Who would have thought at the end of the Age of Technology we'd be looking fondly at the pre- Industrial Revolution Age. I'm wondering if we still have the strength of character, as was exhibited by our forefathers in building this great country, to give up a life of convenience and comfort for hard work and discipline? It will take this kind of commitment to survive. What do you think? Can we do it or have we become too soft? I'm betting we can, with God'd help. Without Him we don't have a chance. I believe that's how we got into this mess in the first place- man thought he could do it alone. Mary

-- Mary (sweep@gateway.net), January 29, 1999

Answers

I personally am not looking fondly at the pre-industrial revolution. I am, however, mentally prepared to live a life in the dirt, if need be. I'm soft now, but I can be very hard. I can live without any of the "comforts" of home. Done it before, I'll do it again.

On the other hand, there may be millions of others who, in a worst case scenario, cannot overcome their addiction to convenience. Sorry to say, they may not get through the tough times. Many may just lay down and ...well ...fade away. But, viewing the lessons of history, it becomes clear that people will perservere. Just possibly fewer.

I'm also planning on getting through whatever comes without god's help. I don't believe in that particular set of mental constructs and I never have. I've done pretty well so far, in this sweet short life. Actually, I consider myself one of the luckiest homo sapiens that's ever walked upright on this little blue marble.

And don't forget the of the world. The majority of human societies have mental constructs other than the Judeo-Christian one. Hindus have their own set of mental constructs, as do Confucianists, for example. They've been around a lot longer than the Christian construct, and I would tend to think that they "have a chance."

-- pshannon (pshannon@inch.com), January 29, 1999.

I was in a restaurant the other day, looking at a group photo of some Northwest timber workers and fishermen from around the turn of the century. They were hard men - you can see it in their eyes. It's not a question of discipline; it's a question of survival. A big dose of God on Sunday may help salve your wounds in that situation, but for inspiration, having no social saftey net was probably all the inspiration they needed to work like demons and put up with the worst kind of abuse and exploitation.

And I don't think Y2k is the result of Satanic hubris. More like idolatry of the bottom line, and maybe the sin of sloth (being asleep at the goddam switch), if you want to approach it in religious terms.

E.

-- E. Coli (nunayo@beeswax.com), January 29, 1999.

Mary,

The great example is our Lord

Of overcoming power;

The strength that brought Him from the grave

Gives us hope in life's dark hour. --JDB

-- birdy (littlebirdy@gateway.net), January 29, 1999.