The Seven Deadly Sins of Societal Destruction
May 23rd 2011 11:47
In honor of the Rapture that failed to happen this past weekend I felt it appropriate to follow this non event with a conversation that reflects on the ills of modern civilization.
Ills that could be identified by associating the problems in modern culture with the Seven Deadly Sins as identified by the Catholic Church.
While the Seven Deadly Sins may be religious in nature they can also be used to take a deeper look at the problems of the modern world and the reasons why we’re failing to find solutions.
The first of these deadly sins is Lust.
The lust for money has turned basic truths into background stories.
Background stories in the way we have chosen to ignore the obvious damage being done to the human race for the sake of increasing corporate bottom lines.
Destruction of the ocean, pollution of drinking water, abuse of animals that has lead to violent reactions from nature, destruction of habitats, air pollution and a general disregard for the role human beings should be playing in the preservation of the planet has all created a dangerous future for the only species given the capability of “Rational Thought” and every other animal and plant organism on the planet.
The second deadly sin is Gluttony.
With the absence of fear from not being able to find food sources and a lack of predators the industrialized world has become an ocean of complacency by taking everything that is handed to them.
This action of “taking” has played a heavy role in the Obesity epidemic that is sweeping across the globe with a violent ferocity.
Unlike a pandemic caused by a disease where doctor’s can pinpoint a cause and prescribe a cure; the obesity epidemic is a systemic problem that comes from years of developed culture that is passed down from generation to generation in the creation of diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity.
Coupled with this cultural issue is also the overabundance of food pumped with unpronounceable chemicals that some say are linked to the diseases that are plaguing modern society.
Without a proper forum from the media or so called experts; these warnings are passed off as rumors.
Rumors ignored by industrialized societies who continue their daily routines of gluttony without taking the time to ask the proper questions or having the common sense to open up an international dialogue.
The third deadly sin is Greed
Of all the sins that plague modern society none is more destructive than greed.
The greed that exists with societal expectations that surround the almighty dollar and doing whatever it takes to line our pockets.
What we have in the United States of America is a sticky web that has been woven by the big two political parties. Interwoven in this web are billions of dollars donated by the corporations that are supposed to be regulated by government officials they are helping to elect into office.
The industries of Banking, Automotive, Oil, Natural Gas, Coal and Food have all used their billion dollar war chests to purchase the best lobbyists, special interests, political action committees and campaign assurances to increase bottom lines.
Increases that are music to the ears of shareholders but a great blow to the natural order of life on the planet Earth.
The effects of our greed are being felt on a global scale with massive changes in weather patterns, destruction of ecosystems and a disappearance of animal and plant species from the planet.
The fourth deadly sin is Sloth
In our lazy slumber we have allowed the few to get rich by creating a marketplace of inferior products while also destroying the planet.
The problems happening in modern society are all because of the cozy slumber we have allowed ourselves to fall into. A cozy slumber that involves Fast Food, the convenience of Grocery Stores, Instant News and a lack of concern for the things that are happening in the places we live.
We have become reactionary to the things we are told to be against and have lost the ability to form our own opinions by gathering information from all the sources that are available to us.
Each and every day important Opinions are made before the questions have a chance to be asked.
Questions about why government reform is a hot topic during election year cycles but never receives traction when the time comes to have an open and honest debate on Capitol Hill.
Without reform, the national deficit will continue to be an issue equal to the mythical hunt for a unicorn and the decisions of our government officials from the big two political parties will always be slanted towards corporations and not the men and women that cast their ballots the Tuesday after the first Monday every November.
The fifth deadly sin is Wrath
In our anger towards everything that is wrong with the world today we have forgotten to dig to the root of the problem.
Instead we have turned to our religions, political parties, political heroes, race, sexual orientations, assumptions, folklore, rumor, innuendo and genders in search of solutions that require an all of the above approach.
