POSTMODERN-ANON

POSTMODERNISM --
... [The word] "applied to a cultural condition prevailing in the advanced capitalist societies since the 1960s, characterized by a superabundance of disconnected images and styles—most noticeably in television, advertising, commercial design, and pop video. In this sense, promoted by Jean Baudrillard and other commentators, postmodernity is said to be a culture of fragmentary sensations, eclectic nostalgia, disposable simulacra, and promiscuous superficiality, in which the traditionally valued qualities of depth, coherence, meaning, originality, and authenticity are evacuated or dissolved amid the random swirl of empty signals."

POSTMODERN TRAITS
• Moral relativity
• No absolutes
• Cynicism toward historical relevance
• Attention to emotion of the present
• Isolationism
• Pursuit of individualized fragmented "realities" through iconic media, technology, and micro culture association.

I'm revolting. Not in the way you're probably thinking. Rather, my revolt is a protest -- against postmodernism. Postmodernism -- which is directing our current social thought and condition, should disturb us deeply, because its definition above is a very real dynamic for most people. Its precepts dictate scripted and unreasoned responses to information. Post-modern thought is eroding the depth and joy of life on many levels.

With its widely unknown definition, postmodernism has quietly seeped into virtually every aspect of our society: fine-arts, faith, media, education, government, and more. Postmodernism is like natural gas. Natural gas has no odor or color. When there is a gas leak, the odor we smell has been artificially induced by the gas company, simply so we will recognize the leak. Otherwise, natural gas in its purest form creeping into a building can kill life, by displacing the oxygen in the body. The analogy is fitting, whereas postmodern thought is silently and rapidly asphyxiating our well being in every sense -- both socially, as well as individually, -- largely because we have not known what it is, nor that it is even there --affecting us. It's an elusive thing.

Like the odor added to natural gas, knowledge of postmodernism is vitally important. As with most subjects we want to learn more about, it is advantageous to understand its historical origins, in order to address the present day issue with accuracy. Postmodern study is no different. Postmodern thought consumed our culture in the latter half of the 1900's, as the Modern era ended. However, the stage for postmodernism was being set in the late 1800's, during the Industrial Revolution.

Imagine living in a place where a child's father and mother lived in the same house. Through thick and thin, the parents worked together to raise the children. Imagination and self-sufficiency would be stimulated through music in the home, stories on front porch, and work for everyone to share. Cast yourself in such a family. You would find your father teaches you a rich heritage about your family. He might also ingratiate you into the family trade, of which you could incorporate into your tooling or education. Your mother actively partners in your educational and nurturing needs you as you grow.

In this place, the entire community is deeply committed to God, and their fruit shows it in the way each is treated. Because life is not perfect, the community has a solid support system, to help one another out in times of need. Doors are un-locked, as people look out after each other. Citizens take personal responsibility to defend one another against attack or intrusion. Delinquents malice is distanced, and thwarted under vigilant community involvement. Family and friends all live in the same neighborhood and regularly meet, often partaking in meals, concerts in the park, and other social settings for bonding. Kids are safe to run free all day, (when there is no school),-- and they do so without parental fear of human harm lurking against them.

Remember this picture. For a majority of Americans, this is their community, just over 100 years ago.

1890-1915:
1) Fathers abandon family leadership
2) Companies fosters mass dependency.
3) Darwinism replaces designed purpose with "random selection."
4) Faith-based science spreads.

By the early 1900's , many men were leaving their homes, their family ventures, and their paternal presence --all to begin work in the new factories of the Industrial Revolution. While men used to have a hands-on presence in the home, leading the family in farming, trade, business, faith, and purpose, men's lives now revolved around a company. The rest of the family often had little connection with these companies, often situated out of daily access to the home. While dad was working in the preludes of impersonal urbanity, the home fires subtly began losing connection with its fuel -- its unique mission.

Though his role used to daily model responsibilities of a teacher, trainer, spiritual guide, and mantle bearer, fathers stepping into the Industrial Revolution began practicing a more monolithic role: that being simply a provider. The mother began carrying the tremendous load of raising the children and maintaining the home, (sometimes working in the factory, as well), with dad absent from the home 12-16 hour days.

Dad's physical, emotional, and spiritual absence in heading the family unit, commenced a generational decline, from equipping his offspring to be explorers of individual purpose. The descent would spiral deeper throughout the generations of the 20th century.

