Contemporary Culture
By Jake Kohl
In looking at contemporary culture, we can see many
things that are based on “things worth living and dying for”. We can see that
the many things that hold our values, especially in Christian values, based on
a biblical worldview binds us
together as a unified body of Christ followers. In this particular instance,
one of the most influential values that I believe is worth living for is the
fact that we as Christians need to hold a strong faith in Christ and never
deviating from that. Often times, I see Christians cowering to a secular
worldview; putting Christ on a back
burner and only using Him when the need arises. Values or the things we
hold weighty in our lives are important in the makeup of who we are. I believe
that I am who God says I am, and I can do all things through Christ who gives
me that strength to do so in glorifying Him in all things; that is the value of
life, worth dying for… at least mine.
I believe that many today in our up and coming society and generations
doesn’t hold history as important as the generations of the past. It seems that
today, history is more questioned and ignored than studied and believed.
History becomes interesting to us when most often than not, things happen in
our lives as we continuously develop, that causes us that want, to look back in
the past, or at our history. I believe that in our studies, the quote from Cicero,
"To be ignorant of what occurred before you were born is to remain always
a child. For what is the worth of human life, unless it is woven into the life
of our ancestors by the records of history;" (Clayton, 2001) fits well
into the modern contemporary culture we live in today.
I also believe that Shelley’s statement; “We are all
Greeks” meant that none of us has gone
through life without being touched in some way by the Ancient Greek culture.
Even our language and the meanings behind our words are much driven by the
Greek historical culture. Look at our western laws; look at the structure of
some of our federal buildings which even resemble Greek architecture. Western
philosophy is the most influential from Greek history. However, we as
individuals adapt to our own social settings and are influenced by our culture
in the ways we are raised; also known as our socioeconomic status. This makes
us unique in many ways, which is different from the Greek social influence,
which therefore makes that statement only partially true.
In the ancient Greek sense of the words
"idealistic" and "materialistic”, I would find myself more of an
idealist who focuses on the unseen, rational design behind the world; (Babcock,
2006) that, which is not seen, such as that in the spiritual realm; whereas a
materialist focuses on what is seen, visible; that which is the opposite of
having an idealistic view on life.
Reference
Babcock, M.A.
The Humanities: A Christian
Approach. Lynchburg, VA: HPS
Publishing, 2006.
Clayton, E. (2001). Cicero (106—43 BCE). Internet
encyclopedia of philosophy. Retrieved March 21, 2011, from
http://www.iep.utm.edu/cicero/
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