The Anti-Man Under Current

[Over43]

Is it just me noticing the anti-man (and woman) under current that is beginning (It's probably been there for quite some time, I'm just noticing it...) to appear in "pop" culture. Starting with global warming of course, and environmentalism (I love the environment, but I think humans come first), and beginning to branch out into other areas? When Thailand and the countries of the Indian Ocean were devastated by that tidal wave a few years back an environmentalist in Switzerland was reported as saying that "it served them right..."

The various satellite channels (mostly the History Channel and Discovery Channel) have been running their weekly disaster scenarios (my 14 year old didn't sleep for a week after "Yellowstone Super Volcano", and Yahoo (I dislike Yahoo) can't seem to go more than a few days without posting some sensational story about an asteroid that "might" hit the earth (often 800 years from now) and destroy human kind. One recent show was "After Humans" (or something like that).

Ayn Rand in her world view often talked about the coming anti-man philosophy, while our own leaders address it in other terms and in various behaviors that are promoted by a more lax societal view and all the problems that come with that.

In Richard Dawkin's "The God Delusion" he puts forth many ideas taht I thought were less anti God/religion and just plane anti-human. (I like to call the book the "Dawkins Delusion".)

One of the beauties of past cultural efforts (and no matter how depraved Mozart might have been) the classics seemed to always celebrate human achievement and a relationship with the Heavens.

Not anymore.

It just seems that people with influence are so despondent that they almost seem to wish for the volcano or asteroid to do their job.

O43

[a-train]

My generation acts like it is their duty to not have kids. However, my insurance agent told me yesterday that there is talk that America may be entering a new baby boom. Still, my friends around me are not having kids. Oh well, leaves more for us I guess.

-a-train

[owenfw]

Not to make the original author an offender for a word, but it is "undercurrent"--one word.

A few comments:

Environmentalism: how is it putting humans first to destroy their ecosystem? It's hard to find anything that any "environmentalist" (as if it were a monumental group that can really be captured by a single word) that doesn't put the interests of humans first. We want to be able to breath the air, drink the water, and enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells of God's creations. Strip malls, open pit mines, and tract housing aren't exactly my idea of Paradise.

The tsunami: so one jerk said something insensitive. So what? Using this standard, Republicans are all Ku Klux Klan because a few might be. And Mormons are polygamists.

Ayn Rand was a crackpot who seemed to lack a social conscience and believed that only a select few people had what it took to be real humans. We believe in the possibility of redemption for all mankind, not just John Galt-like supermen.

God delusion: isn't the God that most people believe in a delusion? "Without body, parts or passions"?

Do you really believe that the past (Mozart etc.) was better than the present is or the future will be? Pres. Hinkley sure didn't think so. So far as I can tell, every aspect of human life is better now than it has ever been, includuing the arts, politics (ever heard of the spoils system? Jim Crow? the trail of tears? the House Un-American Activities Committee?), the sciences, etc. If vice and unbelief seem more widespread now, isn't it mostly because 1) our miraculous communications technologies let us know more about the unbelief that has always been there and 2) we have so many more choices, which means more agency. The extremes of both good and evil have been amplified. When has there been such a royal priesthood before? When have so many women been allowed to learn to read, to attend college, to have time to devote to children and community rather than drudgery? When has the gospel been so pure, taught the same all across the world because of printing and video technologies?

As for me and my house, we rejoice in the amazing opportunities the contemporary world affords, the great faith and good works of our brothers and sisters in all walks of life, and the peace that reigns over so much of the earth. The Adversary is out there as he always has been, and our best defense is to go forward with faith, charity, and a love for mankind.

[Hemidakota]

Is it just me noticing the anti-man (and woman) under current that is beginning (It's probably been there for quite some time, I'm just noticing it...) to appear in "pop" culture. Starting with global warming of course, and environmentalism (I love the environment, but I think humans come first), and beginning to branch out into other areas? When Thailand and the countries of the Indian Ocean were devastated by that tidal wave a few years back an environmentalist in Switzerland was reported as saying that "it served them right..."

The various satellite channels (mostly the History Channel and Discovery Channel) have been running their weekly disaster scenarios (my 14 year old didn't sleep for a week after "Yellowstone Super Volcano", and Yahoo (I dislike Yahoo) can't seem to go more than a few days without posting some sensational story about an asteroid that "might" hit the earth (often 800 years from now) and destroy human kind. One recent show was "After Humans" (or something like that).

Ayn Rand in her world view often talked about the coming anti-man philosophy, while our own leaders address it in other terms and in various behaviors that are promoted by a more lax societal view and all the problems that come with that.

In Richard Dawkin's "The God Delusion" he puts forth many ideas taht I thought were less anti God/religion and just plane anti-human. (I like to call the book the "Dawkins Delusion".)

One of the beauties of past cultural efforts (and no matter how depraved Mozart might have been) the classics seemed to always celebrate human achievement and a relationship with the Heavens.

Not anymore.

It just seems that people with influence are so despondent that they almost seem to wish for the volcano or asteroid to do their job.

O43

The problem seen, they walked without the 'Light of Christ.' Blindly grooping in the dark when the Sun is shining.

Who controls Elements of Nature?

[Over43]

>>>The problem seen, they walked without the 'Light of Christ.' Blindly grooping in the dark when the Sun is shining.

Who controls Elements of Nature?<<<

I think you have hit the nail on the head.

O43

[a-train]

All the population growth is in Africa. Who knew?

-a-train

[owenfw]

Low human development (poor education, poor sanitation, weak economies) generally correlates with high birth rates. As life becomes more stable, people tend to have fewer children and to care for the ones they have better. Those same places with the highest birth rates also tend to have high rates of infant mortality, low educational attainment (especially for women, who are often little more than slaves or breeding stock), severe problems with disease, weak political institutions, and so forth.

