"Welcome to the age of Fraternal Splendor for young men."
In reality, this is a brighter and nuanced way of saying,
"Welcome to the age of the degradation of manhood."
However, I distinguish the two because the former is less of a state of affairs, and more of a reaction to the latter. That is the essence and message of this entry.
Previous states of affairs in the social sphere of human life might have more appropriately been addressed through the defensive school of thought. I maintain that this is no longer sufficient; and we (being young men) should attach ourselves to the offensive school of thought.
Before we can understand why we should prefer the offensive school as opposed to the defensive one, we have to understand what exactly in the realm of manhood is under attack, or more accurately, where manhood has already been defeated.
The energy spent by the Enemy in modern times is on the maintenance of vice as opposed to the extensive propagation thereof, since this arena has already been won over by the Enemy at present. This is visible through the overtly secular agenda in current-era nations. For example, strange dichotomies are proposed such as: globalism vs. nationalism, capitalism vs. socialism, Republicans vs. Democrats (in the U.S). What seems to be an introduction of various morally questionable acts, i.e. the extent of the Pride movement, the transgender agenda, are not novel introductions at all. Rather, they are logical processions from the false values that were passively injected into Western society beforehand. Think of the boiling frog. Notice how remarkably easy it was for the Global Enemy to introduce these new ideologies to our nations, our states, our neighborhoods. The great Trojan Horse of our time is the false virtue of tolerance, which is the packaged and presentable compilation of various other false virtues, less nefarious than ones we see today, but more wicked than the good ones of our forefathers.
It is safe to say that these dichotomies are strange, for lack of a better term, because of the role they play as quasi-religious forms intended to usurp the traditional religious outlook of the population. It can be difficult for many young men to entertain a reality outside of these false dichotomies, because the World at large has comfortably rested its evil desires on the fabricated and controlled tensions that these categories create. The global Enemy remains relevant through these controlled tensions; and these controlled tensions are what maintain the Enemy's current victory over manhood. Healthy individuality, which ideally should move upward into healthy community, is threatened.
In particular, these quasi-religious forms are most dangerous to young men and older men alike, because these two demographics, from the perspective of history herself, are and have been the primary moral agents on the national and global scale. Hence why it is even more atrocious that healthy community proceeding from healthy individuality is threatened by these false dichotomies. The very fact that we are content with these dichotomies before approaching awareness of their falsehood is proof sufficient to say that manhood is defeated, and the Enemy is not on the offensive.
Where does the answer lie?
Naturally, the antidote to quasi-religious false dichotomies is found in "religion," which is a term that I prefer not to use in reference to the Catholic Faith, but is concise and nonetheless appropriate.
Of course, these false dichotomies are not false in that one of two, or both options, are not imminently important to the Nation and the World as a whole. However, the identity of a person is found in "one or the other," because the issue itself (for example, capitalism vs. socialism) is its own identity; this has proven to be a circular path of destruction. It might be correct to summarize the "identity" of the capitalism vs. socialism debate as, "Capitalism is the correct economic theory because socialism is the wrong one." What merit is found in this line of thought? Does it not stink of such a non-logic as presented in the above idea that these dichotomies are maintained for the sake of controlled conflict and tension?
Rather, the "capitalism vs. socialism" debate should surround itself, in the most deliberate way possible, with such a question as "How does this issue relate to the Revealed Truth?" I maintain, as can be expected, that the Revealed Truth is found in the Catholic Faith.
Now, with this antidote being suggested, one must ask "What does it cure?" While it does not cure one of two, or both facets of the aforementioned dichotomies, or ones of a similar nature, it does give us a meritorious perspective to actively form one or the other; and in so doing, it allow us to entertain that perhaps a third unforeseen option is preferred. Moreover, the antidote allows us to completely rework a potentially rigid and indoctrinated form of thinking, instilled in our minds since birth, that does not allow us to think beyond what is presented. Yet, if what is presented at birth is the result of our antidote, then of course there is no issue, but I digress.
The Religious Antidote should help young men to reclaim individuality. Not individuality that is a backdoor to a false sense of liberty, such as one that implicitly promotes vice and irresponsibility, but individuality that forms the Self so as to complete the Whole, i.e. the Community, from which values proceed and are acted upon.
Taking the Antidote is not a defensive act, nor is it a passive one. It is surely an offensive act. If they Enemy is on the defensive, already having conquered much of our lives, and we find ourselves on the defensive likewise, there will be a terrible and costly stalemate that ceases the advance of the Kingdom of God; this is completely unacceptable and contrary to the message of the Gospel, which implores evangelization without ceasing. Let the Lord's Prayer come to mind: "...Thy Kingdom come..."
Young men, enroll in the offensive school. Let your minds contemplate the simple yet complex truths of the Antidote. Regain your status as a Godly moral agent in this depraved world and, in so doing, take countless other souls with you on the journey.
"If the world hate you, know ye, that it hath hated me before you." John 15:8 (DRB)
Comments