Without a purpose, some of these adult children were susceptible to a wide array of ideology.

An external ideology also thwarting individual purpose was gaining acceptance during this same period: Darwinism. English naturalist Charles Darwin's study on "natural selection" theorized that human beings are not intelligently designed. Darwin concluded that humankind was a product of random evolutions, which have gradually morphed -- all beginning from the still unexplained division of just one single celled organism. Evolution theory is further developed by the phenomenon of cells magically merging together by some unknown force. Some believe it was lightening, or a cosmic blast causing the first merge.

As the age of invention progressed, certain groups began following this new "explanation of species origin" with faith-like zeal. Doubters of the theory point to evidentiary wide gaps in the species types as well as the astronomical leaps of the
"human mutation," characterized by: faith, ethical awareness, self-consciousness...but I digress). Observers on both sides contend: Evolution requires an enormous amount of faith, due to the infinite number of "random" mutations missing in evidence, both in past archeological and present day evidence.

Also contributing to the faith requirement of evolution: the absence of 21st Century knowledge. Had today's knowledge been available to Darwin, his theory would have to explain the origin of all of the infinitely complex yet necessarily perfect DNA chains to sustain cell life. One other coincidence: each chain conspicuously resembles software code, (no duplications, whatsoever). His theory also could not consider the undiscovered --bio molecular sciences, in which cells whose operation conspicuously resembles human engineered motors -- really, really, good motors ...motors which science today claims are the most superior ever known. Considering a very liberal 1 billion years, for these properties to slightly mutate to the present day human beings, this is random chance at its miraculous best. (Can I get a "Hallelujah" from the phylum section?)

1915 - 1929:
1) Invention, economy, and meta-physical powers incite society.
2) Personal Responsibility evacuated for self-indulgence.
3) Hollywood, "Faith" based leaders, and Avante-gard circles lure masses into manufacturing reality.

In the early 1900's as the Industrial Revolution morphed to Modernism, it seemed humankind had "made it"....and boy, were we riding high! We could do and make anything: automobiles, electricity, air-conditioners, airplanes, even motion pictures. This celebration climaxed with the Roaring Twenties, (1920's). "In the mornin', in the evenin', ain' t we got fun?..." was the mantra to fill the dance halls, where people would dance until the sun came up. Some circles already disillusioned with the limits of science and the world of absolutes, had begun to experiment with a new found luxury: expressing their ideas in a fanciful, self-absorbed way. Writers like F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896-1940), were natural literary leaders of the time, with fantasies of individualized self promotion themes between their pages.

Some were lured into socio-psychological faith performances : a hybrid Hollywood/"healing" exhibitionism, peddled by megalomania personalities such as Aimee Simple McPherson (1890-1944). McPherson was the first mass media evangelist, and the first of such to fall from scandal. The staggering revenue drawn from such dramatizations would instruct the next two generation of religious racketeers to rehash these manipulative techniques into the world-wide Signs and Wonders Apostasy, circulated into the later 20th Century.

New Thought/Metaphysical concepts of "speaking your own world into existence", and "positive thinking" flourished along the eastern seaboard, and particularly in Boston's Ivy League circles. This New Thought movement, a kind of super-charged humanism, believes that human kind is basically "good" at its core, and to date continues to morph its way to depths beyond reason. These early 20th Century New Thought thinkers were the fore-runners to Postmoderns in the late 20th Century.

1929-1948:
1) Early Post-modern art, media and philosophy manufacture "escapisms" during chaotic times.
2) Depression ravaged country demands revolutionary big government to manage Modern era's growing pains. Federal bureaucracies established, including: work programs, welfare, social security, etc.
3) Indifference to sacrifice: an experimental expression begins within very small urbanite New Thought circles.
4) Social Sequestration made possible by combination of urban population explosion, and now governmental dependence.

Never before had the United States government expanded to the levels it did during the Great Depression. Citizens turned to President Roosevelt's "New Deal" government to step in and clean up the 1930's depression. The depression called for a much more powerful government to relegate commerce, jobs, retirement, unemployment, and more. We begin to see heroes being born out of the youth of this era. These youth are now known as The Builder Generation. The Builder Generation was determined to press in to scrape what they could for their families, sacrifice beyond our understanding, and get America back to work. The depression would be just the beginning of the Builder Generation's long mid 20th century struggle.

