I've been reading about Nietzsche and nihilism and how, faced with the consequences of a life without meaning or purpose, people prone to be unhinged to reality create meaning and purpose and remain "stuck", as it were, in those religious dogmatic viewpoints trying desperately to force those political POVs onto others. In the old days, we'd identify them because they would go door-to-door and ask if we've been saved by Jesus as our personal savior. Whereas religion (Christianity, Judaism, Islam) have survived for centuries as resources for meaning that makes life worth living for a significant portion of the general population (and I mean that imagery to strike a chord), there's been a paradigm shift in our society, especially the US. A radical transformation has occurred that has replaced religion as the primary source of purpose. In its place the inmates have installed a GOVERNMENT that doesn't govern..... it's merely an "Iron Curtain" (where have we heard that before?) - more specifically fascism, authoritarianism, intolerance in the service of a "higher power", which appears to be, by all accounts, power for its own sake, power to force, to intimidate, to suppress, to rule, to dominate. THIS has become the reason for living, the purpose for life, and that which makes life worth living: the expanding domination of systemic fascism. Any attack on these opinions, or criticisms, or reason, or protest (as we've seen in Tennessee) are interpreted as an EXISTENTIAL THREAT to the survival of the human race...in other words, only that part of the human race where THEY reign supreme, but make no mistake, "The Other" is not included and never will be. So as we go about our daily lives, living and letting live, we need to look over our shoulder and be vigilant because creeping nihilism has come out of the shadows.
Re: opinions
I've been reading about Nietzsche and nihilism and how, faced with the consequences of a life without meaning or purpose, people prone to be unhinged to reality create meaning and purpose and remain "stuck", as it were, in those religious dogmatic viewpoints trying desperately to force those political POVs onto others. In the old days, we'd identify them because they would go door-to-door and ask if we've been saved by Jesus as our personal savior. Whereas religion (Christianity, Judaism, Islam) have survived for centuries as resources for meaning that makes life worth living for a significant portion of the general population (and I mean that imagery to strike a chord), there's been a paradigm shift in our society, especially the US. A radical transformation has occurred that has replaced religion as the primary source of purpose. In its place the inmates have installed a GOVERNMENT that doesn't govern..... it's merely an "Iron Curtain" (where have we heard that before?) - more specifically fascism, authoritarianism, intolerance in the service of a "higher power", which appears to be, by all accounts, power for its own sake, power to force, to intimidate, to suppress, to rule, to dominate. THIS has become the reason for living, the purpose for life, and that which makes life worth living: the expanding domination of systemic fascism. Any attack on these opinions, or criticisms, or reason, or protest (as we've seen in Tennessee) are interpreted as an EXISTENTIAL THREAT to the survival of the human race...in other words, only that part of the human race where THEY reign supreme, but make no mistake, "The Other" is not included and never will be. So as we go about our daily lives, living and letting live, we need to look over our shoulder and be vigilant because creeping nihilism has come out of the shadows.
Your last sentence says it all......thanks for your thoughtful sharing.