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Re: Dark Age Ahead (new book by Jane Jacobs)

Oct 23, 2004 10:11 AM
by netemara888


--- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, "kpauljohnson" 
<kpauljohnson@y...> wrote:
> 
> Hey,
> 
> People obsess over the oddest things, while blithely ignoring real 
> dangers. This new book addresses something I find hard not to 
obsess 
> about-- the possibility that we face the coming of a new Dark Age 
> for Western civilization and humanity as a whole. As recently as 
the 
> mid-90s, progress seemed to be an unquestionable reality; now 
> pessimistic notions like the Kali Yuga seem all too plausible. 
Less 
> than two weeks away is an event that will have a huge impact on 
the 
> direction of the planet for decades to come. Here is no place to 
> argue about that, but I will share some of Jacobs's ideas, which 
> apply to the decline of the Theosophical movement as well as to 
the 
> possible decline of the USA and Western civilization:
> 
> Cultural xenophobia is a frequent sequel to a society's decline 
from 
> cultural vigor. Someone has aptly called self-imposed isolation a 
> fortress mentality. Armstrong describes it as a shift from faith 
in 
> logos, reason, with its future-oriented spirit, "always... seeking 
to 
> know more and to extend...areas of competence and control of the 
> environment," to mythos, meaning conservatism that looks backward 
to 
> fundamentalist beliefs for guidance and a worldview."(p. 17)
> 
> Jacobs, author of the acclaimed The Death and Life of Great 
American 
> Cities, evaluates serious signs of decay in five pillars of our 
> society: community and family, higher education, science and 
> technology, governmental representation, and self-regulation of 
the 
> learned professions.
> 
> I find it astonishing that anyone could be obsessed with how a ten 
> year old book he had never read was guilty of spiritual lese-
majeste 
> for asking the questions it did, for which the author was 
deserving 
> of eternal damnation, doled out in regular doses of abuse. But 
that 
> is far less astonishing than the fact that someone could be 
obsessed 
> with how thoroughly an author replied in 1997 to criticisms made 
in 
> 1996 of books published in 1994 and 1995, criticisms reposted here 
> frequently throughout 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, and now 
> 2004. The fate of humanity hangs in the balance, and you're 
worrying 
> about bosh and piffle like this? 
> 
> Seeing those obsessions expressed in bullying and cyberstalking 
ways 
> on a regular basis here is reason enough to vacate theos-talk for 
> good. But the majority of active posters seem uninterested in the 
> obsessions of the resident fanatics, and are enjoyable and 
> interesting people to discuss spiritual matters with.
> 
> So my policy henceforth will be to post only about new nonfiction 
> books-- which I have privileged access to thanks to my job-- that 
> have theosophical or Theosophical implications. Those who obsess 
> over ten year old books or hundred and ten year old books will 
keep 
> reposting the same stale material, and those who don't like fresh 
air 
> will welcome it. But from time to time I will open a window and 
let 
> some fresh air in, in the form of information about new books that 
> may be of interest to theos-talkers.
> 
> So, could a Dark Age be ahead, as Jacobs argues?
> 
> Paul

I'm with you on this Paul. There is another "acclaimed" new book by 
another Jewish author the end of faith is title and once again the 
same type of thing is bandied about. Do Jews want to see the end of 
Western Civilization is that what they want? Maybe it is real, maybe 
not but why beat the bushes about somthing they know nothing about, 
IMO? They never accepted JC as messiah and before He retuns they 
believe the world will end. Well, sounds familiar does it not? Why? 
because that is also what the OT and NT also state. So what the hell 
is new? I prefer listening to Bible prophecy rather than books that 
make money off the Bible without giving it due credit.

There is a new ad some french Jewish students want to run in french 
newspapers and over a photo of JC they write "Sale Juif" and over a 
photo of Mary they write "Sale Juive" to incite people to think 
about anti-semitism, the subtitle is something like isn't it 
everybody's business? C'est le comble!

Netemara






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