[Elgama]

I am wondering also how humans that want clean and plentiful drinking water, clean air to breathe, trees to look at etc are anti man? Personally I love the environment because I believe Heavenly Father commanded us to take care of it... I don't see how walking more rather than taking cars is bad for humans, increasing public transport would encourage people to interact more - I know on the bus routes I go on I have people I meet who I speak to on a regular basis its a great community people have to help each other. I certainly do not see how rejecting the commercial wasteful throwaway culture we live on as anti man.

The birth rate is falling quite heavily in my country however there are many reasons for that infertility is on the increase I know many who cannot have children - also we do have low infant mortality in countries with high mortality the birth rate is higher. House prices mean women have to work and are given little choice, and some people simply opt not too. However despite a falling birth rate my countries population is set to grow from under 60 million to over 70 million in the next decade.

-Charley

[Elgama]

Bhutan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

this is believed to be the happiest nation on the planet its a very interesting place

-Charley

[Maya]

I suppose you know that Europe will soon be islamic.. since they and LDS are the only ones with bigger families. The last ones to become islamic looks like will be Northern countries and of them Finland is last since they have not taken so many refugies as the other scandinavian countries.

You do know that UK is thinking of giving the islamic possibility to pluralmarriages...

[Over43]

If I offended anyone by attaching environmentalism to anti-man behavior that is unfortunate, it certainly wasn't meant to be an all-inclusive connection, certainly there are conservationists/environmentalists who are extremely responsible and balanced in their approach to what need sot be done concerning a balance between the human/natural world relationship.

Certainly we as "members" have a double responsibility, be caretakers of the Earth and also use the resources available to better our situation here.

Keep up the conversation it's excellent.

O43

[owenfw]

I suppose you know that Europe will soon be islamic.. since they and LDS are the only ones with bigger families. The last ones to become islamic looks like will be Northern countries and of them Finland is last since they have not taken so many refugies as the other scandinavian countries.

You do know that UK is thinking of giving the islamic possibility to pluralmarriages...

Was this meant to be a negative thing that the majority religion in some place might be Islam rather than Christianity? What does it matter?

Whatever the answer to the previous, I don't think the logic of the large familied Muslims overtaking the small familied Christians is sound. The first one or two generations of immigrants, who will tend to be poorer and less wealthy may have larger families, but they will end up seeing a declining birth rate as well as their status in their new societies increases. You could have said the same thing about Irish Catholics moving to the US...

And to comment on Finland (a place I love, having lived there for three years and working with the language almost every day still now), it is also one of the more racist countries around, although most Finns would be loath to admit it. Guess what the most common word for a person of African descent with dark skin is...makes you feel like being in Burmingham, AL in 1950... They've let very few refugees in and not done a terribly good job of integrating them into society. People are tenacious though, so even without the best support from the society around them, many of the Somali and other refugees are learning the language and making a place for themselves as African-Finns. Hopefully the Finns will find a way to adjust to the new global reality of the American Melting Pot becoming the Global Melting Pot. If they don't, it will be their loss. I am hopefull though--the most common fast food their after hamburgers is already Turkish kebabs, which if you haven't had them, you're really missing out!

[WillowTheWhisp]

The Islamification of Europe is rather worrying to those who fear that their own right to their own religion will be lost. I can understand such a fear. How would it be if we had Islamic law telling us how to behave and how to dress? This is where the fear comes from.

[a-train]

The prophets have always counseled us to have children and to avoid any putting off of marriage or child bearing. In fact, we were counseled strongly on this matter in a Stake General Priesthood meeting just Sunday night. It was mentioned that a strong trend to postpone marriage and children is rising within the Church and the General Leadership is addressing the issue with strong counsel against such thinking.

I harbor strong feelings for the LORD's earth and our duty to care for it. The 'anti-man' movement uses environmentalism as an argument for the downsizing of the population. My generation was openly taught in school that the 'population explosion' is a hazardous and dangerous phenomenon.

With the reconstruction of urban lifestyle and the growing disdain for suburban and rural life, the people seem to be becoming increasingly disconnected from nature and man's relationship thereto. Some of these urban folks living in their crowded polluted world increasingly believe that fewer human beings in the world will make it a better place. Their method to achieve environmental integrity is not in life-style alone, but in the number of lives also.

This anti-man movement views those who do not support policies that would decrease populations in pursuit of environmental protection as anti-environmental.

The globalists are also on board. They want to emphasize their opinion that global government is necessary in facing the global issues of environmental protection. This is the most concerning movement to me. I see no reason that global centralization of power is necessary to any effort. A clean and clear division of power is necessary to avoid global tyranny which is far more dangerous than any environmental concern.

Although I believe we can and I do seek to obtain both, given the choice, I would choose the absence of global tyranny over the absence of pollution for many reasons including the fact that global tyranny could promote the destruction of the environment anyway.

Currently, the growth of Islam in certain countries does not concern me. Much of the same atrocities attributed to ismalic governments such as the republic of Iran look like pages out of Christian history. The recent laughs at comments from President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad demonstrating what Americans believe to be terribly naive assumptions about the absence of homosexuality in Iran demonstrate only the lack of understanding that such assumptions where widespread in the Republic of the USA just two generations ago.

Not only do we Christians have the annoyance of those who would destroy our religious freedom swarming after us, but likewise also do the Muslims and the Jews. Most of our adversaries however are not other religionists, but those whose pursuits are secular and political regardless of their ostentatious religious veneration.

We need not fear false religion nor her adherants. False religion is not the root of evil, the love of money is.

-a-train