The American fears and needs of this very difficult time became a literary metaphor in the 1938 MGM production of the Wizard of Oz. Everyone longed for a place far away from their troubles...over the rainbow.

We also see the beginnings of a nation getting comfortable with government's new mammoth role for the modern era, as individual citizens add the government to their corporate/industrial support system. How does this dependency factor into postmodern thought? Simply that, individuals and families are now facilitated to divorce themselves from personal and local responsibility, by leaning deeper into outside and impersonal forces of the federal government for care. Although this time period finds most folks still practicing tremendous virtues of interpersonal responsibility (rallying to one another's needs), the accountability escape hatch was widening with each decade, revealing a hologram of a social entitlement society on the other side. (Following WWII, some politicians, itchy to cast the lure, will morph this new terminology for "big government" into the term "entitlement."). Roosevelt's New Deal summonsed a dramatic controversial shift in dependency, as compared to the interdependent family described at the beginning.

While the Builder Generation was A) Fighting for necessities in the depression, B)Fighting totalitarian advances toward the U.S. and Europe in WWII, and C) Fighting to save the world from communism during the cold war, (Yes, they had their hands full, and we owe them a HEAP of gratitude!), the urban New Thought philosophers were incubating their ideals through their respective work fields.

Day after day, as people began allowing technology, government, and corporate caretakers to assume our personal matters (these agencies assuming what was once interdependence between: family, neighbors, and civic accountability), New Thought pioneers languished in private social sanctuaries, beneath a modern age cocoon, sequestered from the growing world tensions of the 1930's and 1940's. Where once small town folks of wide eclectic backgrounds relied on each other for support and interaction, urbanites' now relied on impersonal agencies, allowing them the ability to eliminate from their individual social circles -- the rich broad sampling of community interaction found in smaller communities.

So why would anyone want to eliminate a broad cross-culture for social stimulus? The answer is: it's easier. Many urbanite followers of New Thought found they could conveniently select relationships "buffet style", simply based on the sheer numbers of their city's population, presenting a higher ratio of like-minded thinkers. The modern age offered New Thought urbanites this intoxicating luxury of social sequestration with little accountability to rest of the city population. These tailor-made communities were a broad departure from the interdependent community described in "A Better Time," which I wrote of at the beginning. (The urban social sequestration began the hallmark social delusions embodying later Postmodern subcultures.) Social sequestration began seeping into the myriad of hues and lines across all New Thought expressions, reflecting a less multi-dimensional reality.

This simplistic dimensional outlook was mirrored by New Thought artists as some began experimenting with abstract, somewhat cartoonesque art, (and it was sold as "art" at art prices). It looked and felt...fun!

Copeland Charles Burg (American, 1895-1961),
“Rhubarb and Two Oysters”, c.1942

Furthering the escapist folly of New Thought's suspension of reality, writers began to emerge such as Ayn Rand (1905-1982), heralding such book titles as: "The Fountainhead"(1943). Rand marveled at man's ability to create a modernistic society. The book's title refers to Rand's statement that "man's ego is the fountainhead of human progress", (This myopic philosophy is quoted right when 6 million Jews were being exterminated, and dictatorships were engaging world wide war for totalitarian means).

The book casts the main protagonist, who is Rand's idea of the ultimate man, living for himself and his own creativity, indifferent to the opinions of others. The Fountainhead, was originally turned down by six publishers. By the time it gained publication, the book eventually sold several hundred thousand copies, and is still in print to date. The book became a Hollywood movie with Gary Cooper, laid the foundation for Rand's self-centered religion, ironically entitled: Objectivism. Objectivism's appeal enticed the fundamental nature of man wanting to be God, and was justified using carefully selected axioms from several "-ology's" for its veneer. For many, it felt great to read.

The descent away from altruistic human purpose dropped further in other illuminated circles during this period. Psychologist B. F. Skinner's (1904-1990) behaviorism theories, derived from animal experiments, were now projected onto humankind. The behaviorist message: that humans were solely a product of their environment's stimuli and response processes. Behaviorists' outright denial of human purpose, goals, curiosity, and other cognitive/spiritual elements further fueled the incineration of individual purpose. Behaviorists actively propagated what they believed as the ultimate necessity for humanity, a programmed utopian society.

