ancient pyramid? How will we be regarded in history over 1,000 years from now?
In my spiritual past, we had our own ideas about how the future would be. Our culture told us that by now, in 2018, we'd be well into a virtual paradise - with our own religious ideas firmly entrenched in world government. Those in ancient Egypt had their own ideas too, about life, death, and the afterlife. We were wrong - our world still goes on. The empire of the Egyptians is only relegated to great stories of eras and dynasties generations ago. It's not hard for this to seem devoid, and empty - in a purely physical sense. Kansas' song "dust in the wind" is an accurate synopsis of the feeling.
Yet, what drives us? What is it that endures? Is it the pyramids and great artifacts of the Egyptians, or the technologies and great achievements of our generation - which will someday be as ancient as the pyramids? Or is it something deeper - something stronger? What is it that will persist, and our generation will be remembered for?
When decades, generations, and millennia pass - when the Earth is reshaped by long-term geological process - when all our physical bodies are dust in the wind - perhaps, it is more than what we have been, and what we have seen, or even what we have made. Perhaps our greatest influence that we will be remembered by is how we shaped what will be by who we are now.
It's been said we write our own history. When we look back at the stories of empires past. When we look back at cultures down through the ages - from the inquisitions to the crusades and all points around the globe - what stories did they write? What stories will we write? What stories are we writing even right now? Are they stories we will be proud of, or drop our heads in shame?
The Egyptians defined their legacy, as did every culture that was. The present is all we have now. It's the only thing that can be fluid before it's set as hard as the stones in the Great Pyramid of Giza.
What will we do with the present - before it becomes a permanent record of the past - a story to be told for generations upon generations? Will our greed and selfishness punish our future generations - or lift our society to a new level? What's our current defense - if we have one? Or should we even honestly care? What is it that will define our present culture when all we are is history?
From the imposing pyramids of limestone and granite, to the unusual eastward stare of the Sphinx, staring into another time and space within our modern and sophisticated world is a little jarring. One is forced to wonder just how unusual and different their society is from ours, and their ways from our ways. There are certainly a great deal of mysteries - resolved and unresolved. The fascination lies within the differences of their culture.
From the simplicity of their music to the mythological backgrounds of their beliefs, it cannot be underestimated the complexity of their society, even seemingly lacking of sophistication. Even today, new discoveries are found that strike awe in our hearts. Years back, when the tomb of King Tut, with all of it's treasures therein were discovered, we were enthralled in the regal royalty that, like a beacon, told a story without words of the wealth of a society long past.
The reflections on Egypt tell us a lot about culture. What once seemed immortal now, literally, is dust in the wind. We can only reflect on what we see - the experiences of the past are etched only in hieroglyphics. What does this say about our generation? What will people look back and say about this generation?
Will we be regarded as "ancient" as we regard the Egyptians millennia ago? Will they look back at our I-phones as we look back at the Abacus? Will they look back at our televisions as primitive and obsolete? Will electricity itself be as obsolete as an ancient pyramid? How will we be regarded in history over 1,000 years from now?
In my spiritual past, we had our own ideas about how the future would be. Our culture told us that by now, in 2018, we'd be well into a virtual paradise - with our own religious ideas firmly entrenched in world government. Those in ancient Egypt had their own ideas too, about life, death, and the afterlife. We were wrong - our world still goes on. The empire of the Egyptians is only relegated to great stories of eras and dynasties generations ago. It's not hard for this to seem devoid, and empty - in a purely physical sense. Kansas' song "dust in the wind" is an accurate synopsis of the feeling.
Yet, what drives us? What is it that endures? Is it the pyramids and great artifacts of the Egyptians, or the technologies and great achievements of our generation - which will someday be as ancient as the pyramids? Or is it something deeper - something stronger? What is it that will persist, and our generation will be remembered for?
When decades, generations, and millennia pass - when the Earth is reshaped by long-term geological process - when all our physical bodies are dust in the wind - perhaps, it is more than what we have been, and what we have seen, or even what we have made. Perhaps our greatest influence that we will be remembered by is how we shaped what will be by who we are now.
It's been said we write our own history. When we look back at the stories of empires past. When we look back at cultures down through the ages - from the inquisitions to the crusades and all points around the globe - what stories did they write? What stories will we write? What stories are we writing even right now? Are they stories we will be proud of, or drop our heads in shame?
The Egyptians defined their legacy, as did every culture that was. The present is all we have now. It's the only thing that can be fluid before it's set as hard as the stones in the Great Pyramid of Giza.
What will we do with the present - before it becomes a permanent record of the past - a story to be told for generations upon generations? Will our greed and selfishness punish our future generations - or lift our society to a new level? What's our current defense - if we have one? Or should we even honestly care? What is it that will define our present culture when all we are is history?
****
"Throughout history, it has always been the inaction of those who could have acted, the indifference of those who should have known better, the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most, that has made it possible for evil to triumph." - Haile Salassie
Throughout history, it
has been the inaction of those who could have acted; the indifference of
those who should have known better; the silence of the voice of justice
when it mattered most; that has made it possible for evil to triumph.
Haile Selassie
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/history
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/history
Throughout history, it
has been the inaction of those who could have acted; the indifference of
those who should have known better; the silence of the voice of justice
when it mattered most; that has made it possible for evil to triumph.
Haile Selassie
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/history
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/history
Throughout history, it
has been the inaction of those who could have acted; the indifference of
those who should have known better; the silence of the voice of justice
when it mattered most; that has made it possible for evil to triumph.
Haile Selassie
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/history
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/history
Throughout history, it
has been the inaction of those who could have acted; the indifference of
those who should have known better; the silence of the voice of justice
when it mattered most; that has made it possible for evil to triumph.
Haile Selassie
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/history
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/history
Throughout history, it
has been the inaction of those who could have acted; the indifference of
those who should have known better; the silence of the voice of justice
when it mattered most; that has made it possible for evil to triumph.
Haile Selassie
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/history
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/history
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