What is the big issue these days? Apathy? People just don’t care?
Why don’t people care? How many of us care enough to love our neighbor as we love ourselves? Almost none?
Most people, I think, share my concern about apathy. Yet what do we do about it? Do we love our neighbor? No. Do we become less apathetic? No. We just talk the talk. Few of us walk the walk. We tell others how much we care, but we don’t.
Think me wrong? Then consider the nature of the news media. Is the news informative or just entertaining and constantly focused on some thing that actually doesn’t much matter. Then why do people watch the news? Is it because knowing about what is on the news provides plenty of fodder for virtue signalling? Showing how much we care?
So what should do? Well, I think insanitybytes22’s post provides a great suggestion. I would just add this, and it is much more difficult. Instead of just caring, we each need to love our neighbor. What does that mean? Can you imagine anyone describing you this way?
Philippians 2:19-24 New King James Version (NKJV)
Timothy Commended19 But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, that I also may be encouraged when I know your [a]state. 20 For I have no one like-minded, who will sincerely care for your state. 21 For all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus. 22 But you know his proven character, that as a son with his father he served with me in the gospel. 23 Therefore I hope to send him at once, as soon as I see how it goes with me. 24 But I trust in the Lord that I myself shall also come shortly. (=> https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Philippians+2%3A19-24&version=NKJV)
I am no Timothy. I can only say I wish to be, but that’s a start. What about you?
We are really living in a culture of pure emotional appeals and constant virtue signaling. I care so, so much and you don’t care. We could be talking about chicken nuggets, or immigration……or the song Reckless Love.
Yes, I actually got booted out and blocked from a conversation about the song “Reckless Love,” because obviously I don’t care, which makes me a Very Bad, Horrible, No Good Person. I’ve been unfriended because I like the song and…..I don’t care. What can I say, heretics-R-us, once again.
We are so heavily afflicted with the plague of the emotional appeal, the argument totally devoid of policy, substance, or logic. We tend to approach every discussion assuming, “I care and you don’t,” and that is the entire bulk of our debates. You should be ashamed of yourself for your lack of compassion and un-caring. Agree with me or you don’t care. But you…
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Tom, Insanitybytes22
I am not certain it is because people do not care, that they become apathetic. I see a lot of people every Sunday contribute to Church collections, etc. which is an indication, in my opinion, that they do care.
Is the reason in the USA that a person becomes apathetic is because perhaps no one listens to them, so they give up feeling they are wasting their time.. Or because, the immigration problem plaguing the USA for 35 years, no one they appeal to does anything, so they become in time apathetic.
One of the best statements I heard about people who want to write a novel is for them to ask themselves, who cares what you are writing about, and there is nothing new in every story. A stranger hero or villain comes to town, has a confrontation, a hero falls in love, then either solves the problem or gets killed to end with a happy or sad ending.
Politics is today’s story. Trump is the stranger in town, is having a hell of a lot of confrontations with people who for some reason, hate him, love him, or have become apathetic and just don’t care unless he does something to take away something they value.
What do they value most is the key to making people care again?
Religion teaches values, but you have to become a believer to value religion.
Politics teaches nothing about values, it sole purpose is to solve issues in accordance to voter values.
For example, 35 years of talking about immigration results in no one caring anymore about the emotional issues, which leads to apathy about immigrants and politicians.
My point is politicians know that if they never do anything, in time people will forget, or give up and become apathetic. Notice how the Democrats are all so emotional about the plight of immigrant children being separated from their parents.
Ever go to a school board meeting and listen to everyone while the school board listens to emotional appeals, to appease the people, even though they have decided already what they are going to do in advance. In other words, they let the people feel someone is listening just to appease them, to make them feel better to know they spoke up at least and voice their opinion.
What is their long-term solution for the politicians to solve the problem, I keep asking them how to solve the 35-year-old problem?
Like you said, talk, talk, talk, never any action to solve the problem., after a while can you really wonder why people become apathetic especially after 35 years?
Will there ever be a happy or sad ending to this story in the USA about illegal immigration or will Trump get killed in the next election? The question is the Factor X in this story, which makes me wonder how wise or foolish will be the outcome of the next election.
What value will the politicians offer to voters is going to be the key issue in the next election?
The happy or sad ending, or will there be another sequel to the nothing new story on this issue for another 35 years?
Regards and good will blogging.
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@scatterwisdom
One reason I think we become apathetic is that we get these grandiose notions. We don’t solve all the world’s problems. We can’t. We just help each other get by each day. God is sovereign, not us.
We can make our immigration system work better. We cannot fix it for all time. You have read Ecclesiastes. You know that. As that book says:
If we love our neighbor, and If we trust God, apathy is not a problem. For then we see this is just our time to care about each other, to glorify our Maker, and to enjoy each others company.
When we are trying to fix our political system, what is the most effective thing we can do? I think there are two related activities.
1. We have to educate ourselves and encourage others to educate themselves about how our government is supposed to work.
2. We have to work for the election of the best candidates. If they don’t want to do the right thing, it is difficult to persuade incumbents to do the right thing. It is easier to replace them.
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King Solomon seems to have figured out in Ecclesiastes how the combination of wisdom and love factors into life in relation to God, country, and ourselves.
Sure wish more people would spend some time to do the same “figuring out” instead of keep on repeating the same old follies in life.
Oh well.
Regards and good will blogging..
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It is our time to live, learn, and love. As God wills, others must have their own time.
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