English writer C. S. Lewis (1898-1963), inspired by the world at war, argues against New Thought ideas emerging from underground. Lewis critiques New Thought concepts, as an ancient repackaging of man playing God, for the modern era.

Lewis attempts to correct the moral relativity course with powerful rationale in several of his fiction and non-fiction books, most notably, "Mere Christianity": a rhapsodic treatise, reminding readers of an obvious inherent knowledge of right and wrong placed in each person. However, New Thought thinkers rejected Lewis' works. Particularly on Lewis' points of accountability and sacrifice, New Thought thinkers were too fascinated by the ever changing colors under their feet.

So ignorant to the world at war around them, this small band of New Thought thinkers embarked on an audacious social expression, something that would later characterize the cynical nature of this movement. That expression: An indifference to sacrifice. Part of the New Thought "fragmented" outlook encompasses a curious "in the moment" tunnel vision, blinding the New Thought thinker to present and historical sacrifices, which would normally be reciprocated with gratitude and compassion. However, for many New Thought thinkers, their momentary self-sensory devices -- all within the growing Modern age escapist sub-cultures -- made it possible to survive quite comfortably without the pesky desire to see the world through another's eyes.

Up to this point, the virtue of laying down one's life to protect another, (and not just in the military), brought with it honor, respect, and a virtue worth regeneration from one generation to the next. However, underground philosophical views were beginning to surface during the heavily united World War II effort, where the attitude of altruistic respect for sacrifice began to drift toward a self edifying posture of entitlement. Some point to parts of Western Europe, (ok, mainly France), where the seeds of this particular Post modern attitude began: "If it is someone else's job to do the dirty work for me, and they want to do it, what does that have to do with me?" This anti-logic was due in part to the fragmentation (or compartmentalization) of society on virtually every level, a pattern that was rapidly encroaching on people everywhere in the modern world.

1948-1973:
1) Sudden prosperity brings hollow purpose to children with unavailable parents.
2) "Mediaemotion"/convenience driven society allows virutous principles to be usurped from the classrooms.
3) Propagation of "moral relativity" begins to spread widely.

Not only did New Thought thinking survive the internationally united WWII effort, it exploded into our society as Postmodernism. Sociologists point to the ending of World War II when The Modern Era began a full retreat, replaced with The Postmodern Era. During the 1950's the average citizen was weary of fighting, a depression and a world war. In 1948, United States movie goers witnessed on the "News Reels" -- the most vivid results of a cooperative scientific/military effort from our establishment: the creation and detonation of two Atomic Bombs over Hiroshima and Nagasaki Japan. America had been fighting and clawing for several decades to survive and suddenly -- victory in 1948.

Virtually over-night, financial prosperity was back. Jobs were plentiful, and consumer spending was up, as the aerospace industry boomed. The work force was helping to fight a new kind of war, the "cold-war". The cold-war starred the super-power nations divided into primarily two camps with Democratic / Capitalistic nations on one side, and Socialistic/Communist nations on the other. The battleground, (with the exception of Korea and later Vietnam), was held on the frontier of ideas, propaganda, and the stockpile of threatening military might between super-powers. We were on top of this new world game, and we could now play it from the comfort of our offices and homes, for a while...

By the 1950's people were ready to stay home, exhale, and attempt a carefree life distant from the strife of war and financial depression. This attitude showed in the themes of the then --new larger than life "media-emotion".

Because of technological advances, media such as stereophonic music, contemporary novels, multiple television channels and shows, cinemascopic movies of many genres, and magazines on countless topics, -- all such media became quite diverse, more available, packaged according to the ever widening tastes of all socioeconomic lines. People at this time regular folks began creating their own reality, vicariously living through their customized world of favorite media, and often at the touch of a button,(later -- through the home computer). A wide pool of tremendous talent such as, Frank Sinatra, Truman Capote, and Lucille Ball, provided each sector of society their own "escape de jour". The blithe domestic attitude was glorified in such television shows as I Love Lucy and The Honeymooners. These were the dynamics of many 1950's homes.

Because of postmodern media's own over saturated cliches´, media parody, (a postmodern staple), became in vogue. Commercial art took on the Postmodern staple of iconic figures, with a blend of abstract and cartoon simplicity -- all feeding into the "feel good for the moment" mantra the western world was gobbling up.

