This movie(The Network) was made in 1976. Hmm. Appropriateness to today seems more relevant then 33 years ago when this film was made.
Anyone here ever read "Amusing Ourselves to Death" by Neil Postman? I highly recommend this book.
Now watch this segment from "The Network":(No. Really. Watch this.)
And this segment. Begin to understand.
Which leads me to this great song of Ned's Atomic Dustbin. I think they say it very well.
All of this is so very groovy. Yeah, baby, television and numb me out, Yeah! Render my mind mush. Besides, I don't wanna know. I like living in Disneyland.
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14 comments:
Yep. I'm glad I missed all that by not watching TV for the last 45 years. Thanks for the warning. :)
One generation will be the last generation. Could it be this one?
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Constantine
Constantine, Committed Christians at war with their culture in EVERY generation since apostolic times have thought they were in the end times. We've been in the end time for 2000 years. Will it end with us? God knows. We have a 4 part radio show series on the end times at Our Life in Christ, one of them we walk through every century and people's predictions. It starts here
http://audio.ancientfaith.com/ourlife/endtimes1_100206.mp3
Yes, thank you Steve. I think that I may have heard those shows, and since we're speaking, I would like to thank you very much for your program. When I came home to the Faith, I downloaded most of your shows and recieved a great education. THANK YOU!
I see very clearly, that we all have a tendency to jump and make apocalyptic assumptions. The only certain thing is that there will be a last generation and we are told to watch the seasons. In prayer, and only with the Holy Spirit can we discern correctly. My observation is this: Never in the history of mankind have we been ABLE to, technologically speaking, reproduce the events described. For example, it seems to me that all the world can simultaneously be watching one thing. Have we thought about the fact that anyone near a television, computer, or even a cell phone can ALL be watching the exact same thing at the exact same time? How many billions is that? That has never been possible before, and it seems to me that this is described in the Book, that the whole world will witness certain events simultaneously.
Please do not misunderstand me. I am not saying that we are the last generation, but I am saying that we havent been able to do these things before.
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Constantine
In Christ Constantine,
Indeed we are living in perilous times. For we who have lived over 50 years (which is a short span), the world has radically changed from "Mayberry" to "Sex in the City". It is scary how quickly that has happened. How long will God tolerate the descent into the darkness? I don't know, all I can say is what St. Paul said in the first century: Maranatha! Lord come quickly! Thank you for your kind words.
Steve and Constantine,
One thing I have noticed is that there is rarely if ever any teaching from our pastors on this very important subject of the Last Days and the Anti Christ.
And as you noted in your program, Steve, that the Greek, "anti" is actually better translated "instead of"(if I remember your excellent series on this matter-I listened to your referenced material some time ago and with Constantine, Thank you!) rather than necessarily "against", though it would seem both meanings are appropriate.
It seems that this subject is somewhat taboo because it touches on matters which are controversial and a reading of history which is not exactly politically correct.
I know that when I have brought up this subject it has been sort of laughed off and made to seem preposterous to even consider that we may indeed be living at the consummation of the Last Days. And believe me, I was not at all being "fanatical" in bringing up the subject.
I have also noticed that this subject matter has some serious weight in the Holy Scriptures apart from the Book of Revelation and in the mouth of the Lord and all His Apostles. I think a very good reference is St. Paul in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 and in verse 5 he says:
5 Do you not remember that when I was with you I told you these things?
Read what comes before this verse and what follows it to give it better context.
Paul's teaching as well as the others' I believe contained much warning about the antichrist and the spirit of antichrist, that which was "instead of" and against the Lord's Christ.
And with Constantine I would have to emphasize technology playing a large role not only in the ability to allow countless numbers of peoples worldwide to all be "on the same page" when it comes to this figure and the events leading up to his unveiling and the attendant falsification of the understanding of history so that this Ape of God can usher in his own "age" but that technology will be wed to the occult in such a way that it will be indistinguishable from Truth and those in the world at that time will be tested to the limit within themselves not to "give in" and believe the lie.
The rise of magick and the occult is something that I think is utterly lacking in the teaching of those who are our pastors. There's alot of scary stuff out there which is "mainstream". Sex in the City and the pornographication of Man in general is somehow, though I am unable to exactly identify it, connected with witchcraft and the Lucifarian religion.
It's not a big stretch to see the occultic/gnostic elements in Evolution and many of other beliefs held by the esteemed of this age to effect a shift in consciousness in the world away from God in Christ.
I think I will one day do a piece entitled "The 'Necessity' of AntiChrist" with "necessity" denoting a necessary eschatological "pressure" upon the present to aid us in our struggle to purify ourselves and to be joined to Christ to escape this fallen world.
This "end" I believe is meant to inform our present and unless it does, the meaning of fasting and all the things the Church gives as medicine is deprived of much if not all of its power and we merely fast for less reasons than as warfare.
I think a proper(and somewhat sobering and frightening) understanding of the world is beneficial to the Christian but with the aid of of our brothers and sisters in Christ that we may not fall into eschatological delusion by believing that the Day has come when in fact it has not. It is an aid to watchfulness and gives meaning to the struggle that is lacking if the struggle is absent this dimension spoken of in the Scriptures and by the Holy Fathers down through the centuries into our own today.