An all of the above approach to understand that one man, woman, corporation or politcal party is not to blame for the annual rise in gas prices, failure of the national education system, economic recession, lack of progress in ensuring that every man or woman has the same rights in marriage and life, the failed drug war, escalation of the prison population, lack of safeguards in the food industry and lack of assurance in the United States of America continuing to be the land of opportunity no matter the race, gender, nationality, creed, religion or sexual orientation of any individual.
The harsh reality of difficulties in modern society has transformed a nation that once prided itself on having it better than everyone else in the world into a divided society quick to pounce on the smallest issue to have their voices heard.
It is our anger that is blinding us to the large holes left in the conversation.
Holes that involve big issues the federal government is being allowed to ignore while they debate over Birth Certificates, the perceived threat of Islamic Fundamentalism and different ways to bring down the national deficit from 50 different directions.
The sixth deadly sin is Envy
While it could be said that the United States of America is not envious of any country in the world it must be understood that United States of America has become a nation that is envious of everything it thought that it used to be.
A nation that was once allowed to openly believe that it was safe from foreign attack because of the superior might that comes from stockpiling nuclear weapons and a fighting force that has the most state of the art weaponry the world has ever witnessed.
Illusions that came face to face with the brick wall of reality on September 11, 2001 when most Americans came to the realization that the United States of America was just as vulnerable as every other nation in the world while others clung to their false beliefs that we could somehow get back to where we used to be.
A mythical place where a higher power watched over a nation while forsaking all others because of the stories of valor that came with the wars fought in the name of democracy, freedom, truth, justice and the American way.
This kind of envy is dangerous because it relies on a notion that was proven false in the most painful kind of way. The more we try to move back to way things used to be the more we run the risk of leaving ourselves exposed to the kind of danger that changed the world.
The Seventh and final deadly sin is Pride
There can be no doubt that the United States of America is a nation filled with pride.
The kind of national pride celebrated on the Fourth of July and every Memorial Day for the lives lost fighting for the freedom of the United States of America and to support the men and women who continue to serve is the most beautiful kind of thing.
The moment pride becomes a sin is when people in leadership positions refuse to learn from past mistakes.
Mistakes that were derided and chastised not because of the danger that came from the idea of deposing a dictator that brought terror and destruction to lives of his or her own people but was for the purpose of political gain.
From all the demonstrations and public outcries against the invasion of Iraq to overthrow and capture Saddam Hussein; a movement began based on the principle of America not getting involved in the action of regime change.
This sentiment was repeated over and over again by the Democratic leadership in the United States House of Representatives and United States Senate as well as becoming a theme on the election trail during Campaign “08” when every candidate including President Barack Obama tried their hardest to be the Anti-Bush.
Three years later and the same fundamental question still stands in front of our leadership from a wave of uprisings in the Middle East and Northern Africa that has opened up the opportunity to take down a dictator that has been a thorn in the side of the world for multiple decades.
While it may be hard to find anyone that will stand up in defense of Muammar Gaddafi and the actions of his regime there should be a place reserved in the minds of each and every American to question what life will be like in Libya when a country that was once held together by the iron fist of a dictator falls into the hands of chaos.
The kind of chaos that has already happened in Iraq and Afghanistan after American fighting forces successfully achieved the directives of regime change.
If we take an honest approach to this issue what we will find different between the current circumstances in present day Iraq and Afghanistan and the things that will happen in Libya is the lack of American fighting forces on the ground to prevent a civil war by organizing elections and controlling outside disruptive forces from taking over a weakened nation.
An unstable Libya will be much like Afghanistan before the United States of America had a reason to care about terrorist training grounds, governments that were oppressive to women and a threat that is a danger to the globe.
It is pride that allows men and women in leadership positions to think that they can continue things as they have always been regardless of the proof that sits in front of their faces from harsh lessons of history..
When committing these seven deadly sins in a religious institution it is equal to an act that is unforgivable by the church because the warnings to the dangers were clearly presented and ignored.
Fortunately, each and every person in the world has a chance to examine their own lives and make the necessary changes for themselves and future generations.
