The Tyranny of the Moment

Like many American males, I love sports, and watch my favorite teams almost obsessively. (Especially the Denver Broncos.) I justify this mild obsession in many ridiculous ways, one of which is that sports often serves as a mirror of society as a whole.
One of the biggest trends in sports that society far too frequently mimics is the trend of living in the moment. For the narrative in sports is always the present. Rarely is the past dwelt upon, and the future is rarely considered by sports fans. 
The obsession of the sports fan for immediate victory is almost legendary. This team is now in a 20-game winning streak. That team is 8-8 now, despite the fact it won the Super Bowl last year. Fans are a notoriously impatient bunch, calling for the heads of excellent coaches after one losing year. One fluke play can make the difference between a championship and a heartbreaking loss, between a great year and a nightmare year.
Of course, in sports, championships are not won overnight. Bad teams go through rebuilding years. (Some teams, like the Raiders, go through seemingly eternal rebuilding phases. No, I am not sorry for that gratuitous shot at that useless team.) Teams often have what are called windows - periods when they must win championships before their aging veteran stars retire. Good teams are often forced to build their championships in lean years, by getting rid of overpriced, mediocre players and by stocking up on young talent. Rabid fans will complain about immediate losses, but teams which placate their fans and shoot for success by overspending will attain mediocrity at best.
The tyranny of the now inherent in sports is similar in many respects to the attitude of society today. We want this expensive toy, and we want it now. I'll sin now, and take the consequences later. If we don't get a boatload of funding for this inefficient project, people will lose their jobs. And so on and so forth.
Thought is rarely given to the future and towards what must be done to survive in the long term. Short-term gratification is the order of the day. And we build up debt or bad habits or bad memories until we collapse under their weight. We mortgage the future for a few moments in the present.
It is rarely, if ever, the quick change that makes a long-term impact. Championships are built upon the slow, steady build-up to success; success in human endeavors is also founded upon determined emphasis on virtue. And the path to societal suicide is rarely a quick, spectacular downfall; it is the coagulation of a confluence of mistakes. 

America the Beautiful?

I am an American who loves my country. And I will remain a proud American until the day I die.
But it is getting more difficult for me to defend the United States of America as a good nation and a defender of justice and peace around the globe.

For in the United States of America, more than 1 million children are killed each year. America exports our culture of death and destruction across the globe, through our support of family planning programs and our ever-increasing use of drones. Our culture is incredibly materialistic, based in consumerism and laziness.

I am not arguing that America is the great Satan and the destroyer of the world. Nor do I believe that America is the sole cause of every evil that happens on earth. Indeed, I still do believe that America, on the whole, generally shows far more moral sense than its fellow developed nations (Europe, Japan).

But as the world's "superpower," America has a moral responsibility to act justly and to live morally - to be a "city on the hill," as it was founded to be, and a force for justice and virtue. Americans have a responsibility to lead by example, and have largely done so (for example, during their long fight against Communism).

But America's moral superiority has diminished since then, and is waning fast. Marriage is being redefined, with all that goes with it. American culture is rapidly descending into crudeness and baseness, displaying ever-increasing violence and immorality on our movie screens, televisions, canvases, and radios. And the American government, under President Obama, is slowly phasing out religious freedom, by implementing a mandate for Catholic institutions to pay insurance companies to pay for birth control.

Not all in America is dark and gloomy. Americans are slowly becoming more pro-life (although the meaning of that term may be called into question). Americans still have freedom of speech, relative freedom of the press, and the ability to worship without fear. And Americans still show a heartening propensity to rise to face challenges in moments of crisis.

But these blessings of freedom, while great indeed, are increasingly tenuous in a world where the very meaning of liberty has been altered. To paraphrase from a quote from Sir Edward Grey during World War I, the lamps of liberty are going out across the world, including in America.

Dear Christians: Stop Making Awful Art!

An actress acquaintance of mine was gracious enough to invite me to a movie premiere for a Christian film she worked in. I was honored to be invited, and happily accepted the invitation. But I did so with reservations, knowing that the movie would probably turn out to be a certain problematic species of film: a noble attempt at spreading a Christian message which leaned too heavily on its message to become bad art.

And my reservations were eminently correct.

The message was typically Protestant – essentially, read your Bible, live by it, and all will fall into place. (Theologically problematic at best, but a fairly standard Protestant message.)

