414 Opposite Thinking

 . . . Which brings us, Gentle Reader, to a companion, though opposite illustration—Sweden.

In 2000, an article in the Los Angeles Times titled Sweden Ends Designation of Lutheranism as Official Religion, January 1, 2000, Staff Writer Carol J. Williams wrote: “State will no longer appoint bishops. Critics had said the special relationship was giving a sense of exclusion to the growing number of Catholics, Orthodox Christians and Muslims.”

http://articles.latimes.com/2000/jan/01/local/me-49706

If I understand this article correctly, the nation, Sweden, formerly a nation known for staunch Lutheranism (Christian) as its official religion, is now moving away from its 500-year Protestant Christian allegiance toward a new social order, presumably in order to accommodate diversity and appease minorities. As I see it, it is no stretch to propose that breaking from a 500-year identity to explore a new approach to religious identity would have to, as all change does, stir at least a certain amount of social disarray—call it an identity crisis, if you will.

In 2012, that movement away from Sweden’s previous joint church and state approach to politics and religion led to another surprising move. In addition to Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant Christians, Sweden now included a non-Christian social order as a religion and made that “religion” an official religion in the state. That social order or “religion” is called Kopimism, or file sharing of information (members consider information “holy”, to the sure consternation of copywrite holders, if none other). It is led by a political evangelist. Am I wrong, or is this not the state once again supporting a religious-political agenda by sanctioning the rejoining of church and state under the umbrella of approved Kopimism? I am sitting here scratching my head, trying to make all this make sense.

http://falkvinge.net/2012/01/04/missionary-church-of-kopimism-approved-as-official-religion/

Well, one thing for certain, I don’t know about you, but contemplating this development leaves me speechless.

Recently, I also read this news in USA Today, Friday, May 24, 2013, News, p.10A: “Normally tranquil Sweden on edge as unrest brews. Hundreds of rioters take to the streets in immigrant suburbs. . . Swedes have been increasingly worried over immigrants failing to integrate and the cost to the state in benefits.”

Hmmmm, doesn’t seem everyone has been appeased by the meant-to-be-mollifying actions of the Swedish State.

To be continued . . .

413 Social Order

Perhaps an example of the rewards inherent in good social order can clarify somewhat the evil potential of social disarray. The one that follows has done so for me.

Gentle Reader, perhaps you know Mrs. Bale from our great favorite, the PBS series “As Time Goes By.” She exclaims at one point, “I am not a spent force!” And she is quite right. She is not. Though aging, her manners are firmly in place, she aspires to always be a lady of great discipline, maintaining absolute standards in personal conduct, and exhibits a great dedication to service. Oh, she has in herself, and endures good humoredly in others, many eccentricities in manners; but she also illustrates steadfast commitment to good Christian conduct and a singular lack of patience for social disarray. Of course, Mrs. Bale is a Brit and the show is a Britcom. 

In reality, too, the British typically embody a passion for gracious social order and genteel manners. In fact, I would say they exhibit a dedication to social order as firm as a layer of concrete under smoothly rolling car tires. Being an ongoing Christian nation of great age and distinction, they have embraced Christian principles of civil foundation and good social order in a sustained way. There is no charm in social disarray for them.

Good manners are a constant for the British and I admire their steadfast resolve over many centuries to keep to that standard. Having endured evil social disarray from the chaotic effects of centuries of invasion, occupation and war, they recognize good as precious.  Through their difficult experiences, they gained consensus that peace and courteous behavior were preferable to noxious evil and that good promoted a civilized society. Out of that realization has come a social order par none.

Yes, British manners are a wonderful example of replacing evil with good, knowing the great value of civility, and sticking with it! Indeed, it is through the depiction of Mrs. Bale’s thorough resolve to maintain a high standard of mannerly conduct that I have seen the peril in vacillation from proven good standards of social order. 

Thank you PBS.

To be continued . . .

412 Social Disarray

Believe it or not, Gentle Reader, my manners began to slide many years ago now, because I had a diminishing concept of a constant for manners. To explain this phenomena is simple: the times they were a-changing—so fast. Manners were eroding all around me, leaving me clueless as to what to think or do. I now realize I was fast becoming what is referred to today as “old school”. Or, really just out of it, take your choice.

