[bluecross]

Stand your ground and don't give in to modernism.

Yes, but I bet your children will still have ticked one of the gender boxes.

There are always difficult choices in life to make. The hardest, of course, being shall I sin or not sin. Shall I tick the box or refuse to tick any box because the choices smell of modernism.

Jesus gave the smart answer when he said give what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.

[bluecross]

The box-ticking trend intrigues me. When I am in hospital I am asked to tick boxes about my nationality and my religion –– even family details and background. Then there is the food menu. Tick various boxes 24 hours ahead of what you want to eat in hospital.

We tick boxes indirectly when we visit web sites and allow cookies. I guess it’s all about collecting and processing data these days, for whatever reason.

Then there is the other trend, maybe a sub-category of modernism. I call it labelism. Everyone has to be categorised, or feels a need of identification. And because we stick a label on ourselves or let others do so, then we are expected to conform to what’s written on the label. And if the label doesn’t come up to our expectation then in walks blameism. Who can we blame for our disappointment when life doesn’t meet our expectations or live up to the label we have pinned on someone or they on themselves.

Ever noticed how so many people identify themselves with astrology signs? I’m Scorpio, or Cancer or Aires. And religions: I’m Catholic, I’m Anglo-Catholic, I’m Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, and so on.

The need for identity is wired into us. Probably started when God brought all the wild beasts and the birds to Adam and asked him to name them. And who was it who named his mate, Woman?

Jesus also gave new names to some of his disciples. But he never called anyone Modernism, or Catholicism. (I must admit that there are some really strange names given to kids these days). Maybe that’s modernism.

When I was a kid I was so embarrassed by one of my Christian names I never told anyone what it was. Now I’m no longer living in the modern world it doesn’t bother me anymore. In, fact I’m rather proud of it.

I can’t say I’m a fan of modern art, or what is supposed to be modern art. But art is a creative process and God has blessed us to share in his creation. It is said he paints a new picture in the sky at all times of the day. How creative and modern is that. It’s timeless!

He does the same with each of us. We are works in progress, never the finished article. Maybe that’s why I don’t like labels. As far as God is concerned, there is always more to come. The big reveal doesn’t happen in this life. But one day we will hopefully share in being fully human and fully divine.

Now those are labels I do like! :

[maryannlucy]

checking the boxes happens in the will. Should I defend my faith or should I let the moment go without saying anything? That happened last Saturday when Jehovah's Witnesses came to the door, I avoided them. Why? I didn't want to deal with them. Another excuse... if I speak up for the faith, I might look stupid. My kids have to explain all of the time to peers why they aren't allowed to smoke pot, cut class, miss Church etc... Should I be quiet so I don't hurt anyone's feelings? It is a tough balancing act that goes on all of the time.

[Angelica]

RE:Liberation theology. What I meant is the veil of communistic type thought which has colored many of the South American priests. Here's a good definition taken from the internet:A movement in Christian theology, developed mainly by Latin American Roman Catholics, that emphasizes liberation from social, political, and economic oppression as an anticipation of ultimate salvation. Here is a good definition of modernism also taken from the internet:A movement toward modifying traditional beliefs in accordance with modern ideas, especially in the Roman Catholic Church in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
I think these definitions explain it well.