Quote History Originally Posted By jekbrown:
Very debatable that that was better in the past either. What metric is being used to measure that, exactly? Sounds like little more than a purely subjective opinion. But you know, I'm sure people having their hearts ripped out by the Aztecs were thinking "well yeah, but spiritually we're doing great!" as their dying body was hurled off the temple pinnacle.
Or if we're gonna be all euro-centric and shit, them dark ages were great spiritually as well.
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Quote History Originally Posted By jekbrown:Originally Posted By HEATSEAKER:
They are talking in the cultural/spiritual sense. Even multi millionaire celebrities who are mobbed by doting fans and have every worldly desire at their beck and call have been known to kill themselves out of emptiness and despair.
Very debatable that that was better in the past either. What metric is being used to measure that, exactly?
Sounds like little more than a purely subjective opinion. But you know, I'm sure people having their hearts ripped out by the Aztecs were thinking "well yeah, but spiritually we're doing great!" as their dying body was hurled off the temple pinnacle.
Or if we're gonna be all euro-centric and shit, them dark ages were great spiritually as well.
They did publish it in the Opinion column, so I would not expect peer reviewed data and metrics.
However, we can discuss whether there is truth to that opinion. As
HEATSEAKER explained, that statement was made in the context of societal health and spirituality.
Let's look at some facts:
- We have the strongest economy in the world.
- Our average national wage is the second highest in the world.
- We have essentially eradicated poverty from coast to coast.
- Violent crime has decreased significantly over the past few decades.
- Opportunities for higher education are better than ever before.
- It's almost impossible to find a residence without indoor plumbing and HVAC.
All of these are great things that make life so much easier. Yet:
- We're far from the happiest nation in the world.
- We have more freedom to do wrong and less to do right.
- Happiness has especially decreased for women despite achieving their societal careerist goals.
- We have a lower marriage rate and a higher divorce rate.
- Parents are quicker to give up.
- Suicides rates continue to trend up.
- Familial care of the elderly is in decline.
- Sexual activity in children is high, and so is overall promiscuity.
- And worst of all, we murder hundreds of thousands of our most vulnerable persons every year.
So is modern life ugly, brutal, and barren? I would argue that abortion alone makes it ugly and brutal. Is it barren? That's obvious hyperbole, but by birth rates it's not too far of a stretch, especially as compared to harder times and poorer nations.
Yes, the Aztec human sacrifices were horrible. Thank God for bringing Christianity to end to that barbarity. Not sure I'm following why you brought that up. Are you suggesting that all spirituality and religion is the same?
In conclusion, I don't necessarily I agree with everything in article, as I also indicated in the first post, but I hope you can see there is a lot of truth in the sense you took exception with.