Changes necessary for the survival of the human race…
The conversation continues on Twitter.
Follow me now @KhalfaniKing
Ills that could be identified by associating the problems in modern culture with the Seven Deadly Sins as identified by the Catholic Church.
While the Seven Deadly Sins may be religious in nature they can also be used to take a deeper look at the problems of the modern world and the reasons why we’re failing to find solutions.
The first of these deadly sins is Lust.
The lust for money has turned basic truths into background stories.
Background stories in the way we have chosen to ignore the obvious damage being done to the human race for the sake of increasing corporate bottom lines.
Destruction of the ocean, pollution of drinking water, abuse of animals that has lead to violent reactions from nature, destruction of habitats, air pollution and a general disregard for the role human beings should be playing in the preservation of the planet has all created a dangerous future for the only species given the capability of “Rational Thought” and every other animal and plant organism on the planet.
The second deadly sin is Gluttony.
With the absence of fear from not being able to find food sources and a lack of predators the industrialized world has become an ocean of complacency by taking everything that is handed to them.
This action of “taking” has played a heavy role in the Obesity epidemic that is sweeping across the globe with a violent ferocity.
Unlike a pandemic caused by a disease where doctor’s can pinpoint a cause and prescribe a cure; the obesity epidemic is a systemic problem that comes from years of developed culture that is passed down from generation to generation in the creation of diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity.
Coupled with this cultural issue is also the overabundance of food pumped with unpronounceable chemicals that some say are linked to the diseases that are plaguing modern society.
Without a proper forum from the media or so called experts; these warnings are passed off as rumors.
Rumors ignored by industrialized societies who continue their daily routines of gluttony without taking the time to ask the proper questions or having the common sense to open up an international dialogue.
The third deadly sin is Greed
Of all the sins that plague modern society none is more destructive than greed.
The greed that exists with societal expectations that surround the almighty dollar and doing whatever it takes to line our pockets.
What we have in the United States of America is a sticky web that has been woven by the big two political parties. Interwoven in this web are billions of dollars donated by the corporations that are supposed to be regulated by government officials they are helping to elect into office.
The industries of Banking, Automotive, Oil, Natural Gas, Coal and Food have all used their billion dollar war chests to purchase the best lobbyists, special interests, political action committees and campaign assurances to increase bottom lines.
Increases that are music to the ears of shareholders but a great blow to the natural order of life on the planet Earth.
The effects of our greed are being felt on a global scale with massive changes in weather patterns, destruction of ecosystems and a disappearance of animal and plant species from the planet.
The fourth deadly sin is Sloth
In our lazy slumber we have allowed the few to get rich by creating a marketplace of inferior products while also destroying the planet.
The problems happening in modern society are all because of the cozy slumber we have allowed ourselves to fall into. A cozy slumber that involves Fast Food, the convenience of Grocery Stores, Instant News and a lack of concern for the things that are happening in the places we live.
We have become reactionary to the things we are told to be against and have lost the ability to form our own opinions by gathering information from all the sources that are available to us.
Each and every day important Opinions are made before the questions have a chance to be asked.
Questions about why government reform is a hot topic during election year cycles but never receives traction when the time comes to have an open and honest debate on Capitol Hill.
Without reform, the national deficit will continue to be an issue equal to the mythical hunt for a unicorn and the decisions of our government officials from the big two political parties will always be slanted towards corporations and not the men and women that cast their ballots the Tuesday after the first Monday every November.
The fifth deadly sin is Wrath
In our anger towards everything that is wrong with the world today we have forgotten to dig to the root of the problem.
Instead we have turned to our religions, political parties, political heroes, race, sexual orientations, assumptions, folklore, rumor, innuendo and genders in search of solutions that require an all of the above approach.
An all of the above approach to understand that one man, woman, corporation or politcal party is not to blame for the annual rise in gas prices, failure of the national education system, economic recession, lack of progress in ensuring that every man or woman has the same rights in marriage and life, the failed drug war, escalation of the prison population, lack of safeguards in the food industry and lack of assurance in the United States of America continuing to be the land of opportunity no matter the race, gender, nationality, creed, religion or sexual orientation of any individual.
