Answering Vivian's Questions: How Do We Fix Society?

[adam loumeau]

Vivian, you asked great questions in the other email chain Eric started.  To try to answer your questions, there are many many aspects of our society than need to be fixed.  But I propose three big, overriding solutions.

1. Protect our children from technology.  This doesn't mean force them to live like the Amish but it does mean we need to do a better job safeguarding them from the most dangerous threat children have faced in a really long time.  Whether it's problems with social media or early exposure to hardcore pornography, even kids raised by the best parents can be irreparably damaged by unfettered access to technology.  Parents cannot afford to be naive anymore.

2. Individual citizens have to start taking a stand against all of the divisiveness in this country.  We are allowing the media and other powerful forces to tear this country apart with their manipulations and overly negative messaging.  We have to embrace centrism politically.  We have to embrace the type of political candidates that stand for compromise and moderation.  We have to support media that strives for fairness and honesty and level-headed discourse.  People who belong to a different gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, or political party as you are NOT the enemy!

3. We have to fix modern day Christianity, which is horribly broken.  The reason why there is such a huge leadership void in society right now is because Christianity is a hot mess and has been for awhile.  But because society is coming apart at the seams more now than ever before, the complete and utter lack of right-minded Christian leadership is becoming more and more glaring.

On the one hand, we have the liberal Christian churches that are trying to shape shift into whatever they think their followers want to hear at any given moment, which of course is the epitome of weak leadership and is not deeply rooted in the teachings of Jesus Christ.  And on the other hand, we have the traditional Christian churches whose constant argument is "well this is what we've believed for 2,000 years so it must be 100% correct."  Hopefully I don't have to explain the many problems associated with this approach.  Traditional churches are overrun by very socially conservative leaders and members, who are intolerant towards the members of society who cannot be happy living an ultra conservative lifestyle as they were not born that way.  God made a kaleidoscope of people in this world and we need to respect that diversity in our teachings.

Instead of these two inadequate options, we need to embrace Christian principles and use them to guide us in an ever changing world.  We need to embrace the diversity that God has created and look to include rather than exclude those who are on the Christian margins so to speak.  We need to continue to take a fresh look at what the scriptures are teaching us rather than relying on the "traditions of men", which even our church can fall back on sometimes.  And we need to be part of a new Christian leadership in society that provides guidance to those even not in our ranks.

These are my three big proposed solutions.  What else would you guys propose?

[vivian.branner]

I guess I've become a bit if a pessimist because I don't think we can do much to change #1  and 2 for society in general.  As individuals we must try.  And that voice needs to become louder and louder to help as many families as possible, as you have suggested.  About #3.  I do believe that members of the church need to be more converted to the gospel of love.  It's very tricky though to not allow tolerance to mean condoning certain lifestyles that greatly limit happiness.  I'm not sure what that will look like in the future of our church.  It is a great stumblingblock for many good people.  I believe our leadership will get us there.

As far as hillbilly elligy, his redemption came through the love of extended family and educatuonal opportunities that somehow allowed him to believe in a different reality for himself.  I think certain teachers made a big difference.  It has to do with a major paradigm shift for these people stuck in poverty and broken home lives.  

Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone

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