For the then, two to three generations of growing underground leaders of Postmodern thought, it was becoming increasingly difficult to tolerate issues that required a larger perspective beyond their fragmented micro cultures. Subjects such as God, sacrifice, evil in humanity, and war, did not have a place for the postmodern ideals. So, as the malaise of consumer consumption soared, these leaders used the nation's prosperous distractions as their chance to advance publicly. Between 1948 through the present, postmoderns began propagating on a national level their new philosophy. Postmoderns chose the United States Courts as their mouth piece.

Advancing the practice of a fragmented reality, attorneys lifted a concept penned: "separation of church and state" from a Thomas Jefferson letter, entirely reversing the letter's context. The objective of twisting Mr. Jefferson's intent, was to aide atheist leader Madalyn Murray O'hair and the American Atheists' endeavor to eradicate school prayer through the Murray vs. Curlett case of 1963. The sound bite: "separation of church and state" based on the new erroneous foundation, along with words such as "offensive" all were used to conceptually sway the mind set of American life where faith and free speech are concerned. The postmodern solution? Compartmentalization of faith. This "solution" should sound historically familiar.

"The last stage but one of every civilisation, is characterised by the forced political unification of its constituent parts, into a single greater whole."
-- Author, Arnold J. Toynbee
"A STUDY OF HISTORY" 1957

One of the next influences of Postmodernism imposed on social thought, was the further advancement of the moral relativity agenda, specifically using sexuality and the concept of "life" as game pieces. Gaining the "option" of terminating an unborn child's life -- itself became the pinnacle commodity of postmoderns. Terminating unwanted pregnancies was also a commodity for postmodern's value of: creating (or "un-creating"), one's own reality. A third commodity/convenience for a Postmodern victory in the battle over the "life" issue, was again --the forced public tolerance of postmoderns' right to fragmentize large social concepts, in this case, the concept: "when life really starts". Unborn human life (newly referred to as "the tissue" when ripped from its mother's wombs), became marginalized as "a choice," as abortions up to seven months of pregnancy became legalized in 1973 during the Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court case. Today, people describing the procedure for what it is, as I did parenthetically above, will easily be labeled "a fanatic " or "insensitive" toward women caught in a "very difficult position." If you are on the fence, just not sure if abortion should remain a legal sanction for the sake of anyone's "difficult position", go to Google, click on Google's "Images" tab, and type in"abortion". (You have the "choice" to know.) Abortion Alternatives

1963-1975:
1) Children of prosperity rebel against shallow upbringing.
2) Boomers begin experimenting with isolated sub/micro-cultures, as they crystallize their post-modern doctrines.

While all of this was going on, a new generation was being raised in this vapid attitude. That generation is known as the Baby-Boomers, named after the"boom" of birth rate right after American soldiers returned home from World War II. Baby boomers did not relate to the enormous sacrifices their parents and grandparents made earlier in the century: financial sacrifices through the depression, their very lives during WWII, and their physical and intellectual defense build up through the cold war. Rather they received for the most part the cocoon of consumerism throughout the Prosperity period of the 1950's and 1960's.

For many homes, the art of instilling purpose was several generations now --long gone. By this point in history, the world's tense affairs, along with the corporate ladder had so pulled parents out of their interest in the home, many parents of this prosperity movement did not know how to "stoke the home-fires", by building strength through the home, or encouraging the unique qualities of their children. So shocked by the atrocities of World War II, Boomers were being raised in a uniform world. Their postmodern world echoed a highly predictable sanity, as well as echoing the unity that won the war.

The virtue of instilling human purpose was almost a century in decline. Many prosperity age parents sensing their home needs, could only attempted a veneer of imparting real purpose in their respective homes. The family headship had long forgotten how to relate the authentic heritage and reason behind their fore-fathers' focus.

Boomer children in such homes felt this void deeply. The public school system attempted to pick up the slack, but remained institutionally distant from the conscious of children.

As Post-modern thought spread rapidly throughout society, its self-indulgent thoughts began a systematic death upon the family unit. The pain for Boomers was exacerbated as the thin veneer of purpose in homes and self-pursuing interests buckled the union of a husband and wife into divorce. Divorce rates climbed to unbelievable percentages by the latter half of the 20th century. The divorce pattern began to be subconsciously modeled from one generation to the next. The postmodern thinking which began the rise in divorce, also widened the path for post-modern cynicism in each following generation of divorced kids.

