Why It's Better to Stay Strong Rather Than to Stay Safe When It Comes to COVID-19
At this point, building on our last two posts, I think it's safe to say it's better to say, "Stay strong," rather to say, "Stay safe." But there may still be some loose ends of reasoning behind this that are worth our attention. That's what we'll consider today.
Before diving in, let's note that the "opening up" has begun around the country and around the world. The government-imposed lock-downs have been selectively unlocked. Note "selectively" because in our corner of the world, the New York Metro area (and some others) things have remained pretty much status quo. But many areas have allowed some small businesses - like hair salons, barber shops, restaurants - to get back to business.
And so it begins. As for the work lives of most of us who don't own or work for those select small businesses, it's likely we're still running in place. If you've been working from home, you're likely still doing that. If you're out of a job, you're likely still unemployed. So exactly what's beginning remains a huge question mark.
Under the umbrella of that huge question mark, a bunch of specific "sub-question marks" remain. For example:
Do you continue to wear a mask when you go out? I briefly wore one, but have now limited its use to situations where a store or other location I need to enter requires one. Otherwise, I'm mask-free.
Have you started to get together with family and friends? We have not seen our children who live outside our home since this mess began, for various good reasons. Same for our friends. I'm trying to figure out what will trigger our getting together. We've had some talks about this, but no definitive plan has been formed. I do, however, hope we will find ourselves soon not only in the same place, but able to forego the "social distancing" that keeps us apart even in those occasional circumstances when we've been able to be physically near each other.
Regarding work, as mentioned before, mine remains more or less as it was before the mess began. The same can't be said for many of my friends, clients, professional colleagues, neighbors, etc. For many of them, working from home is seen and felt like part of a lock-down - something they don't like at all. I feel for them. But I learned long ago to embrace working mostly from home. I would consider any alternative a burden, something to be avoided at all costs. But, as my Mom and Dad would have said, "To each his own."
Now let's turn back to understanding our old acquaintance's email about why "Stay strong" makes more sense for Catholics. (I'm not going to re-hash our previous discussions, so you'll have to just check those last couple of posts if you need to be refreshed.) We continue with the connection between our current mess - or pandaemonium, as our author lables it - and the corrosive and destructive influence of modernity.
Referencing the "ravages of modernity:
"Whether it advances today under the mantra of the “New Normal”, or just yesterday under the terminology of building a “Post-Modernity”, it is the same diabolical, naturalist, anti-Christian, soul killing, and therefore dreadfully boring agenda that the purveyors of Enlightenment have been foisting upon the world for centuries in the name of assuring its final liberation. This sophistic mess of pottage is always presented as being dictated by some absolute necessity or some exciting new insight. And it is in its seemingly more restrained, “health-friendly”, non-violent manner---its Moderate Enlightenment, John Locke, and therefore anti-social, atomistic, consumer materialist manner---that it is now gaining this, its greatest victory in the history of Christendom against a prostrate Catholic Church. How accurate of our chaplain to refer to our stay-in-place Diktat as a “John Locke-down”.
Admittedly, a familiarity with history and at least a basic knowledge of philosophy would assist in understanding the points presented. Once such familiarity would have been part of the basic building blocks of secondary education. May I suggest that if you have no such familiarity or knowledge, you may be one of those suffering those "ravages of modernity." If so, you may want to consider getting up to speed. Yes, it would take time and effort. But it would be one way to control the damage to your intellect and, yes, your soul by an education establishment that combines vapidity with hostility to Christianity, most especially Roman Catholicism.
And, to repeat, having a busy work life should not be used as an excuse to remain tethered to the world modernity had sculpted around us. We Catholics once courageously held ourselves - at least to some degree - apart from the world. Modernity has convinced too many of us to eschew this separation. That was a mistake. Our current situation may be regrettable, even sad, but it doesn't have to be permanent.
