There's something wrong with any culture that sees children as a burden to be carried rather then a gift from God. Our secular world sees children, for the most part as a burden, or an accessory to the perfect life. We've been raised in a culture that has taught us that we have a great many "rights" and that we can have pretty much whatever we want. Personal pleasure is a right, as is killing your unborn child if he or she doesn't fit into your five year plan. We have done our best to push God to the periphery, where we don't have to think about clear cut issues that might cause a pang of conscience like "right" or "wrong." Men and women parrot lines they've heard a hundred times before in an attempt to justify not taking a stand when a little voice that they've become accustomed to ignore speaks up and say "this is wrong." The answer is routine: "Well, I don't think it's right, but I can't judge someone who doesn't have the same religious beliefs as me, who decides that they don't want to carry a child." We can excuse any sin with this morally relativistic attitude, even murder.
We are beings that were created with an innate desire to draw near to God, and pushing Him out of our lives does not eliminate the desire for something that is outside of and above us. And so we find different Gods. For some it's the pursuit of pleasure. For others it's shopping or spending money. Whatever the idol that we lift up in His place, it falls short of filling the longing. The empty, unfulfilled spirit may become cynical. Anger seems to be a common response, particularly anger at those who have found their way Home, who have managed to do the unpopular thing and submit, to subordinate themselves to something so much greater than anything they could have ever imagined in their previous lives. Many don't seem to realize that we all worship something. Some even worship their own "freedom" (that is, the freedom to do whatever we want) and "rights" (even if those rights involve doing something very, very wrong).
The angry can find plenty of excuses, which usually involve accusing those who have attempted to draw near God with a lack of intelligence. Others compare religion to an opiate. As long as we cling to our pride it is nearly impossible to find Truth.
The secular view of children is just another symptom of the larger problem (although it is also a very large problem in itself, because it has manifested itself in incredibly evil ways). In our glorification of pleasure and our own personal "rights" we've blocked out the one path that could lead to true happiness. God.
And those are my Nap Time ramblings for our post-Mass Sunday Nap.
So true and so very sad. In my experience people who hate religion and God tend to worship their own self. They can't stand the thought of something that is above them. Many people who don't hate religion but are not interested in God either, tend to have a mildly tolerant attitude but regard religion as a mere hobby and equal to other kinds of pursuit of fulfilment or pleasure.
ReplyDeleteChildren are seen as a 'right' too, and have no identity of their own as human beings. I have a friend who has such a worldview and to her own amazement she expereinced a great sense of wonder and inner peace after she had a baby. The miracle of life showed her that a child is not a burden or a threat to her freedom. What a blessing.
I'm glad my nap time ramblings made sense (I'm never too sure, because I was just typing each thought that popped into my head!).
ReplyDeleteOne of the things that made me think of the topic is how TV programs and new shows always talk about all the "costs" of having children as if it's some horrific burden that anyone would be crazy to undertake (especially if you decide to have more then a couple). It's like the wonder and beauty has been stamped out in their minds. I'm glad your friend's experience turned out that way! That is truly a blessing!