The harsh reality of difficulties in modern society has transformed a nation that once prided itself on having it better than everyone else in the world into a divided society quick to pounce on the smallest issue to have their voices heard.
It is our anger that is blinding us to the large holes left in the conversation.
Holes that involve big issues the federal government is being allowed to ignore while they debate over Birth Certificates, the perceived threat of Islamic Fundamentalism and different ways to bring down the national deficit from 50 different directions.
The sixth deadly sin is Envy
While it could be said that the United States of America is not envious of any country in the world it must be understood that United States of America has become a nation that is envious of everything it thought that it used to be.
A nation that was once allowed to openly believe that it was safe from foreign attack because of the superior might that comes from stockpiling nuclear weapons and a fighting force that has the most state of the art weaponry the world has ever witnessed.
Illusions that came face to face with the brick wall of reality on September 11, 2001 when most Americans came to the realization that the United States of America was just as vulnerable as every other nation in the world while others clung to their false beliefs that we could somehow get back to where we used to be.
A mythical place where a higher power watched over a nation while forsaking all others because of the stories of valor that came with the wars fought in the name of democracy, freedom, truth, justice and the American way.
This kind of envy is dangerous because it relies on a notion that was proven false in the most painful kind of way. The more we try to move back to way things used to be the more we run the risk of leaving ourselves exposed to the kind of danger that changed the world.
The Seventh and final deadly sin is Pride
There can be no doubt that the United States of America is a nation filled with pride.
The kind of national pride celebrated on the Fourth of July and every Memorial Day for the lives lost fighting for the freedom of the United States of America and to support the men and women who continue to serve is the most beautiful kind of thing.
The moment pride becomes a sin is when people in leadership positions refuse to learn from past mistakes.
Mistakes that were derided and chastised not because of the danger that came from the idea of deposing a dictator that brought terror and destruction to lives of his or her own people but was for the purpose of political gain.
From all the demonstrations and public outcries against the invasion of Iraq to overthrow and capture Saddam Hussein; a movement began based on the principle of America not getting involved in the action of regime change.
This sentiment was repeated over and over again by the Democratic leadership in the United States House of Representatives and United States Senate as well as becoming a theme on the election trail during Campaign “08” when every candidate including President Barack Obama tried their hardest to be the Anti-Bush.
Three years later and the same fundamental question still stands in front of our leadership from a wave of uprisings in the Middle East and Northern Africa that has opened up the opportunity to take down a dictator that has been a thorn in the side of the world for multiple decades.
While it may be hard to find anyone that will stand up in defense of Muammar Gaddafi and the actions of his regime there should be a place reserved in the minds of each and every American to question what life will be like in Libya when a country that was once held together by the iron fist of a dictator falls into the hands of chaos.
The kind of chaos that has already happened in Iraq and Afghanistan after American fighting forces successfully achieved the directives of regime change.
If we take an honest approach to this issue what we will find different between the current circumstances in present day Iraq and Afghanistan and the things that will happen in Libya is the lack of American fighting forces on the ground to prevent a civil war by organizing elections and controlling outside disruptive forces from taking over a weakened nation.
An unstable Libya will be much like Afghanistan before the United States of America had a reason to care about terrorist training grounds, governments that were oppressive to women and a threat that is a danger to the globe.
It is pride that allows men and women in leadership positions to think that they can continue things as they have always been regardless of the proof that sits in front of their faces from harsh lessons of history..
When committing these seven deadly sins in a religious institution it is equal to an act that is unforgivable by the church because the warnings to the dangers were clearly presented and ignored.
Fortunately, each and every person in the world has a chance to examine their own lives and make the necessary changes for themselves and future generations.
Changes necessary for the survival of the human race…
The conversation continues on Twitter.
Follow me now @KhalfaniKing
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