From Bible-Culture To Post-Christian Media Culture

@Pythagorean,

Biblical culture declines, but biblical truth prevails

0 Replies

@jgweed,

Khethil wrote:

I believe this entire issue to be the biggest and most-pressing problem we have today. The mass-consumption culture, coupled with deification of money - both shoved down the throats of those saturated with media (subtly and not-so-subtley) destroys far too much. I don't see anyway off this "track" except by derailment and I am far too deep into apathy of my cultures' lack of values and conscience to even see a silver lining.

I don't think derailment is what we need. I'll propose a comparison (possibly flawed, for explanatory purposes):

In the industrial revolution, we invented new technologies that created vast changes. Child labor, urban squalor, pollution, exploitation of workers, violent labor strikes were the result. But what about today? We worked out laws and principles over time. We made things work. Now the person who would have worked in a sewing mill 12 hours a day for a pittance works in a call center for a living wage.

Why can't we do the same with consumerism and media technology? Our society is taking a pretty introspective look at its problems right now. It just moves slowly.

jgweed;120798 wrote:

Once upon a time, and a very good it was,too, every educated person was assumed to have read the writings central to the tradition of civilisation, and to recognise allusions and quotations from these monuments. The awesome KJV of the Bible, Shakespeare, Homer (to name three) were the common bindings that aided communication of ideas because they were shared by authors and readers.

Educated people were expected to read those writings, but how many people were expected to be educated?

1 Reply

@Jebediah,

Jebediah;125538 wrote:

Why can't we do the same with consumerism and media technology?

It's certainly possible, but only possible to the extent that we often say, "Well, anything's possible". In other words, I just don't see it as likely. How would we steer the media away from making money (i.e., being a business) towards being responsible? Being responsible isn't titilating, it doesn't sell, its connotation in amongst today's generations is one on par with 'chores', 'brushing your teeth' and 'go take out the garbage'. These don't sell; and all our forms of media are a business.

Besides, many folks don't see an immediate and dire risk to themselves. The damage done to ourselves and our environment is like the frog sitting in a pan on the stove; as long as the water heats slowly, it'll sit there and die because the change in temperature is too gradual to notice an immediate risk. The frog dies, never having realized what was coming.

But yea, as a powerful and influential tool (and yes, we're all affected by media sources trying to sell their wares) its certainly conceivable.

Thanks

0 Replies

@Pythagorean,

I agree with you on most of your points and it is true that the media is ashamed of intellectuals. This is how it is: the media wants everyone to feel young, always happy, and be an indivudual. But what is foolish about this is that they believe that the only way to be happy is to be rebellious to any wisdom and be as riotess as possible. The population goes along with this only because they don't want to feel old or to be called an old boring person therefore all this superficial stuff is put out there and now suddenly everyone is ashamed of who they are and strive to look as young as long as they can, by doing such foolish things. So the real ones who are actually ashamed and promoting this kind of thinking is the population, by making it popular. Also children are naturally gullable anyway therefore when this lifestyle reaches them the poulation just gets worser and worser and people just become more ashamed.

0 Replies

@Klingsor phil,

Klingsor;120647 wrote:

This will mean "media culture killed the bible-culture". I think this is wrong - in my opinion the rising of media culture is not the CAUSE of the decline of the bible culture, but both are effects of a different cause: the secularization and materialization of society. It's the economy.

I think you're on to something here. Zizek portrays multiculturalism, for instance, as a useful ideology for "Global Capital." The free market has bred the free consumer. Choice is god. We can even choose which nose or genitals we want to have -- if we can afford it. The afford-it issue is where the God of Choice isn't so open-minded. Spengler thinks that Rome in its glory cannot be understood unless one understand it's money system, the banking.

I'm not claiming any sort of expertise, but I do feel that money is a huge factor here. The simple fact that the U.S. uses a fiat currency seems important to me.

0 Replies

From Bible-Culture To Post-Christian Media Culture

Related Topics

Quick Links

My Account

able2know