Society

Society is a beast.

Into where do we invest our creative energy?

Society.

From where do we gain inspiration to form our own standards?

Society.

You could debate me on this if you’d like, but I’m convinced it’s from the people around us. We call ourselves individuals… but honestly, guys, at base value, we’re just a mish-mash of the things and people we’re exposed to every day. And what is the source of these exposures?

Society.

Now listennn. This is only natural, so don’t go all hipster-mob on me and get offended that I’m questioning your uniqueness. Everyone works this way. Ever since we were babies, if not simply processing, we’ve been imitating everything we witness. Experimenting, sampling, experiencing; this is life.

However! However. There is one enormous thing that makes you the only you in the universe: the extent and manner in which you interact with this world. Some people come to adopt and emulate the patterns of their society faster than others. Some question and test the validity behind these trends more than their peers.

As citizens, we’re exposed to social trends every day. They are sold to us nearly everywhere we go. Pressure to buy and adapt to them is the scariest thing I’ve yet discovered about living in modern-day America. I feel most comfortable when I am allowed time to weigh and form definitive opinions before I allow certain influences into my life. But with all the trends bouncing around and within my little corner of the world, it’s hard to do this effectively. Freaks.me.out.

Okay, okay. Let me stop and clarify. I realize I’m equating society with media and popular (or “pop”) culture, but in all honesty, I believe they’re entirely the same thing. They’re far too interrelated to be individual bodies. Definition time!

Society: n. a part of a community that is a unit distinguishable by particular aims or standards of living or conduct.

Media: n. the means of communication, as radio and television, newspapers, and magazines that reach or influence people widely.

Popular culture: n. contemporary lifestyle and items that are well known and generally accepted; cultural patterns that are widespread within a population.

So you see, as defined, a society cannot exist unless it is characterized by a unique, distinguishable form of popular culture which becomes “popular” through being introduced, spread, and communicated to the public by the media. For better or worse, these elements work together to build and uphold a society according to common interest. And “common” interest is just another word for the interest of the majority.

We all have a desire for fulfillment. I don’t mean to say that all aspects of mainstream society are negative, it’s just that… well… there are so many. Everywhere. And it’s hard to narrow down which ones are okay to accept and which ones aren’t, since many trends show striking similarities that aren’t quite so nice.

Here’s where we find the problem. The “Just live for the moment! You’re only young for so long! You deserve to have everything you want and more!” mantra has been chorused from almost every electronic screen and modern publication ever created. It’s from this mother-of-a-headache mentality that all the trends we see today are born. We’re conditioned to expect it. Regardless of how superficial the fix, we tend to chase it. In this way, media has spread and invaded everything, growing into an industry titan. Magazines, movies, music… you can’t escape the screaming propaganda.

You and I?

We’re directly in the line of fire, kid.

And this is where my concern lies. See, I feel like we’ve all become so enamored with input, we’ve lost touch with our own consequential output. It’s terrifying to consider. We don’t think to predict our behavior or conjecture how these facets of society will move us when we adopt them. I don’t think we even consciously consider the reasons behind why we accept them. They’re just too overwhelming. We don’t have the energy to analyze each bombardment of new ideas as they come. So they become the new normal. And we get what we have here today.

The fact that I have to fight off all these dangerous voices on a day-to-day basis disgusts me; the twisted, intricate dance of modern comparative securities makes me dizzy. My brain wasn’t made for these gymnastics. I’m a fan of absolutes. Show me the genuine identities. Find me the honesty. Where do I find the Nutrition Facts on this mass of propaganda and influence? If I consume this product of society, what should I expect?

I’m very impressionable. I like liking things. It’s a bittersweet complex. But as a result, the only security I can cling to is founded in all the stubbornly objective perspectives I can muster. I try my best to keep knowledge of the blatant hypocrisy and superficiality of pop culture’s expectations at the forefront of my mental filter. Mostly because… well, I’m scared of conforming without noticing. When I look at my society, I see emptiness. I don’t want to get pulled into that trap by my own human nature. I think you might feel the same way.

So what are we going to do? We’re kinda low on the society food chain. We can’t change anything very big. Not yet. But we can start by changing ourselves.

Be self-aware. Objectively look at who you truly are every once in a while. Look at particular dominate qualities of yourself and question why you act that way. The instant you find a part of you that exists for reasons of pride or self-gain, tackle that thing with every ounce of will-power you’ve got and find its source.

Don’t try to conform to every empty fad of society. They have nothing for us. We don’t need the vices of society to give us fulfillment. We’ve got our stubborn convictions. And we ain’t budgin’. 

elijahlain:

blakebaggott:

This video has been getting a lot of attention from Christians and even non-Christians. I thought I’d give my two cents on it.

I’ll explain firstly that I actually like the message of the video.

However, I do not like the terminology he uses. By using the word “religion”, it causes more confusion than anything. When said like that, it makes Christianity seem like it’s not a religion… when it is. What he is truly describing is dead religion… but that is not the same as simply religion. 

I’ve covered this a little bit in a post that I reblogged from Johnny. In summary, the Christian faith is a religion. But it’s not religion that will save you… it’s the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

But when you say that Christianity isn’t a religion, you tend to get comment like I saw on Facebook saying, “This is why I don’t go to church,” or “This is why I don’t read the Bible,” or “Finally, someone who loves Jesus without getting all theological.” And I didn’t even want to comment on them. These really kind of break my heart. It doesn’t make me mad as much as it saddens me.

I don’t think that it was even Jefferson Bethke’s intention. I like him and his videos. But I think he could have chosen his terminology much better.

^ My thoughts precisely. I’m relieved to see I wasn’t the only one troubled by this video. As I said elsewhere, instead of Jesus>religion, I propose Jesus>legalism.

