Suicide Rise Among White Middle Age Males

Depressing stuff! I agree with a lot of what he says - the boomer generation does seem to be blamed for all of society's woes, both historical and contemporary.

I think the Occidental world in general is in decline. Globalisation has meant that most manufacturing jobs have been outsourced, whilst the internet is killing the retail sector. I also agree that youth culture is vapid and degenerate, too.

However people have the ability to turn off their televisions and phones and pick up a book. They can find a local church which will nourish their spirit. Whilst degeneracy increasingly pervades through popular culture, people have agency and are free to turn away from this rubbish.

A Gerbil said:

Depressing stuff! I agree with a lot of what he says - the boomer generation does seem to be blamed for all of society's woes, both historical and contemporary.

I think the Occidental world in general is in decline. Globalisation has meant that most manufacturing jobs have been outsourced, whilst the internet is killing the retail sector. I also agree that youth culture is vapid and degenerate, too.

However people have the ability to turn off their televisions and phones and pick up a book. They can find a local church which will nourish their spirit. Whilst degeneracy increasingly pervades through popular culture, people have agency and are free to turn away from this rubbish.

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Much of what has declined was not real Christianity in the first place. It was "Christianism". I was compelled to attend an Anglican church for about three long years, from the age of 10 to 13. I only knew Anglican and Catholic. When I got saved, I knew that I was supposed to go to church, so I went to an Anglican church (a rather large cathedral). I walked in, took one look and went out again. I found a Baptist church just down the road and started going there. People are looking for much more than mere religion can offer. They need life, reality, truth and hope. I found none of these in the Anglican church I went to. I now know that not all Anglicans are the same, and I visit the local Anglican church occasionally. They do Christmas really well. They too struggle to retain the membership.

Aussie Pete said:

Much of what has declined was not real Christianity in the first place. It was "Christianism". I was compelled to attend an Anglican church for about three long years, from the age of 10 to 13. I only knew Anglican and Catholic. When I got saved, I knew that I was supposed to go to church, so I went to an Anglican church (a rather large cathedral). I walked in, took one look and went out again. I found a Baptist church just down the road and started going there. People are looking for much more than mere religion can offer. They need life, reality, truth and hope. I found none of these in the Anglican church I went to. I now know that not all Anglicans are the same, and I visit the local Anglican church occasionally. They do Christmas really well. They too struggle to retain the membership.

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So what was it about the cursory glance inside the Anglican church that deterred you?

Life, reality, truth and hope? I agree attending church is not a panacea, and it doesn't cater for one's material needs - food, shelter, etc - but I am not sure what you mean. I think Christianity offers truth and hope.

Beloved2018 said:

The problem is, as society crumbles, there is no infrastructure to nurture and sustain individuals. Even local churches are being inundated with secularism. They are not bastions, much less the reformers and makers of society as they once were.

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Yes, people are being isolated. In what way is church being 'inundated with secularism'? I agree that some are capitulating to political pressures - that's been the case for many years and there are lots of examples - female clergy, etc.

It's sad. A lot of these cases are people who, by all rights, should be getting married, raising families and advancing in their careers.

Except, the economy has been tanked for most of their lives and a lot of job opportunities that they should've had access to have practically gone extinct.

But hey, the jobs they would've had got exported overseas so that the rest of the country could get more cheap plastic junk that they don't need so yay capitalism!

A Gerbil said:

So what was it about the cursory glance inside the Anglican church that deterred you?

Life, reality, truth and hope? I agree attending church is not a panacea, and it doesn't cater for one's material needs - food, shelter, etc - but I am not sure what you mean. I think Christianity offers truth and hope.



Yes, people are being isolated. In what way is church being 'inundated with secularism'? I agree that some are capitulating to political pressures - that's been the case for many years and there are lots of examples - female clergy, etc.

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The cursory glance was the choir, organ, pews, vicar in full regalia - it would be difficult for you to understand how much I despised it all. In my experience, there was no life, truth or hope. There was boredom, repetition, ceremony, religion and that was it. I never once heard the gospel. Real Christianity indeed offers truth and hope. And most of all, Life. I was searching for Life (not that I knew it) but I found it in a tiny workshop on a warship at sea. I don't know the exact day as we lived by ship's routine, not the calendar. I remember it like it was yesterday.

thecolorsblend said:

It's sad. A lot of these cases are people who, by all rights, should be getting married, raising families and advancing in their careers.

Except, the economy has been tanked for most of their lives and a lot of job opportunities that they should've had access to have practically gone extinct.

But hey, the jobs they would've had got exported overseas so that the rest of the country could get more cheap plastic junk that they don't need so yay capitalism!

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The insanity of capitalism is that it needs the workers they hate to spend money to buy what they are offering. In Australia, people are spending very little. How unsurprising. Retailers are going to the wall. People are not buying new cars. The wheels of commerce are grinding to a halt. I've no doubt that the supermarket checkout chick (now replaced by a machine) could have told the board of directors exactly what would happen. And these directors pay themselves obscene amounts of money. It will all fall apart one day.

People need jobs. The economy of the world is changing. I hate to put it this way, but the world is headed for the one world government that will control everything including how we live and how we die.People are forgetting how to chop wood and haul water. I came of age in the 1960's. By today's standards,we (my family) were very poor.Wash day was an all day event. We washed our clothes in three tin wash tubs. We boiled the white clothes in an iron wash pot with lye soap and bleach, heated by a fire built around the pot. We hung the clothes on bushes and wire clothes lines. This is just one example of the changes that have taken place over the last 60 years.The thing is, people did what they had to do to survive. Today, it is nearly impossible to find a #3 tin tub or an iron wash pot. You would probably have to fight all kinds of no burning ordinances if you wanted to build a fire around your iron wash pot if you found one. But people thrived under those conditions. I would not like to go back to that by no means . I love my automatic washer and dryer. LOL! I just wanted to show how things have changed over just 60+ years. If you look at the jobs that have disappeared just from the description of my wash day. There were tin workers who made the tubs, iron workers who made the pots, wood haulers for the wood, saw mill workers that cut the wood.etc. etc. How many of you pump your own gas for your car? When I was growing up, that was a job for the gas station attendant. They pumped your gas,cleaned your windshield, and checked the air in your tires. They did not make much money, but it was a job. I could go on and on about how jobs are disappearing. That is the cause of so much despair imho.

A Gerbil said:

I also agree that youth culture is vapid and degenerate, too.

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Every generation says this - the myth that things were better when we were young.

Beloved2018 said:

Capitalism did not kill these men. These men are dying because their Society is dying. Their Society is dying because the Church in the West is vanishing.

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So what are you going to do about it?

Beloved2018 said:

As I've said before, this is an issue that has arisen because the Church has almost disappeared. Despite some trying to turn this into some else. It's an issue that can only be fixed when the Church is the mover and shaker of men and Society once more.

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Yes, that's why I'm asking about what you are going to do about "the Church almost disappearing".

Beloved2018 said:

Yes. But, when it gets to the point that we can start charting these things on a graph lol.

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I see no evidence that things are getting worse. Do you have any?

Beloved2018 said:

Their Society is dying because the Church in the West is vanishing.

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I would like to believe this, but I see evidence.