Freedom, Fulfillment and the Future
I've been thinking a lot about the future recently. Of all the threats that the world and Western civilization faces during the next few decades (and there are more than a few), I think the biggest will be the advancement of the idea that personal fulfillment can only be achieved by not committing yourself to anything bigger than yourself. This idea of freedom as being free from all commitments is one that has grown exponentially in recent years, and it manifests itself in many, many ways.
The two that I've been thinking about lately are childrearing methods and declining ordinations of priests. Raising children and committing yourself to a life of chastity and obediance are two of the hardest tasks I can imagine. Consequently, no one seems to want to do them any more. Society keeps telling us that if something can't be done quickly and easily, it's not worth doing at all.
This bodes ill for our future and personally makes me sad. A society that views all obligations and commitments as negatives can not sustain itself forever. Maybe I'm just Chicken Little, but I see the sky starting to fall all around me. One in eleven boys will be put on medication for ADD or ADHD during their childhood. One in eleven! Do we really believe that almost 10% of the boys in America need to be drugged? Or is it more likely that a lot of parents simply haven't taken the time to discipline their children and teach them what is and is not acceptable behavior?
I'm certainly not Tom Cruise; I believe medication can serve an important purpose for some. But the problem is in the quick fix mentality that so many parents take today. Parenting is a difficult process where results are often not seen until ten, 20, or more years down the road. Medicating is often a short-term solution to a long-term problem. It's no surprise to see which one is becoming more commonplace.
The same is true for the priesthood. It is a challenging life full of self-sacrifice. You have to completely give of yourself to something (and Someone) that you can never even see. It may be painful. It may be frustrating. But does that mean that it should be avoided? By giving of yourself, do you become less human? Less whole? If we as a society believe that the answer to these questions is "Yes," our future may be darker than we understand.
In the interests of full disclosure, I must admit that I might be a priest today if they were allowed to marry. It's just that I've always felt a calling to the married life, and I believe there is no greater good I can do in this world than being a great husband and father. If that means that I have to give up some amorphous "freedoms" that I might otherwise get to keep, so be it. I'm ready.
"Freedom - Oh freedom - well that's just some people talking
Your prison is walking through this world all alone..."
I've been thinking a lot about the future recently. Of all the threats that the world and Western civilization faces during the next few decades (and there are more than a few), I think the biggest will be the advancement of the idea that personal fulfillment can only be achieved by not committing yourself to anything bigger than yourself. This idea of freedom as being free from all commitments is one that has grown exponentially in recent years, and it manifests itself in many, many ways.
The two that I've been thinking about lately are childrearing methods and declining ordinations of priests. Raising children and committing yourself to a life of chastity and obediance are two of the hardest tasks I can imagine. Consequently, no one seems to want to do them any more. Society keeps telling us that if something can't be done quickly and easily, it's not worth doing at all.
This bodes ill for our future and personally makes me sad. A society that views all obligations and commitments as negatives can not sustain itself forever. Maybe I'm just Chicken Little, but I see the sky starting to fall all around me. One in eleven boys will be put on medication for ADD or ADHD during their childhood. One in eleven! Do we really believe that almost 10% of the boys in America need to be drugged? Or is it more likely that a lot of parents simply haven't taken the time to discipline their children and teach them what is and is not acceptable behavior?
I'm certainly not Tom Cruise; I believe medication can serve an important purpose for some. But the problem is in the quick fix mentality that so many parents take today. Parenting is a difficult process where results are often not seen until ten, 20, or more years down the road. Medicating is often a short-term solution to a long-term problem. It's no surprise to see which one is becoming more commonplace.
The same is true for the priesthood. It is a challenging life full of self-sacrifice. You have to completely give of yourself to something (and Someone) that you can never even see. It may be painful. It may be frustrating. But does that mean that it should be avoided? By giving of yourself, do you become less human? Less whole? If we as a society believe that the answer to these questions is "Yes," our future may be darker than we understand.
In the interests of full disclosure, I must admit that I might be a priest today if they were allowed to marry. It's just that I've always felt a calling to the married life, and I believe there is no greater good I can do in this world than being a great husband and father. If that means that I have to give up some amorphous "freedoms" that I might otherwise get to keep, so be it. I'm ready.
"Freedom - Oh freedom - well that's just some people talking
Your prison is walking through this world all alone..."
posted by Rico at 10:42 PM
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