Mmkay. Here’s my take. The root message of this video is on target, I believe, if you read into it in a particular way. It serves a concise purpose that I respect. While there is a point of over-analysis, Elijah’s concerns are legitimate. This guy uses the words “religious” and “religion” with disturbing looseness.

Check it out. Merriam-Webster defines “religion” as this:

(1) : the service and worship of God or the supernatural (2) : commitment or devotion to religious faith or observance

Okay. Now let’s put that in Mr. Bethke’s context:

“What if I told you that Jesus came to abolish [the service and worship of God]?”

Yeah… obviously he’s talkin’ about something else. So what’s going on here?

Well, when he goes on, we get to see the nature of what he’s talking about. He’s using “religion” as an interchangeable term with “hypocrisy”. The point of the video is that people are calling themselves “religious”, but they’re not living it out. People these days have begun to use this title as a mask to hide behind. And I agree that this is a serious, serious problem in society. “… which is why Jesus hated [hypocrisy] and for it he called ‘em fools.”

A’ight.

“Now back to the point; one thing is vital to mention: how Jesus and [hypocrisy] are on opposite spectrums. See, one’s the work of God and one’s a man-made invention. See, one is the cure, and one is the infection.”

In this context, we can all agree. But his next line is where things start exploding:

“Religion says do; Jesus says done.”

We have freedom from eternal condemnation, yes! And it’s a beautiful thing. If we believe in God, we no longer have to work for our salvation. But this freedom does not mean we have ability or right to rule out religion altogether simply because its definition has been tainted by hypocrites. That’s a dangerous thing. The pure *act* of religion without a sincere heart to match is NOT true religion. It’s superficiality. It’s hypocrisy.

Do you see the issue here? The video neglects to mention the place of true religion in our relationship with God; that is, the gravity of the basic rules of Christianity and the reality of our natural responsibility to our Father as his children.

So I just want to address one more thing. His dramatic closing line is suuuuper ambiguous:

“So for religion? No, I hate it. In fact, I literally resent it. Because when Jesus said ‘It is finished’, I believe that he meant it.”

Now, if we substitute in our textbook term here, stuff gets kinda sketchy:

“So for [the service and worship of God]? No, I hate it. In fact, I literally resent it. Because when Jesus said ‘It is finished’, I believe that he meant it.”

Um… please check all possible meanings of what you’re telling the world, Mr. Bethke. You mean to say you hate hypocrisy, I know, but do you really believe that ALL our responsibilities as the sons and daughters of God were taken away at the cross?

I can only suppose so. And that’s where we disagree.

When I live out my religion, I do it as a sacrifice of my life. I’m not trying to gain my salvation by my actions. Thank God I don’t need to, because I’d be hopelessly condemned by now. I want to be religious yet not hypocritical because I want to show God that despite his sacrifice for me, I’m devoted to giving all I am because I am eternally thankful for his undying grace.

I’m not a perfect person, but I’m redeemed by his love. And all I can do in return is intensely live with the purpose of pleasing him with my whole heart, my whole mind, and the entirety of my actions.

That’s what real religion is, folks. It’s a labor, yes. But it’s one of love alone.

#elijahlain

#elijahlain

Yes.

Yes.

elijahlain asked: bit[.]ly/t5YTYG -- Take out the brackets~

AHAHAHAAAA!

Nostalgic inspiration as a result of efforts to cheerily accept absence of familiarity.

Nostalgic inspiration as a result of efforts to cheerily accept absence of familiarity.

Innstruckshuns.

About a year ago, a dear friend of mine asked me a few questions pertaining to native African animals and proper etiquette tips for when you encounter them. As we approach the holiday season, I feel this is appropriate to share. The conversation went as follows: 

“Hippopotamus… your thoughts?”

“Certainly. Every hippopotamus is ambidextrous, as I’m sure you know. They only come in grey and beige. If you find one of the sepia variety, I suggest you flee. They also have a somewhat alarming fetish for Twizzlers, so be aware of that fact when partaking of victuals in the African wildernesses. I strongly advise you to wear a top hat when venturing to make conversation with them in social situations, as they have a deep respect for the Victorian culture.”

“What would you do if a lion attacked your house?”

“First of all, I would throw all available gremlins out any available window. They’re what the lions are after in the first place, anyway. DO NOT fling the dreadful creatures out the door, as this attracts all sorts of bovine attention. Most inconvenient, situationally.

Next, soak the entire contents of your silverware drawer in gasoline and microwave it indefinitely. You should probably plan to get out from within a 5 mile radius of your home within the hour. This leaves more than enough time for you to flee and seek refuge with the docile and welcoming mountain goats of Guinea, with the comfort of knowing that you’ve caused something resembling the explosion of the century.”


Happy Holidays, folks. 

This makes me giggle.

This makes me giggle.

The adoption is therefore official.

The adoption is therefore official.

Whoodees.

There’s something remarkably energizing about getting a new comfortable hoodie. The excitement factor I experience is rather akin to that of the owner of one’s first home or car, as I imagine it. You see, you might not understand just how dear certain items of clothing become to me simply by virtue of comfort, fluffiness, softness, color, scent, etc. But hoodies… there’s just something so all-encompassingly lovely about the way they fit. I like to think of them each as a mobile home, a portable, cozy safe-haven I can bury my face in when I’m sleepy, pull over my knees when I’m all curled up and freezing, and hide things in when in need of a clever pocket or two. The sleeves hug each arm like “Yeah, we gotchu. Go conquer the world or something.” And the hood pretty much makes you an instant superhero. So with this latest addition to my articles of affection, I plan to tackle another series of adventures that have yet to see this blue-hooded hooligan in action.

Bring on the autumn. I got cotton-fueled charisma.