Lately, it seems as though every cruel abomination and perversion is
being shamelessly promoted and excused by tacking on the words “culture”
and “tradition.” Why is so much effort expended to perpetuate ways of
life that should go the way of cannibalism and slavery?
Somehow, I expected better from Public TV, since they do offer some
worthwhile, enjoyable programs.
But an example of a disgustingly poor choice is a recent lengthy
segment on “The Newshour with Jim Lehrer” that was laden with nostalgia
and sentimentality in praise of the “culture” and “tradition” (those
words again!) of the “cowboy,” an inherently inhumane way of life.
People in these occupations should be encouraged to move on to better
things. Just because our parents or grandparents made a living in
certain inherently cruel occupations doesn’t mean that we should
perpetuate and glorify those lifestyles. As I’ve mentioned before in
another Blog, although we must love and respect our parents, we must
also face the truth and correct the mistakes of the past.
One of the older cowboys in this presentation said that he finds it
difficult to talk about love and that poetry helps him to express it.
Hopefully, he and others like him will begin to extend true love and
unselfish care to include the Creator’s sentient creatures to whom He
has also given the right to lives of their own.
This program was shown during the Public TV fund drive, and since we
have been members for many years, I was ready to make an additional
donation. Well, this segment in praise of just another lifestyle based
on the exploitation of God’s innocent creatures stopped me in my tracks.
Proverbs 26:11 and 2 Peter 2:22 admonish us not to return to our
vomit or continue to wallow in the mire. And in John 14:12, Jesus
Himself tells us that we are to do “greater works”:
12 "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works
that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do;
because I go to the Father.
New American Standard Bible
So, it’s plain to see that we should be moving on to “greater works”
and adopting traditions more in keeping with the standards expressed by
the Savior: more ethical, kinder, gentler pursuits than those of our
forefathers. Positive change is what true Christianity is all about.
Think about it.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
For more on “culture” and “tradition” see:
http://www.all-creatures.org/heart/blog-20060208.html
For facts about the “herding culture” see:
http://all-creatures.org/anex/cattle.html
and
http://www.all-creatures.org/heart/blog-20060217.html
and
http://www.all-creatures.org/heart/blog-20060302.html
