The recrudescence of religious intolerance, of racial animosity, and of patriotic arrogance; the increasing evidences of selfishness, of suspicion, of fear and of fraud; the spread of terrorism, of lawlessness, of drunkenness and of crime; the unquenchable thirst for, and the feverish pursuit after, earthly vanities, riches and pleasures; the weakening of family solidarity; the laxity in parental control; the lapse into luxurious indulgence; the irresponsible attitude towards marriage and the consequent rising tide of divorce; the degeneracy of art and music, the infection of literature, and the corruption of the press; the extension of the influence and activities of those 'prophets of decadence' who advocate companionate marriage, who preach the philosophy of nudism, who call modesty an intellectual fiction, who refuse to regard the procreation of children as the sacred and primary purpose of marriage, who denounce religion as an opiate of the people, who would, if given free rein, lead back the human race to barbarism, chaos, and ultimate extinction -- these appear as the outstanding characteristics of a decadent society, a society that must either be reborn or perish.
That's quite the list, isn't it? 10 separate things, not including the sub-sections. Well, I don't know about you, but I'd like to look at them one at a time, perhaps see what they are and what we can do about them. (Addition: This was really hard to do. I felt overwhelmed during most of the writing of this one, but I think I got past that. Let me know what you think. Thanks.)
First, though, there is the beginning of the sentence itself: "The recrudescence". That just means the revival of, or breakout again, of something you thought had gone away, kind of like a disease. In other words, we thought we got rid of these things, but here they are again. Now on to the list itself.
1. "of religious intolerance, of racial animosity, and of patriotic arrogance" - This is the old habit of thinking that "we" are somehow better than "them". Whether it is based on our religion, the colour of our skin, or what particular stretch of land saw our birth, it doesn't matter. They are all barriers to peace, whether within the heart of the individual or between countries. And while we may have thought that these prejudices were on the way out, we have seen them come back with a vengeance in the past few years. We can all, however, take steps in our own lives to overcome this tendency that has rooted itself so deeply in our world. And while a few would argue that only the "oppressor" can be racist, anyone can show animosity. Our goal should be to show love to all, regardless of their background.
2. "the increasing evidences of selfishness, of suspicion, of fear and of fraud" - We only need to look at the increasing divide between the rich and the poor, and the subsequent dissolving of the middle class, to see that this is happening. There have been many more instances in the past few years of fraud by bankers, investors, and other high profile groups of people that suspicion is increasing faster than ever. The news stories that can be referenced here regarding people of all classes and societies defy description. For ourselves, we can strive to be trustworthy and beyond reproach, freeing ourselves from both the bane of materialism as well as stain of paranoia.
3. "the spread of terrorism, of lawlessness, of drunkenness and of crime" - These speak of personal behaviour on a more general level. While not everyone will be able to defraud a bank, or a nation, of millions of dollars, everyone can afford to get drunk to escape the problems in their lives. And while we may think of terrorism as an organized response to a perceived injustice, road rage can be just as terrifying for those involved. In response, we can try to maintain our calm and composure, not allowing anything to disturb us as we strive to live according to the laws of the land and the ideals of our faith. Deep heartfelt prayer, along with that companion of prayer, meditation, will go a long way to helping us find that sense of calm within our lives. Once we recognize this within our own life, then we can better help others find it within theirs.
4. "the unquenchable thirst for, and the feverish pursuit after, earthly vanities, riches and pleasures" - Black Friday. Need I say more? I mean, of course I can say more, but I think I'll leave it there. To overcome this, though, is to remain detached and recognize that all these "earthly vanities" are but dust in the end. And while it is ok to have possessions, and pursue noble goals, we should be satisfied with what we have and dedicate our time to more worthy ends.
6. "the laxity in parental control" - It seems to me that we are afraid to discipline our children today. We almost seem to think that the rights of the individual secures the rights of children to behave however they wish. And while I am in no way advocating striking children to coerce them into some sort of semblance of good behaviour, I do believe that children need to learn appropriate boundaries from day one. A simple chastisement to a child who has been shown an abundance of love since they were an infant can do wonders for correcting behaviour, when needed. Without the time, however, to develop those intimate bonds of family love, any other sort of discipline will fall far short of being effective.