The one father figure during this period, whom gave Boomers a hope and purpose was President John Fitzgerald Kennedy. During his term from 1960-1963 President Kennedy attempted to turn the consumer mentality around, with his memorable line: "Ask not what your country can do for you; Ask what you can do for your country."... a quote clearly out of order with post-modern thinking. It was purposefully designed to re-direct the country's thinking, particularly those who unwittingly made government their god. JFK had nobel and ambitious ideas to usher the United States by advancing modernism, (not post-modernism). It was an era he called The New Frontier. His ideas were exciting to many. JFK's ideas of sending people to the moon, and developing modern wonders to advance civilizations around the world, all captured the imagination of the scientific community, and many young people, quietly searching for purpose.

President and Mrs. Kennedy (back seat).
Moments before assassination.
November 22, 1963 --Parade through Dallas, Texas

JFK's assassination and martyrdom thereafter, triggered the beginning of a tremendous social rebellion among Boomers. In fact, due to the assassination's social shockwave, inciting the wide-spread postmodern trait of cynicism, some historians site the JFK assassination as the actual beginning of Postmodernism. Those historians would say that JFK's assassination was the single most impactful event which ushered the largest shift into post-modern thinking, (ironically a move in the opposite direction JFK intended). If the seeds of postmodernism were scattered the widest from 1948 onward, they sprouted on November 22, 1963.

During the 1960's climax of racial discrimination and segregation against blacks, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was the most prominent leader of hope for America's long over-due social promissary note of freedom. Speaking eloquently to all Americans, Dr. King's message of social equality for all, (not just blacks) resonated with those who valued the American prinicple: that "all men are created equal." (Thomas Jefferson, from The Declaration of Independence.) Dr. King's biblical convictions on God's love, propelled his advocation for peaceful demonstrations, of which sent shockwaves around the world. His most memorable vision was shared with America in 1963 within his "I have a dream..." speech at the Lincoln Memorial rally. There he described an America of the future, which does not judge persons by the color of their skin, rather by the content of their character. In 1968 during the prime of his life and ministry, Dr. King was assassinated on a Memphis, Tennessee hotel balcony.

Kennedy and King's assassinations further wounded this lost generation, subsequently unearthing a deeply disturbing dilemma in social America: the now decades old perpetuating loss of purpose. With the widest disconnect from the generation before them, and post-modern thought growing exponentially, Boomer's discontent began to be magnified on to a number of individual issues, (government conspiracy theories, Vietnam, inequality, the environment, etc.). The euphoria of rallying around one of the causes of their day, is often parodied as a cliche of boomer's long over-due stimulation of individual purpose.

Willing to also be exposed to a wide array of experimental, and sometimes senseless environments, to shake their malaise, Boomers turned to drugs, cults, rock-and-roll, sexual perversion: the sub-cultures used to fill their purposeless void. In their rebellious antics, Boomers acquired a nick-name: The Counter-culture.

The rebellion swiftly exploded against the United States government for its complex and poorly strategized involvement in the Viet Nam War. Boomer's rage would further project itself onto the Watergate cover-up.

Albeit some people refer to them as the spoiled brat generation, Boomers were none the less a very hurt generation. In the face of repeated disappointments, Boomers in their rebellion walked directly into the hands of Post-modernist philosophers. Desperate to escape it all, just like their New Thought fore-runners practiced , Boomers were vulnerably led to accept the paradoxical postmodern mantra of "moral relativity", and its bizarre but very fervent faith in manufacturing one's "own reality:" ...

"Imagine there's no heaven,
It's easy if you try,
No hell below us,
Above us only sky,
Imagine all the people
living for today...
Imagine there's no countries,
It isn't hard to do,
Nothing to kill or die for,
No religion too,
Imagine all the people
living life in peace..."

This lyric, nestled in a mellifluous pop melody, is the anthem of most admitted, and even unwitting Postmodernist. These lyrics represent the central core of their faith. Post-modernists are in lock step pursuit of the principals in the song: Imagine. They quest for:

2) (The paradox of) Faith in humanism, with a distrust for those who's faith is different.

3) Living for an experiential present, denying historical lessons of humankind's nature.

Their rule book: if you believe differently from us, keep it to yourself; you ARE the problem. Not quite the free loving society they taut. To date, Postmodern embracees continue to propagate their secular agenda, surreptitiously fueled by momentary emotion and self-centered ambition.