But the film lacked artistic merit, and was not even remotely close to being a representation of real life. The plot was singularly predictable: A worldly pastor comes to realize the problems in the town. A mysterious man (with the name of Jesse. Seriously!) comes and helps inspire the pastor to preach using the Bible. The town comes around (in a period of less than 2 weeks) after some resistance.

It took me all of 5 minutes to figure out the basic plot – and I am singularly clueless when it comes to predicting how films will turn out.

The dialogue was (quite literally, in my case) cringe-worthy. And the actions of the characters were not true to life. There were many instances I could point to, but one will suffice: The main couple, a husband and wife, supposedly a loving couple for over 25 years, never touched one another during the film - not even a hug when the wife lost her job. The couple stood or sat like statues during about 15 minutes of scenes.

Now, this was the first film the group which showed this movie made, with first time actors and actresses. The film had a very low budget. Their effort and their earnestness was clearly visible.

But their work is a representation of Christian art as a whole – a noble attempt, but very poor quality results.    

I understand that Christian movies are designed to send a message. But is it really too much to ask that they be technically skilled as well? 

Indeed, Christian art must display technical skill if it is to be truly effective. We Christians may be unworldly, but our artistic works should at least be true to life.  

Much of the reason that so few people respect Christianity is that our culture is boring and clueless about reality. Christian culture should be more attractive by virtue of its embrace of the source of wisdom and beauty, Jesus Christ. But most modern Christian art, quite frankly, is not attractive: not true to life, not inspiring, boring. cringe-inducing. Far too often, Christian films, writings, and music are glorified didactic sermons in a thin disguise. And who wants to listen to a 90 minute pseudo-artistic sermon except those Christians who do not need the message?

By contrast, the secular world knows how to tell a story and tell it very well. Hollywood tells brilliant, complex, compelling stories, even if they have disgusting messages. The music industry concocts slick songs with catchy lyrics, even if the morality for the songs is horribly skewed.

It is not as if Christians are rendered devoid of artistic talent by their faith. (Renaissance, anyone?) And there is certainly a market for well-made Christian works of art. Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ - one of the most powerful movies ever made - made millions of dollars because it appealed to Christian ideals so effectively.

In a world where 50 Shades of Gray can become a best-seller, it is clear that artistically-inclined Christians are failing in their task to create beauty. Beauty may yet save the world - but not if Christian artists refuse to stop making crappy art and dedicate themselves to honing their technical skills. 

Modern Confusion of Manhood

In modern society, being a man is often conflated with physical and intellectual prowess. The ability to attract women, the ability to beat other men to a pulp, and the ability to defeat opponents in contests of strength or skill or chance – these are all treated as expressions of true manhood. 

These abilities are all positive goods. The ability to defend oneself against other males, to outwit opponents, and to attract women are all things that males should strive to cultivate. 

But they are not the essence of manhood. And the confusion of these positive goods with true manhood is symptomatic of a dearth of manhood in modern society.

For the essence of manhood is self-gift. Man was made to give himself to others, to give his time, effort, abilities, and even his body to serve others and the kingdom of Christ. True manhood is about service of others, not about power.

Manhood, in its truest sense, is most truly expressed when one is able to resist one’s disordered desires, so as to more effectively sacrifice himself for others. Christ, through His total sacrifice of Himself on the cross for others, is the truest man ever to live.

Thus, true manhood manifests itself in ways which are largely scorned or taken for granted, especially in an increasingly feminized society.  

It takes more strength to restrain oneself when every part of one’s body is screaming to be sated (i.e., through food, or through sex, or through TV watching), than to simply give into desire. It takes more strength to hold one’s anger in check and bear injuries patiently and with love, than to lash out at a taunting foe. It takes more courage to stand for a principle that the world denies and mocks, than to simply give in on important issues when expedient.

But it is these basic principles of manhood that modern society denies and mocks. Manhood is instead seen as an expression of power, of exerting physical or intellectual or sexual control over another. True manhood is therefore treated as empowerment of oneself and self-aggrandizement, at the expense of the good of others.

And as a result, men who abandon their posts and seek only their own gratification increasingly grow more common in modern society, as the spirit of self-sacrifice which is the essence of manhood is denigrated in favor of a conception of manhood based on power.

