I ran across this article a few months back.
You should definitely read it.
But you probably won’t so I’ll summarize.
It’s about how we think we’re the greatest people who have ever lived.
We’re better than our ancestors who were all, let’s face it, nitwits.
C.S. Lewis called it ‘Chronological Snobbery’ and described it as:
“the uncritical assumption that whatever has gone out of date is on that account discredited. You must find out why it went out of date. Was it ever refuted (and if so by whom, where, and how conclusively) or did it merely die away as fashions do? If the latter, this tells us nothing about its truth or falsehood. From seeing this, one passes to the realization that our own age is also ‘a period,’ and certainly has, like all periods, its own characteristic illusions. They are likeliest to lurk in those widespread assumptions which are so ingrained in the age that no one dares to attack or feels it necessary to defend them”
Thus chronological snobbery is the identification, or confusion, of “change” with “progress.”
This snobbery believes everything “old” is also “invalid”.
The arrogance of progressivism is that we are “better” than previous generations…
…while offering no objective standard for “best”.
We laugh at the idea of ‘going back to the 1950’s’.
Because those people in the 50’s were such rubes!
Such loutish buffoons!
The only thing they did right was give birth to us.
Progressivism assumes that the best ideas are the latest ideas.
It can make you feel smug and enlightened.
Just don’t think about your progressive great-great-grandchildren…
…laughing at the idea of ‘going back to 2017’.
18 Responses
John,
I see us as pipsqueaks in comparison to people of old, whether it be in theology, or just daily life.
If the power ever went out for good, most of us are nearly helpless to get on with life. I can’t build a house, farm crops, or raise livestock. I do my hunting in the meat aisle of Safeway.
Modern folks love to mock the “backwards” Amish. But those folks would just shrug if the Great EMP took out the power grid. They could very well end up as the world rulers of the Apocalypse.
And how many churches would have to cancel services if there was just a temporary blackout? Without PowerPoints, a sound system, plugged-in instruments, and a light show, how could modern Christian man expect to meet the needs of the congregation?
Give me that old time religion. It’s good enough for me.
Dave
So true Dave – we’ve “evolved” into being helpless.
The “Greatest Generation” (as just one example) most assuredly would laugh at us all.
~CQW
I developed a mathematical equation that expressed God.
The equation is the union of philosophy, calculus and biology.
I gave a presentation of the “God Equation” in a stellar astronomy class.
My presentation nearly caused a riot.
The snow flake millennials were particularly upset.
Their education had not developed their capacity to think or even muster some sort of argument.
All they could do was get mad and demand a change of subject.
And I absurdly exclaimed:
“When I was your age college was all about exploring different ideas and debating them with each other!”
In their eyes I truly was an out of fashion old putz.
Is your equation available online somewhere?
John,
The God Equation
lim┬(x=∞)〖x=God〗
Where x equals order.
The Jesus Equation
lim┬(x→∞)〖x =Man〗
Where x equals order
I hope Matt will help me with this…
Let me try that again.
John,
Let me just translate the math to English since our WordPress text environment doesn’t format calculus equations:
The God Equation
The limit when x equals infinity is God, where x is defined as order.
The Jesus Equation
The limit as x approaches infinity is Man, where x is defined as order.
Mathematically speaking, x never equals the “a”, it only approaches. But I think I get your concept.
JB –
I think Barry, Robin, and Maurice summed it up best in 1979 or so …
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nREV8bQJ1MA
~CQW
I totally agree with this. ( and it’s a great article )
A saying of my spouse that I always like to use is: how is it that those considered fools in ancient times, are today’s scholars/’wise men’.
I feel as though I would have fit in much better in the 50’s than I do nowadays. Haha 🙂 but alas.
My dad says that people are of the past are the only people that’s it’s politically correct to be prejudiced against. I think he was basing it off of Clive Staples as well.
correction “only evolution taking place is de-evolution”… see what i mean
There is a difference between ‘change’ and ‘progress’. We get confused by technology too. More gadgets do not make us intellectually superior.
agreed, auto correct may actually give the appearance of intelligence but i believe that it is making me dumber
very true. i catch myself falling into the snobbery trap sometimes (full disclosure). as i examine things though it sometimes appears the only evolution taking play is de-evolution
🙂