I firmly believe, the more we allow postmodernism to marginalize good and evil, the more life and its value, will appear as grayscale -- where purpose is lost, passion is cooled, and The Beautiful is hard to find. Many victims of postmodern thought have been programmed to simply exist.

__________

"...Well, it's a cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold
Post, postmodern world
No time for heroes, no place for good guys
No room for rocky the flying squirrel...

...Well, it's a cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold
Post, postmodern world
No authenticity, no sign of soul
The radio won't play George and Merle...

...Well, it's a cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold
Post, postmodern world
No place for sentiment, no room for romance
Bring back the Duke of Earl"...

-- Don Henley, lyrics to: "They're Not Here, They're Not Coming"

__________

With virtuous values now relegated as cynical museum pieces, Postmoderns turn to a different gospel altogether. "If it feels good, do it...", values were heralded by psychologists: the new pastors for this society.

Books like, "Looking Out For Number One", were widely embraced, as the new faith in "self". Of course with every brand of faith in "self", comes every brand of interest group of like-minded thinkers...

(or: Loving the followers of: Humanism, Narcissism, Beatnikism, Jimmy Buffettism, Atheism, Slackerism, Socialism, Punkism, Emoism, Darwinism, Gothism, Feminism, Masulinism, Racism, Liberalism, Pacifism, ...)

1975-Present:
1) Postmodern subcultures use new lexicon of terminology such as: "tolerance" and "offensive" to advance subcultures' agendas.
2) Self creating realities further indulged through computers/tailor-made media/information age.
3) Sub-cultures revise history based on present day "feelings," discarding historical documentation.

Remember the story at the top: "A BETTER TIME". It took less than 100 years, for that way of life to all but disappear. Although we have rightfully come a long way in trying to treat all people equally, can any nation governed by the citizenry hold itself together with individuals gravitating toward isolated sub/micro-cultures? Usually not. When people feel their sub/micro-culture should have preferential entitlement, they will blame the system for not receiving entitlement, and subsequently, not support the system. Consider this arching phenomenon just prior to the fall of any culture.

On a national level Christian trailblazers like C. S. Lewis, Chuck Smith of Calvary Chapel, Evangelist Billy Graham, and Dr. Martin Luther King, were reaching out with relevant ministries -- calling out to these isolated sub-cultures. However most local churches at the time were either ill equipped or unwilling to reach out. Many local churches were giving their primary attention to their own respective membership, isolating each local church in its own Post-modernistic "bubble" for a number of years. They did not understand, and simply were not motivated to break through these social issues.

I am not going to slam away here, at the Postmodern "churches" as listed in the alternate title of this section.

I understand how these modern day churches have become a target to project one's frustration. Their contradictory positions can be comical at times. Nonetheless, to share proper perspective of just one sub-group's shrill tone, consider postmodernism as the foundational premise for all such sub-groups. By understanding post-modernism's direct role in fragmentizing so many parts of our society, we have the proper perspective of seeing these groups as many little pieces in a vast mosaic.

It is critically important to remain in clear view of the big picture, when communicating positive change.

Contrary to postmodern's moral relativity, there is nothing insensitive in peacefully explaining why you disagree with a philosophy people attach themselves to. The key to effective change, is describing an effective model to change toward. I used "A Better Time" in this article as the model to demonstrate where we have come, (albeit, we will likely not return to that pre-modern setting again). Political correctness should stop, and we should open our mouths. Silence is what got us into this mess to begin with. In speaking out, effective communication also includes publicly reasoning through the destructive postmodern ideal along with its roots, and ALWAYS offer the better anecdote.

To cut through the jabberwocky, this reason/anecdote formula should be so thoroughly thought out, it's essence can be roped into a "truth" sound bite of 15 seconds or less. Why rehearse summaries into a sound bite? In a post modern society, the sound bite is the figurative crack in the closing doorway, which Indian Jones narrowly slips through. If we don't take the time to ignite ideas in the language our culture will understand, fickle post modern ears will close quickly.

For centuries, the reason/anecdote method has been effective in changing lives toward a better way not only in faith-based circles, but in the public arena of ideas as well. Freedom of speech or not, God has always opened avenues to spread love and truth. (Yes, I also believe in openly defending many freedoms in this country, which are swiftly being usurped in the name of a secular/Postmodern ideology.)

