- Feb 5, 2002
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With the breakdown of Christendom and the loss of any sort of Christian identity, we are experiencing a period of cultural homogeneity determined by the reigning power.
If you sailed down the Rhine not more than two hundred years ago, in what would soon become Germany, you would pass through regions with a variety of dialects, dress, food, and cultural norms. Every region brewed its own kind of beer, sang its own kind of music, and wore its own style of trachten (traditional dress). This multiplicity was made possible by a shared Catholic, and later merely Christian, identity which allowed each region to fully embrace its particular identity without compromising their unity as the Body of Christ.
This is in stark distinction with our modern day, where it has become near impossible to distinguish between even an American and a Russian based purely off of lifestyle. Where once there was a variety between the food, dress, and lifestyle of different cultures, now it’s blue jeans and McDonald’s everywhere you go. It might be trendy to overemphasize the “Murican” tendencies of Americans or the “traditional” tendencies of the Slavic regions, but, in reality, they both watch the same Hollywood garbage in their free time. Rarely are “Shenandoah” or “The Song of the Volga Boatmen” sung; all that can be heard are the popular sounds of Taylor Swift.
There is no real discernible difference between peoples and groups, but at the same time it seems as though everyone is LARPing the character that they wish to be associated with: Conservatives all sound the same, Liberals all look the same, Americans are loud and obnoxious, the French are rioting again, Russians are international bullies, etc. It’s like we all went to a list of stereotypes and tried to fit into one of the many premade roles that would allow us to conform to some identity group, as we sit alone in our rooms staring at bright blue screens. We have no identity except the ones premade for us. As the world falls apart, we play dress up.
Continued below.
If you sailed down the Rhine not more than two hundred years ago, in what would soon become Germany, you would pass through regions with a variety of dialects, dress, food, and cultural norms. Every region brewed its own kind of beer, sang its own kind of music, and wore its own style of trachten (traditional dress). This multiplicity was made possible by a shared Catholic, and later merely Christian, identity which allowed each region to fully embrace its particular identity without compromising their unity as the Body of Christ.
This is in stark distinction with our modern day, where it has become near impossible to distinguish between even an American and a Russian based purely off of lifestyle. Where once there was a variety between the food, dress, and lifestyle of different cultures, now it’s blue jeans and McDonald’s everywhere you go. It might be trendy to overemphasize the “Murican” tendencies of Americans or the “traditional” tendencies of the Slavic regions, but, in reality, they both watch the same Hollywood garbage in their free time. Rarely are “Shenandoah” or “The Song of the Volga Boatmen” sung; all that can be heard are the popular sounds of Taylor Swift.
There is no real discernible difference between peoples and groups, but at the same time it seems as though everyone is LARPing the character that they wish to be associated with: Conservatives all sound the same, Liberals all look the same, Americans are loud and obnoxious, the French are rioting again, Russians are international bullies, etc. It’s like we all went to a list of stereotypes and tried to fit into one of the many premade roles that would allow us to conform to some identity group, as we sit alone in our rooms staring at bright blue screens. We have no identity except the ones premade for us. As the world falls apart, we play dress up.
Continued below.
Restoring a Diverse Catholic Unity
With the breakdown of Christendom and the loss of any sort of Christian identity, we are experiencing a period of cultural homogeneity determined by the reigning power.
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