To understand the confusion I felt, consider how over 50 years in America, once a very homogeneous nation, it became very diverse. I can throw some light on how that diversity has modified manners and customs in America this way: what once was a well understood idea—the rule of walk to the right (as in drive to the right, also) is now a muddled affair.

We all know that back then (when I was taught) peoples of other countries thought quite the opposite, walking and driving to the left (and still do). But most traveled Americans agreed “when in Rome, do as the Romans do” (and still do), meaning we dutifully walked and drove to the left when out and about in our overseas travels.

Alas, Gentle Reader, today in America, most visitors from other countries do not reciprocate in kind, obeying the same dictum, resulting in frequent confusion. So often nowadays, I find visitors from overseas not doing as we Americans do. And, for me, that’s really disruptive.

I cannot tell you how often I have been out walking (we live in a tourist destination) and encounter an approaching number of people who (innocently) but determinedly keep bearing to their left, while I keep bearing to my right. In fact, it has happened so many times, I no longer automatically bear to my right when walking (when driving yes, walking no). 

Instead, I now suspiciously regard the oncoming group, all the while wondering how it’s all going to work out. The net result for me is a new routine of ungracious dodging. Now, to me, this is not an improvement upon my old school ways.

But this is a small thing, you may say, and certainly not evil. And in that you are right. But a vast number of such dislocations in good habits can add up to quite a bit of social upheaval which in itself, if not resolved, can lead to an evil social disarray.

Perhaps a few more illustrations are needed.

To be continued . . .

411 One More Remedy

Before we move on, Gentle Reader, I want to share one last excellent Remedy for managing one’s thinking processes. You probable can imagine what I am going to say. And if you thought, a “sort-out,” you’re right. My Remedy #4 is to use a “sort-out” to de-clutter thinking. 

There are countless successful examples of de-cluttering my or anyone’s montage thinking by use of various sort-out methods. My method (always but always these days), no matter how great or small the issue, is to use an organizing principle from Scripture. 

Having the relationship with the Holy Spirit that I do (close), when I am ready for a sort-out, He highlights something in Scripture that gets my attention. Then, sure enough, what He points out begins to suggest how I can use it to clarify something that is currently unclear to me. That's His way.

The following organizing principle for a personal sort-out of mine came together for me only recently. One day, out of the blue, I had a realization: it suddenly occurred to me to apply Romans 12:2,  “Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good,” to a review of the state of my manners. (Which I have recently suspected as having slipped somewhat!)

To be continued . . .

410 Performance Art

Gentle Reader, over the past 40 or so blogs we have looked at some of both the many benefits and difficulties of human "being and doing".

Beginning in Blog 367, I pointed to the “Lets” of Scripture (listed in many preceding blogs) and eventually proposed these “Lets” as the organizing principles of being and doing. I also advanced the idea that these "Lets" can act as the anchor of both one’s faculty of Montage Thinking (Comparative Reasoning, Blog 394) and human destiny. Human destiny is influenced by The Holy Spirit when, by invitation, He elevates  basic Montage Thinking to divinely directed thinking (Blog 375).

I then sketched out the benefit of immersion in Scripture. Moving from there, I covered many of the difficulties inherent in the complex thinking involved in Montage Thinking, suggesting ways to consciously perceive some of the dynamics of such thinking and come to terms with them. We looked at Brain Freeze, Stress & Public Demand, Misinformation, Misinterpretation, Moral Dilemmas, Wisdom, Knowledge & Understanding, Moral Rectitude, Bewilderment, Mental Paralysis, and Indecisiveness.

Then we broached the subject of Comparative Reasoning as the primary tool of Montage Thinking, where one evaluates and interrelates parallel ideas (the very definition of Montage Thinking). We saw how emotionalism and being judgmental can distort Montage Thinking and learned that Communication is never easy.  Looking for remedies to avoid behaviors that impinge upon Montage Thinking, I proposed three: postponing closure, Holy Spirit power, and as the Girl Scouts recommend, being prepared (through Blog 409).

These blogs have been a real eye-opener to me, Gentle Reader. They have called me to great appreciation of communicators, the rigorous demands of the process of communication, and the impact of astute or inept communication upon an audience. Communication is truly one of the most demanding, yet potentially dazzling, human aptitudes and as Shakespeare (for one among many) would agree, it is meant to be embraced as a high performance level art.

To be continued . . .