7. "the lapse into luxurious indulgence" - At first I would have thought this tied to number 4, but I now realize that it really is quite different. The former was a feverish pursuit after these things. Here it is a slip into it, almost accidental. The former you have to work for, while this one comes from not being aware. It is almost as if we take these luxuries for granted. I remember a friend of mine who lost their job and was having trouble making ends meet. But it never occurred to them to get rid of the cable tv. One solution for this, to me, is the Right of God. When we examine our lives, and consciously recognize what things we have that are necessary, then we become more aware of those things we have that are luxuries, and can then make more conscious choices about what we choose to spend our money and attention on.
8. "the irresponsible attitude towards marriage and the consequent rising tide of divorce" - Well, divorce is on the rise. There is no denying that. I shudder to think of the number of people I know who got on well, were perhaps in love with each other, and thought "Might as well get married". There was little or no getting to know each other's character, and the honest thought that if it didn't work out they could always get divorced. But when you see marriage as an eternal bond, you are less likely to just jump into it. So for me, studying what the Writings say about marriage, and taking one's vow more seriously, curbs this tendency.
9. "the degeneracy of art and music, the infection of literature, and the corruption of the press" - Again, we only need to look at the movies out there, or the books, or the art, to see this. We can even look at those so-called news outlets that are nothing more than obscene forms of entertainment, as opposed to being vehicles for information, to recognize their destructive nature. Baha'u'llah, in His tablet to the London Times says that they should "investigate the truth", and in Epsitle to the Son of the Wolf says that the arts should be "conducive to the well-being and tranquility of men". If we choose our arts and news sources carefully, then simple economics will move them back to where they belong, for those other media outlets will no longer find so willing an audience.
10. "the extension of the influence and activities of those 'prophets of decadence' who advocate companionate marriage, who preach the philosophy of nudism, who call modesty an intellectual fiction, who refuse to regard the procreation of children as the sacred and primary purpose of marriage, who denounce religion as an opiate of the people, who would, if given free rein, lead back the human race to barbarism, chaos, and ultimate extinction" -
Oh, there is so much in this last paragraph, and some surprising things that are not there. But looking at these one at a time revealed much to me that I was unaware of. Companionate marriage, which I had thought of as common law marriage, is actually often defined as "a marriage in which the partners decide not to have children, and to reserve the right to divorce amicably with mutual consent". This is quite different from a marriage in which the couple is unable to have children, for it is a conscious choice, as well as an apparently temporary arrangement.
One of the basic tenets of the philosophy of nudism is that modesty has no place in our culture. And while the Baha'i Faith does not condone "any form of asceticism, or of excessive and bigoted puritanism", it does place a high value on modesty, citing it as one of the ways we can help teach others.
While children are not the sole reason for a marriage, as is evidenced by the Guardian's own marriage, they are the primary reason. The institution of marriage is the foundation of the family. And this is to differentiate a marriage in the Baha'i sense from any other form of life-long companionship, which is often called a marriage in our culture. (I have a very difficult time expressing this, but trust that you can sense what I mean.)
Finally, religion should not be an opiate that dulls the senses. It should be something that stimulates the soul to greater heights, and carries us beyond what we ever thought possible. Whereas an opiate lulls into a sense of lifelessness, faith, as defined by the Master, is conscious knowledge in action. "By God, this is the arena of
insight and detachment, of vision and upliftment, where none may spur on their chargers save the valiant horsemen of the Merciful, who have severed all attachment to the world of being."
So this last paragraph reminds me of the high moral standard to which we are called, and that this is not a call to some sort of sitting around feeling good about ourselves. It is a call to action. And there is also the continual reminder that we are not to fall into fanaticism, but an upholding of the Baha'i standard with moderation and respect towards others.
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