The War for Humanity: Dueling Visions

There are two competing visions of the human person fighting for dominance in this world, which are quite literally fighting to define modern man’s conception of what the human person is. And the war between these two visions is the defining struggle of this generation, and its result with have enormous consequences for humanity.

The first, and newer, vision of humanity is based on a narrow view of equality. It holds that all men and women are essentially the same, and should be treated as such. Gender, race, and ability are all social constructs, and are therefore mutable. Since all people are the same, any two people can have a sexual relationship if they “love” (i.e., are physically attracted to) each other.

Equality, to one who holds this vision, is synonymous with sameness. Essentially, this vision of humanity is a form of social egalitarianism. It came into power with the rise of totalitarianism in other countries, and gained prominence in America with the rise of the sexual revolution. It has grown in power and influence ever since, and now, it is seeking to supplant the traditional vision.

The other, and traditional, vision of humanity recognizes that people are unique individuals with different abilities. According to this worldview, people are born with different strengths and different weaknesses, and must rely on each other to fully maximize their potential. Regarding marriage and relationships, this view holds that men and women are equal in dignity but complimentary, having different strengths and weaknesses inherent in their biology – and that both men and women are not interchangeable.

This is the traditional, Judeo-Christian understanding of the human person. It has been dominant since the rise of Christianity. But as the Judeo-Christian moral vision fades and moral relativism spreads, the new vision of humanity is mounting a challenge to the old, seeking to replace it. And what was initially a challenge has escalated into open war.    

These two visions of society are irreconcilable. And the war between them will last until one or the other is triumphant, and the other is destroyed.

(This post also appeared on New Agora. Check us out!)

On Culture and Chastity

Many people claim that chastity is impossible, and that kids will engage in risky behavior no matter what environment they are put into. Therefore, instead of discouraging premature sexual behavior in children, society should instead limit the risks of behavior through birth control and “safe sex.”

This is ridiculous. Chastity is indeed possible. Thousands of priests, nuns, virtuous men and women within and without the confines of marriage, and young people, live chaste lives – and are better and happier people for doing so.

But it is very hard to live a chaste life when society actively discourages it.

Public schools encourage “safe sex” through sexual education. Movies and books promote the joys of risk-free, joyful premarital affairs. Advertisers use barely clad women to promote products. Society’s message to men is to get laid as fast as possible, and to women that they are ugly and useless if they cannot attract a host of ogling males. Unrestrained pursuit of pleasure is consistently preached to young people as the highest good.

Given these promotions of promiscuity in popular culture, of course it is difficult for young people to practice the virtue of chastity! Encouragement of any behavior will lead to increased practice of that behavior.

But imagine a culture that celebrated modesty, that encouraged purity in literature and film, and that celebrated sexuality within the confines of marriage. Imagine a truly Christian culture.    

Would divorce be a common phenomenon if the family as a unit were celebrated instead of denigrated? Would premarital sex be as high if the pleasures of “risk-free sex” were not taught in the schools and encouraged by film?

Would chastity be more widespread in a Christian society?  

(Rhetorical questions aren’t meant to be answered.)

This is not to say that unchastity would not exist in a truly Christian society. Human nature is still fallen, even in a Christian culture. Back-alley abortions, premarital sex, “shotgun weddings,” and divorces would all still exist.

But such behavior would certainly be much less common. A stigma attached to unchaste behavior discourages people from behaving in immoral ways. Rather than glamorize these social evils, discourage them - and people will avoid them.

So what is the remedy for unchastity? In the short term, turn off the television (or at least switch to moral programming), avoid immoral influences, and find good Christian company to interact with.

But complete avoidance of a corrupt culture is counterproductive. Christ came to redeem humanity and culture, not avoid it entirely. Christians are forced to engage the culture they live in if they wish to win souls for Christ.

What can Christians do in the long term to reclaim culture for Christ?

Simple! Replace it with a truly Christian culture.

Enclaves such as strong Christian colleges and Christian communities provide shining examples of Christian culture – a world where respect for others is encouraged, and sexuality is celebrated within the confines of marriage. Imperfect as these places are, they are shining beacons of awesomeness in a world of ignorance and darkness – beacons of virtue that give the lie to the notion that virtue is impossible.

