I have this theory about decades.
It's the 30 year theory, that every 30 years we go through the same phases over and over.
Phase One is a happy-go-lucky, everything-will-be-okay era. Things look prosperous and wonderful on the surface but there is trouble brewing beneath. The '20's were like this, as were the '50's and the '80's.
Phase Two is mired in turbulence, social change, and cultural revolution. These are exciting times to live through. The '30's, '60's and '90's fall into this range.
Phase Three is the aftermath of all the change and preparation for the return of Phase One. These are lethargic, narcissistic times to endure. The '40's, '70's and our current decade (the '00's, perhaps?) fit the bill.
My theory is just a theory. There's no science to it. And it can be argued that these phases don't exactly correspond to the decades numerically. A lot of people feel, for example, that the '50's ended in 1963, when JFK was killed, right before The Beatles became big, and ended when Vietnam and Watergate hit our national consciousness. This would mean that the '70's didn't officially start until midway through (around the time of the Bicentennial, maybe?) and ended sometime in early 1983. The advent of the '80's, logically, would've been the Summer of 1984, when Top 40 pop music hit a certain peak and the Ruskies were boycotting the Olympics...
...and so on.
Right now, we're in the third phase, but it feels like we're in the first phase, because of the overwhelming conservatism and nationalism that has blanketed the nation in the wake of 9/11. I would say that 9/11 officially marked the end of the '90's, although more eager observers wanted to attribute the WTC attacks as the Death of Irony as well.
But you can't kill off an abstract like Irony... or Terrorism, for that matter.
No, things are gonna get worse, I fear, in terms of how stupid people can be and how fearful they are. Right now self-absorption is at an all-time high. As a passive narcissist myself, I can see that people are catching up to my mentality very quickly. Meanwhile, I am stressing selflessness, because my gut instinct has always been about going against the grain. When people become more liberal, I become more conservative... out of pure spite.
And vice versa: when everybody has their heads buried in the sand like a bunch of ostriches, I become the one who prefers to keep his head above the fray. Chalk it up to my pathological need to be different from anyone else.
The '40's was the post-WWII generation, "The Greatest Generation", the parents of the Baby Boomers. In the '70's, those Baby Boomers were dropping back into society after having dropped out, and that was the advent of the Me Decade.
So I christen the '00's as The "N" Decade. The "N" stands for "narcissism", in case you didn't already know that.
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I see (on the cultural horizon) the rise of The New Christianity.
The New Christians are cynical, small-minded, and hateful. They are bringing down the name of Christianity by virtue of their petty vindictiveness against anyone who doesn't toe their party line. Their tongues spit deadly venom in the direction of anything that has the potential to enlighten humanity and bring it into the next phase of human evolution. Just mentioning the word 'evolution' will cause them to clamp their hands against their ears, even if it isn't in reference to Drawin and his studies.
The New Christianity has nothing to do with the points that Jesus Christ made in his infamous Sermon On The Mount, aka "The Beatitudes":
"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted"? The New Christians have no interest in comforting those who mourn. They would rather scream at them and tell them that their loved ones are in Hell because they didn't believe. And they only want to comfort the mourning of a select few, namely anyone who can help these New Christians further their heartless agendas. From the families of the victims of 9/11 to the Terry Schiavos of the world, the New Christians are there, acting as sanctimonious as they can... never mind the wailing cries emanating from the women and children of Iraq.
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied"? Unfortunately, the New Christians think this applies to them. But they hunger not for righteousness-- instead they pursue self-righteousness, and they are NEVER satisfied. I mean, we have a predominantly right-wing government in effect, with a media that caters to its whims... and yet there's still all of this talk about the Liberal Media. Can't have it both ways, people. Be happy that your man was (unofficially) elected, okay? Leave the rest of us alone.
"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven"... and who would the persecuted be? The New Christians would have you believe that they are the persecuted ones, with all this crap talk about "The Culture Of Life" and whatnot. But the way I see it, the New Christians are doing an awful lot of persecuting themselves: gays, pro-choice activists, left-wingers and various religious denominations are constantly under attack from the likes of assholes like Randall Terry, Jerry Falwell, and President Bundy. And if you ask me, at the rate they keep attacking, the Kingdom of Heaven is going to be closed to them when their time comes.
"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth"... but we Americans don't really believe that. If we did, we wouldn't be so quick to start wars and bully the rest of the world around like kids in a schoolyard. We would have more compassion for the homeless and the poor, instead of passing anti-bankruptcy bills that promise to widen the gap between the Haves and the Have-nots. We Americans piss on people who seem weak in our minds, because collectively as a nation we are incredibly insecure.
"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy"... another concept lost on this new breed of Christian. Where was the mercy when President Bundy sentenced a woman to death in Texas, followed by a cruel mocking imitation of her last words? Where is the mercy for the women and children of Iraq and Afghanistan? Where is the mercy for the mentally ill and the drug-addicted masses in our cities? The answer: The New Christians have no mercy, because mercy would require a conscience, whereas these monsters are ready to demonstrate time and time again that they have no conscience.
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God". I guess we know where The New Christians stand on this front: they lust for war, they lust for blood-- even the blood of their own Savior, which they drooled over in Mel Gibson's movie The Passion Of The Christ. They are ready to wipe out all of the "towelheads" and "godless heathens" and only think turning the cheek is good for their enemies, the better to smite them with swords and crucifixes.
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven"... but is it really? What does 'poor in spirit' mean? Does it mean gloating over President Bundy's win in 2004? Does it mean yelling "America #1" at the top of their lungs and beating their chests as the war drums beat on? Does it mean forcing the downtrodden and disillusioned of this country to accept a dogma that doesn't speak directly to them?
"Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God"... In light of this particular Beatitude, I fear that the New Christians are as blind as can be. Their hearts are black and wrapped in wickedness, and their demeanors betray a viciousness that, once again, doesn't resemble the message of Christ in any way, shape or form.
Finally, I'd like to ask all of you-- any of you-- out there who read this to do me a favor: if you agree that Christianity is being hijacked by an unprecedented wave of hatred and bigotry; if you feel that the label of "Christian" has been tainted by ignorant yahoos; if it breaks your heart to see men and women who profess to love God treating their fellow men as if they were objects to be villified and effigied, then please copy and paste this post and send it to anyone out there who will read it and pass it on. You can give them the link to this blog if you want.
I'm sick of the New Christians trying to take the reins. I am sick of their lies and distortions. I am sick of hearing otherwise good people espouse bad logic when it comes to the welfare of other human beings.
Spread this message, and remind those who belong to this new breed that their time is limited. They shall not prosper, they shall not advance beyond their shallow wells of faux-spirituality, because they have no intention of seeking out Truth. They remain closed-minded and hard-hearted, like millions of mini-Pharoahs denying the Moses' of this world from embarking on a true Exodus of the mind, body and soul.
Unless they change their ways soon, the upcoming decades will be unkind to them. They may be on top now, but wait until their power wanes and their influence deflates. See how desperate and murderous they will become. It won't be pretty.
They hold us back, The New Christians. They suck our life essence with their tireless attempts to control our minds. They want to break us, because they are already broken... and we all know how misery loves company.
We need to make progress. We need to recognize the False Prophets and expose the nude Emperors who want to convince us that they stand in regal robes, unblemished by sin.
I am in no position to judge, but then again can you call this post a judgement? I think of it more as a wake-up call, a challenge, perhaps even a warning... but far from a threat.
We need to act. Now.
Have a great weekend, people.
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