Bad enough so many of us blindly accepted a lock-down which, if at first an emergency measure, slowly evolved into more a form of slavery. Worse would be our acceptance of the ravages of modernity.
More next time...
Before diving in, let's note that the "opening up" has begun around the country and around the world. The government-imposed lock-downs have been selectively unlocked. Note "selectively" because in our corner of the world, the New York Metro area (and some others) things have remained pretty much status quo. But many areas have allowed some small businesses - like hair salons, barber shops, restaurants - to get back to business.
And so it begins. As for the work lives of most of us who don't own or work for those select small businesses, it's likely we're still running in place. If you've been working from home, you're likely still doing that. If you're out of a job, you're likely still unemployed. So exactly what's beginning remains a huge question mark.
Under the umbrella of that huge question mark, a bunch of specific "sub-question marks" remain. For example:
Do you continue to wear a mask when you go out? I briefly wore one, but have now limited its use to situations where a store or other location I need to enter requires one. Otherwise, I'm mask-free.
Have you started to get together with family and friends? We have not seen our children who live outside our home since this mess began, for various good reasons. Same for our friends. I'm trying to figure out what will trigger our getting together. We've had some talks about this, but no definitive plan has been formed. I do, however, hope we will find ourselves soon not only in the same place, but able to forego the "social distancing" that keeps us apart even in those occasional circumstances when we've been able to be physically near each other.
Regarding work, as mentioned before, mine remains more or less as it was before the mess began. The same can't be said for many of my friends, clients, professional colleagues, neighbors, etc. For many of them, working from home is seen and felt like part of a lock-down - something they don't like at all. I feel for them. But I learned long ago to embrace working mostly from home. I would consider any alternative a burden, something to be avoided at all costs. But, as my Mom and Dad would have said, "To each his own."
Now let's turn back to understanding our old acquaintance's email about why "Stay strong" makes more sense for Catholics. (I'm not going to re-hash our previous discussions, so you'll have to just check those last couple of posts if you need to be refreshed.) We continue with the connection between our current mess - or pandaemonium, as our author lables it - and the corrosive and destructive influence of modernity.
Referencing the "ravages of modernity:
"Whether it advances today under the mantra of the “New Normal”, or just yesterday under the terminology of building a “Post-Modernity”, it is the same diabolical, naturalist, anti-Christian, soul killing, and therefore dreadfully boring agenda that the purveyors of Enlightenment have been foisting upon the world for centuries in the name of assuring its final liberation. This sophistic mess of pottage is always presented as being dictated by some absolute necessity or some exciting new insight. And it is in its seemingly more restrained, “health-friendly”, non-violent manner---its Moderate Enlightenment, John Locke, and therefore anti-social, atomistic, consumer materialist manner---that it is now gaining this, its greatest victory in the history of Christendom against a prostrate Catholic Church. How accurate of our chaplain to refer to our stay-in-place Diktat as a “John Locke-down”.
Admittedly, a familiarity with history and at least a basic knowledge of philosophy would assist in understanding the points presented. Once such familiarity would have been part of the basic building blocks of secondary education. May I suggest that if you have no such familiarity or knowledge, you may be one of those suffering those "ravages of modernity." If so, you may want to consider getting up to speed. Yes, it would take time and effort. But it would be one way to control the damage to your intellect and, yes, your soul by an education establishment that combines vapidity with hostility to Christianity, most especially Roman Catholicism.
And, to repeat, having a busy work life should not be used as an excuse to remain tethered to the world modernity had sculpted around us. We Catholics once courageously held ourselves - at least to some degree - apart from the world. Modernity has convinced too many of us to eschew this separation. That was a mistake. Our current situation may be regrettable, even sad, but it doesn't have to be permanent.
Bad enough so many of us blindly accepted a lock-down which, if at first an emergency measure, slowly evolved into more a form of slavery. Worse would be our acceptance of the ravages of modernity.
More next time...
Comments