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Christianity was supposed to be about becoming like Jesus. | |
We went in the wrong direction. |
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Lewd Fellows of the Baser Sort
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| The title is a
description of people that were solicited to attack Jason in Acts 17.
One might today consider these as layabouts, football hooligans, or
those inclined to riot at any opportunity. One might ask how these sort
of people come to this state. Some suggest that this is how people who
are unintelligent or uneducated turn out. However, there is ample
evidence that it is not as simple as genetic luck or the result of
situational opportunities. Jude 1:10 But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves. Jude gives us a little more insight as he refers to those who make negative assertions without knowledge as similar to “beasts”. From this we can see a reflexive action to stimuli that seldom would include a considered or measured response. The bible calls this the “natural man” (1Cor 2:14). However, even the natural man can learn self-discipline. The “baser” sort seems to have little discipline and (like a beast) is drawn to what feels good and fight against what feels bad which is mostly reactive to those physical and emotional stimuli that he encounters. As a result, he is more vulnerable to those who would incite and manipulate him. The congregation of the baser sort is most often an urban phenomena. Rural life being both more arduous as well as less populated would be less able to support those under-employed. The term Bohemian originated in France in the 1800s as those urban artists, non-conformists, and idle people were seen to be like gypsies that were considered to have come from Bohemia. The term came to be applied to that segment of any urban population that would drink, fornicate, and complain as a subculture differentiated from those who worked and raised families. The rise in university attendance in the 1800s led to many university students to be exposed to and drawn to the Bohemian culture especially when after graduating, found no lucrative employment. In the US after WWII the “beat” generation continued the tradition of those who rejected the constraints of what was considered the “square” life. A decade later the Hippie phenomena simply exchanged alcohol for an entire palette full of drugs. What was exposed was the allure to abandon responsibility, convention, and discipline for a life of sensation. Today the attraction to pursue that which feels good even at the expense of consequence seems to be gaining a wider acceptance. This contributes at a societal level to greater crime, debt, and laws designed to appease the rabble. In the past some have managed to raise children who would even pursue virtue simply by the strength of will. Others raised children that at least had sufficient self-discipline to manage families that propagated their culture. Today more and more people live for indulgence and short sighted pleasures. It may be related to prosperity or technology, but it appears the number of “lewd fellows” seems to be increasing. Christians have the opportunity (even if poorly raised) to transcend the destructive consequences of a life lived for self. To take advantage of this opportunity, the Christian must first be aware that it exists. Secondly, he must seek truth, humility, wisdom, and knowledge. By setting a trajectory in life that seeks the selflessness of love and Christ-likeness as the highest priority, the Christian can explore a world incomprehensible to lewd fellows of a baser sort. |
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