That being said, there is something very wrong, in being prejudice against individuals themselves, of whom are postmodernists. We don't know why each person has chosen their beliefs. Take for example, the guy above wading in the polluted waters at Woodstock. We now know by historical interviews, that many following antics like his, were motivated by peer pressure, loneliness, rebellion, drugs, and/or a need to sensitize their lives. Gatherings of people who "party" like this, rerun over and over throughout history. We've all sinned, or have had the sins of others affect us. As a result, we all fall short of our Maker's glory. If you want to get in the revolt against post-modernism on a one-to-one level, the "revolt" needs to be reconsidered as "a ministry". For interpersonal success of this mission, individuals must be approached with understanding and reasonable persuasion in God's love.

It is society's lack of understanding of these Postmodern individuals' much deeper needs, all of which drive them to their self-medicating agenda's to begin with. Arguing or dogmatic rhetoric with Post-modernists will only confirm their view of "war mongering people of God". Do we need to play into this observation? Do we need to become flaccid? No, on both.

Post moderns are unwittingly looking for solid ground, for what is right, despite their unwavering belief that there are no absolutes. The post-modern folly and its devastating output by its essence confirms all of our sin nature, in need of saving. Because I have found that I nor anyone can save me, I've asked Jesus to cover my sin, as the Bible promises He'll do. Because He has and is cleaning my life up, He is my personal God, and I need His help in this fallen world. His work in me, starts with me. My prayer is that others will see His righteousness at work in me, processing me into a new nature.

Reader, if you haven't done that yet, and would like to learn more, visit JESUS, here at Abbamedia. There are also helpful links there, on how to find personal support through a Bible believing local church. Being a part of a biblically strong and loving church, is key to healthy love for God, and with each other.

"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself'. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." Matthew 22:36-40

If you have already asked Jesus to take charge of your life, consider this question posed to yourself: "Am I showing His fruit to this Postmodern culture?" or "Am I proud of my righteousness?" If your answer is yes to the latter, please understand that humans do not own any righteousness, (Even our knowledge is not righteous; our faith is not righteousness) That position would be humanistic component within post-modern thought. Jesus Himself puts His righteousness "over us", and that must be claimed in humility only, not pride. When we accept Him this way, we are ready to open our mouths, and share with others.

1) PRAY: Pray God's light would bear fruit in you, and it would be noticed. Pray you would be spiritually sensitive to the right time -- when the person of interest would be most receptive to hearing your heart.

2) LISTEN: Postmoderns have a story. We've all had reasons and choices in filling the void in our lives, and so postmoderns have their reasons and choices as well. Listen intently. Ask God to give you discerning ears. Many reasons are used to justified the Postmodern cultural mandates. Their reasons for living a postmodern lifestyle will probably include:

3) SHARE: Be a friend. One thing in favor of Postmodern taste , is that they LOVE stories! Gravitate to your personal stories. Make them concise, allowing for conversational interaction. Remember postmoderns like many stances going on with you, circumstances which might magnify a very large God to someone else. You just might plant or water a previous seed of encouragement for that person to let God do something life-changing for them.

4) BE SPECIFIC: This step people shy away from for fear of rejection. The step still needs to be attempted, and only at the right time, after a relationship is built. I have found that time happens in my encounters, when I hear the other person sharing their emptiness. At that time begin comparing the big picture versus the fragmented view of postmodernism:

If the person ministered to sees the fruit of God's Spirit from your life, they will have a choice: They will seek what you have, or reject it. Be prepared for both responses. Some will receive, others will not. It's ancient.

All each of us can do is, in love, tell our story of what God has personally done for us....

These things going on in this world can be frustrating. Don't be discouraged. You are not alone during this historical transition. God is still on the throne. And, many others are equally concerned. No one knows if "a better time" will come back as it once was, or if the next better time will be The New Jerusalem, Heaven itself. A genuine revival of repentance can bring us all closer to God and each other. However, if you've studied the Bible, you know things can get much worse here on earth, when we don't repent. Kingdoms rise and fall, but God's kingdom is relentless. His is the kingdom we want our citizenship in.

Don't hide The Beautiful that God gives you. Keep going to Him daily for more. He is the only Source by which we can grow into a conduit of His change, and on His time. Each of us can start by deliberately, offering a simple act of love with those around us.