THE CULT OF SELFISM AND THE POST-MODERN WORLD-Part 2

This is a continuation of a 6 part series from an essay which I entered into an essay contest. Over the next several days we are going to be looking at the cult of selfism and postmodernism from a historical, philosophical, sociological, and theological angle. I promise not to get to deep into the subject but get ready to start looking at our culture from a totally different viewpoint. Today I wish to look at the historical aspect of how postmoderism and the cult of selfism took over our culture.

Where Did This Begin?
(History)

There are a number of places we can start with to find out where this cult originated. In the third chapter of Genesis it talks about the fall of humankind into sin and what it would do. While this cult has belonged to humankind since the beginning of time, recently it has come to the place of preeminence not just in the American society but worldwide. Maybe it’s the fault of the internet, rock & roll or country music. It could also the fault of television and movie entertainment. Blame the retailers and their lust for money and greed or the lack of parental involvement or even the educational system. While these may have played some role the reality is that it belongs with a general flaw and belief systems which were originally spawned by the generation of the Second World War, the Great Generation. This generation began to pick up on eastern mystical religion after the war because of the disillusionment with the status quo of life. They had experienced two traumatizing worldwide events, the Great Depression and World War II. Couple that with the existential movement which began only a generation before and there is a boiler waiting to explode.
Out of that generation starting in 1941 until 1964 or 1968 (depends on who you read regarding sociology) came the “Baby Boom” generation. This generation is composed of over 80 million people. It quickly became the most consumer based group in the world in history. It was also viewed as a generation which could and would spread the American dream to the world. A problem with this was found in a little Southeast Asia country called Vietnam. When this generation recognized the size and force they could exhibit they chose to protest against the war and began to question established authority. This generation bought into the eastern mystical cults for more than the “Great Generation” and mixed it with the “if it feels good” philosophy which would dominate their generation. This is the generation which starts to allow the glue to come apart in the fabric of society. By doing this a fire was being built which would have an impact like none other.
From the “Baby Boomer” generation came the “Baby Buster” or “X-Generation” born mainly from 1964 or 1968 and ending around 1982 or 1988. This generation was at one time regarded as a quiet generation but came into it’s own during the technology revolution of the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s and began to exert its muscle squeezing out the “Baby Boomers” based on sheer knowledge. That in culmination with the “Y-Generation” and the “Millennial Generation” began to make strides toward domination in business, ethics, law and entertainment which the “Baby Boom” generation had not imagined. These are the generations where violence and amoral beliefs begin to unfold. It has now gone from a “feel good, me generation” to an “it’s only about me” generation. Therefore if a person does not like it, they may choose to kill in order to end the turmoil. The cult of Selfism which began with the “Great Generation” is now reaping what was sown.

Next time we will be looking at the philosophical side of this phenomenon.

God Bless,

Steven