I know that there are some very holy people who include this teaching in the overall teaching of the Church and I believe not to teach it is a deprivation of the totality of what is necessary for a complete understanding of what exactly it is we are struggling against and what exactly our Lord overcame when He overcame this world.
Hi Sophocles, I think in general we need to be warned of not getting sucked into the "instead of Christ" culture and the "pornification of man" etc. however, I think there is a certain wisdom to not preach specifically about "end times signs and scenarios" since no one in Church history has gotten it right. I fear we don't hear much about it because most of our clergy are entangled in it themselves and cannot discern the degrees to which they and their flocks are indeed engaged in "anti-Christ". We're good at explicating "theology" and dogma, and putting on the outer garments of piety and "Orthodoxy" but I fear we're all short on personal assessment of our relationship to media, materialism and just plain decadence.
Steve,
Very well said and as for the personal assessment I am first to fail here, may God truly have mercy on me.
I agree with you that it is unwise to try to nail down specific scenarios and dates as this is doomed to failure by the Lord's own words that no one will know the day and time.
However, some of the strong teaching I have seen in the Scripture associated with the Anti Christ and what it is that is so alluring and captivating for us Christians down through the centuries, especially in John the Theologian's First Epistle(and not to mention that he is one of only three who are given this title of "theologian") is that lust is what weds us to this world system and compromise.
At bottom, if I am understanding St. John correctly, of our personal attachment to
our relationship to media, materialism and just plain decadence.
is lust and how these things incite or obscure the Beauty of God because they appeal to us because of the quick and easy gratification they give.
My thrust is not to be specific on days and times but rather to at least mention that the Lord will most definitely return.
And that before His most definite return we are told that this figure, The Anti Christ, is as sure as the Lord's return.
That being the case, this "end" needs to bring some pressure to bear upon our present living of our lives and with this in place, all the things the Church gives as medicine, as I mentioned before, i.e. repentance(which encompasses all the practices and from which we never graduate)fasting, prayer, almsgiving, etc.are give a new meaning, or more actually, are given their true meaning and end value that we may be found in Him at His return and escape the things that are reserved for those who oppose Christ because of their love for this world which St. John tells us not to do.
Believe me, Steve, I am not sitting on a soap box here with those who oppose Christ being a group which does not include me in its company. I know how much I enjoy and relish my own personal lusts and I am fearful about this. I hope in His mercy and love for me(even though I really don't know what love really is-I'm learning I think, and this hope is because I have been told about His love and mercy and slowly experientially learn of this in Him).
But, to wind down this long comment, I believe the inclusion of this teaching,thatthis figure will preclude the Lord's return, not when, and that events in the world, in general, will reflect this and that in fact, logically speaking, in this sense, EVERY event is part and parcel of the consummation of the age and EVERY event is anti-christ(as well of God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is within-I don't ever wish to forget that greater is He Who is in me than He who is in the world and the Lord's victory is assured and there ultimately is no reason to fear).
That Anti Christ is aids in the purification from the passions to know God which may be one reason God in His wisdom has allowed Anti Christ; because this allows us to struggle that we may know God as He is.
I hope I made enough sense that you may understand what I'm saying, dear brother.
As always,
Yours in Christ,
Sophocles, I think you have stated the whole of the issue extremely well. Christ IS returning and we are indeed in a life and death struggle with anti-Christ at every moment of our existence. If Christians grasped nothing else, those two things should motivate us to repent. Well said, brother!
Steve, I am curious. Have you ever seen a map of Washington DC?
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Constantine
Hi Constantine,
No, I never have. Now I'm curious...
Steve
Ok Steve, heres a link;
http://www.freemasonrywatch.org/washington.html
This website apparently deals with Freemasonry and conspiracies, which is a whole new discussion, but there are some lansat images of DC that are interesting, to say the least. It is probably good for us who love the Truth, to share with each other the things that we see that may be helpful to our brothers and sisters in the world so that we who are struggling can all be on the same page.
ICXC NIKA
Constantine
Hi guys, Sophicles, Great discussion, uh...completely off this topic, I'm going to create a new blog for Orthodox cooking, recipes and cultural/ethno-food info. Thought you might think it interesting. check out cheffyboy.blogspot.com for updated info as to when and where. P.s., I've seen that map before. Freaky huh? O.k. sorry to interrupt...
Chef,
Thank you so much for your comment and consider it done. I happen to own(with my two brothers) a Greek restaurant in Las Vegas(Henderson to be exact)and I would be very interested in following your blog. I will make a post announcing the adding of your blog to my sidebar.
Again, thank you and yes, that map is freaky. It sort of changes things when we begin to realize that evil is not just an abstract concept but it is something incarnate as well and that one day, walking on this earth(if he is not already present) will be him who exalts himself as God and opposes the True Christ of God whom the world, in the figure of the anti-Christ, will enthrone as king, once again Satan the Ape of
God mimicking and lusting after the rightful honor and glory which belongs to God alone.
The mystery of iniquity...
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