This makes so much sense that it should disturb you if you're wandering around with some notion of moderate or 'modern' faith.If The Trinity was altered thusly I would find myself saying, "At least they're honest about their cartoon hero worship."
Not that I'd respect your faith anymore than I do now, but it would at least have a decent internal consistency.
This vision is a grand synthesis that borders on the sublime. Like good art it inspires those who come in contact with it and as my gift to you, I'll share my inspiration with you.
When I first looked at this picture, I thought, "Wow, now that is a new low." Then I thought, "no... it actually makes perfect sense". Our society IS fueled by rote consumerism, a veneer of bootstrapped, externally enforced morality and the idea that our truth, justice and American way is mighty and invulnerable.
Then I noticed what this tripartite 'sun' was presiding over, a cemetery, and I was in love. The symbolism kicks you in the head like a donkey filled shotgun.
Let me give it to you:
The 'sun' of empty materialism, moralism and might cannot sustain the human race. If we continue to lay prostrate before our sun god, we shall come to enjoy the fruit of our devotion...
Extinction.
9 comments:
I think this picture's a cute joke, but something a college freshman would do and think is "profound".
Here's why...
I'm of the opinion that the world has ALWAYS run on consumerism, morality, and the belief that "our way is invincible".
I am fairly convinced that society's always been materialistic. Every generation thinks it's more materialistic than the last. I submit that they're all the same. Shops and selling aren't new inventions. Neither are consumers. Santa Claus isn't a bad thing. Buying gifts does not lead to extinction. It leads to an economy. It leads to tax revenue and the services derived from that revenue. It's got nothing to do with the survival of our species. (Maybe the survival of our economy, but in the case... Santa's keeping our economy out of the grave, not killing it.)
Modern religion is no different from any religion of the past. It's just a new set of externally implied and (sometimes) enforced rules. Some rules make sense, some don't. I'm not anti-religion, so I don't take pleasure in mocking religion. I know that religion helped my mother get through the pain of cancer and face death with somewhat less fear. What's wrong with that? I find devoutly religious and devoutly atheist to be two side of the same coin. Both are equally obnoxiously smug in my eye. That's just another debate that has no winner, only a bunch of losers and hard feelings.
Finally, no culture/government or society can compete if they don't believe in themselves. So, it's natural to have that "Superman" image. Who would want to be part of a superpower that thinks it's just "OK"? Low self esteem doesn't breed success.
What's even more perfect... the graveyard. Every successful culture has a legion of critics who think the world's ending and "we're going to hell in a hand basket." We're not. I'm not sure where we're headed, but it's likely not hell or heaven, or extinction for that matter. It's much more likely we're just headed into another year. It's just hard to admit that the world's always been this way, and will likely still be this way long after we're gone.
That's all I got off the top of my head...
Your problem is in the details (or rather your lack of detail). Even if the world has always (and you have to admit the use of the word always there almost automatically makes you wrong) run on consumerism, which it hasn't, rote consumerism is much different beast. We've always been consumers, heck we're heterotrophs, but not consumerists. Rote consumerism doesn't even have the narcissistic self satisfying motive, you're just doing it to do it. The previous statement also addresses your materialism remark.
Modern religion is different from ancient religion not in it's degree of stupidity; but in the ability of it's adherents to sift through it for what they want (you know commit the same sorts of 'heresies' that would've gotten you killed a few hundred years ago), but then turn around and claim that it's the only source of true wisdom. You can't tell me the Bible is the answer... except for this part, that part, and oh yeah not that one either.
I can't believe you stooped to the '...but my mother...' defense. I submit that the love, care and medical attention that she received from you, the rest of her family and various medical personnel was as great an aid as her belief with respect to her. External to her perception, there isn't a real contest as to the source of her aid.
And the atheists are a religion argument, you're two for two so far in the pathos category, yet, you are still wrong. Atheism is a religion (or other multiple trait sharing group noun) like, and I quote, "NOT collecting stamps is a hobby". They aren't two sides of the same coin. You can't even use any of the meanings of the word devout to describe an atheist until you get to the ones that mean sincere. Atheism doesn't demand that you subvert your evolved intellect and claim ignorance as a virtue. Here's what atheism says: there isn't any proof for a god, thus I don't think there is one. Here's what religion says: various unproved, disproved, non-provable, self-contradicting things (pick a specific one to determine flavor[s]). There is no debate to lose, there are people who demand evidence, and there are people who don't.
You don't have to 'believe' in yourself to compete, you just have to be comparable. If I can make a car that gets 100 miles a gallon that costs me $20 to manufacture, no amount of believing is going to stop me from pwning the market until you build something comparable. The United States is a perfect example of a superpower that didn't think it was invulnerable, that's why it was a cold war and not a nuclear war. You = wrong on this point.
Your last paragraph is a reflection of the sentiment that has us still burning fossil fuels. The world didn't always have a species who, through their machinery, could change a significant amount of the biosphere in a non-geologic (i.e. not eons) period of time. We didn't even have this capability until recently. When you're four years old and you give your four year old mate a playful shove, you do it with all your might because you don't really have much force behind your push, and you don't really know your own strength. As a grown man in the same situation you don't do the same thing without thinking of the consequences, and probably still 'pull' your shove, and you wouldn't dream of shoving a four year old with all your might. New technologies require new tactics and new thinking; this is why soldiers don't fight in pike squares anymore.
It's important to remember a few things here.
A) fundamentalist Christian != staunch atheist
B) faith != reason
c) Superman != awesome
I don't try to fight faith anymore. If people believe that crutch helps them through life, good for them. I pity them, but I can't argue with the illogical.
On a lighter note..."kicks you in the head like a donkey filled shotgun."
That was a the best line of this whole report. Thank you Mr. Cofrancesco and Mr. Pacillo for teaching J the importance of graphic simile.
I must say I've had an 'interesting' group of English instructors. Even my rhetoric prof. from this semester has left a mark on my style. I think there is some ritual they subject each other to before they can graduate...
Anyone who speaks the language can be an instructor in the English.
To be a a good instructor, you need to border on the ridiculous.
Came across you via C&L.
You're a fine writer.
:)
Hey -caught your link from Hill Country Gal!
Love the whole Santa/Jeebus/Superman lording it over the graveyard analysis. Right on the money as far as I'm concerned.... plus great writing to drive home the "double-think" value system of the materialism/morality culture!
Keep it up....I'll be looking for more!
I'll see what pisses me off (that's my muse [I have a Muze also, but that's different]), meanwhile feel free to journey down my memory lane of hostility towards ineffective government, stupid social conventions and more ridiculous shit before your morning cup of coffee than you could get up to with the rest of your life.
awwww gangi has a Muze! lol. *batting eyelashes*
okay, continue on with your intelligent conversation....
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