But Christians are not called to build mere islands of sanity in an insane world; we are called by Christ to “light a fire on earth” (Luke 12:49) – the fire of the love of Christ. And this fire should consume the earth.

So Christians must enter industries where culture is formed, and take them back for Christ.

Impossible?

No less so than living a moral life in a world hostile to virtue.  

Politics and Culture in a Democratic Society

Most people consider politics to be the most vital avenue of influence in democratic society today. Politicians make the rules which societies live by. Politicians can make actions legal and illegal. Politicians can direct funding toward whatever causes they choose. Politicians are hounded by people seeking influence, power, and wealth.

The common assumption is that politicians are the most powerful people in the world – the masters of democratic society.

And they would be wrong.

Politicians are indeed important – and indeed, skillful politicians are necessary in democratic society. But in a very real sense, the politics of any society is predetermined by that society’s culture.  

The masters of culture control the direction of a democratic society more completely than any politician could. It is true that politicians make the laws that govern how people live their daily lives. But politicians in democratic society are forced to work within the confines of public opinion, because they are elected by people they represent. A politician without public favor is essentially powerless.

The makers of culture alter the very fabric of society. Admittedly, they do not do so immediately. Rapid, enduring change very rarely happens overnight, because humans as a people are resistant to rapid change.

But over time, measurable change does occur in humans. These changes are brought about in very large part due to the influence of cultural icons – influence which very few, if any, politicians possess (unless they become cultural icons in their own right).

The artisans of culture come in many forms – artists, writers, singers, designers, athletes. But they all have in common the ability to influence masses of people – what they think, what they wear, how they act, how they view the world.

Politicians can pass laws – but no law cannot stand if 90% of the population opposes it. A cultural icon with a great deal of influence, however, can promote causes through a major mass medium – and win over the hearts and minds of people through advocacy.

In other words, politicians can pass laws, but cultural icons can get people to agitate for laws based on their advocacy of causes.

A television show that features a sympathetic gay couple happily living together, in the long term, is more helpful to the cause of homosexuality in the long term than an openly gay representative in politics could ever be. A lone representative will be dismissed as a crank and shunned and ignored by his peers. An oddity on television, however, will eventually become normal in the minds of viewers (if portrayed as that way by writers). And normalcy becomes acceptance very quickly. 

This is not to say that politics is unimportant. After all, just and unjust laws can and do alter the direction of a society. But the power of politics is transitory and based largely on illusion in a way that the power of culture is not.

(It should be noted that some charismatic politicians manage to become cultural icons, and gain a great deal of influence over popular opinion by using their ability to connect with and persuade people through skilled usage of mass media. But that merely underscores the power of culture - politicians must become culturally attuned to gain that type of power.)

An analogy will serve to illustrate the relative importance of politics and culture. Politics can be likened the tactics with which an army fights. The daily battle to shape the governing laws of a nation is fought in the political realm. Important, yes. But wars are rarely won by individual battles alone. Culture can be compared to strategy in military parlance. The slow, long term battle for the soul of a people is fought and won in the cultural arena.

And the current state of American culture illustrates this truth perfectly. The American population, which was built upon the values of honesty, rugged individualism, and honor, is facing a crisis of moral character. An ever-increasing dependency on government, a population and a nation unable to control its compulsive spending on frivolous matters, and the disintegration of the family as a societal unit – all these reflect a dearth of virtue in the American populace.

The moral decline in America has reshaped the political landscape, so that a $14 trillion dollar debt and gay marriage – unthinkable 30 years ago – have been accepted by large segments of the general population as normal and even desirable.  

The rapid decay of American culture is in very large part due to the direct attacks on traditional values waged by many in the major cultural industries – chief among them music, film, and television.

But the same mediums that currently destroy moral values can also promote them – if people with moral values enter the industry. Writers and filmmakers can entertain people with shows that celebrate moral values rather than mock them. Designers can make clothes encouraging Christian modesty. The list could go on and on.

Celebrities and cultural icons who live active and joyful Christian lives (Tim Tebow comes to mind) are signs of contradiction to a world that hates itself and are inspirations to masses of people.

The world needs good people in every profession. Business, farming, manufacturing – and yes, politics too – these professions need people who are willing to live the Catholic life to the fullest within their respective callings.

But culture, because of its inherent power, needs solid, grounded Christians who joyfully live out their faith most of all.