Folly Becomes Institutionalized

As the number of my siblings slated to have children out of wedlock rises, in relationships far away from the Church, I am reminded of the response of some of them when I told them I was giving up sinful relationships and would hopefully be able to approach marriage the Christian way.

Basically they said they didn't think the Christian way it was possible anymore.

Well, I'd agree we didn't see it much growing up. To be a good Christian, growing up, seemed to mean being alone, though occasionally one could have a conversation with someone thrice one's age. I think this is still the case today, in general. In fact, it seems to be creeping forward, because repentance appears to be rare in cases involving relationships. Frankly the relationship has to blow up pretty badly else it's tough to repent from the sin; as long as one feels some good came of it, well isn't that how they try to justify torture nowadays? How much easier is it to justify our more pedestrian sins, the ones that actually feel good, on just such a basis.

My mother reports similar fatalism from many, even clergy. 'It's just the way things are nowadays', they say. Mom is quick to remind these oh so helpful people that it's sin and therefore not 'just the way things are'. It's a tough, cold bucket of hard to decide that if you can't do it right you won't do it at all; of course, it may be somewhat easier to if the last time you did it wrong it hurt really bad, but it's still hard. But Mom and I are still right, even if I do want babies bad enough to be ever so slighty jealous of my siblings.

I think there's also a need for a generation that will become the role models again.
One big stumbling block is the way people evaluate college is still flawed. People older than me still think it's worth something, and people still too young to have gone still want to go. Of course, the government will keep the joke running for as long as possible; one must have venues for indoctrination after all.

Education is good, as long as it is education, and it's appropriately priced. But college is not, and I think it is highly unmerciful to send young Christians through high school, college, and beyond without making the kind considerations that St. Paul made. Of course, education alone is not the problem, but it contributes to this ever expanding adolescence, a phase of life unknown to our ancestors, and there will be fewer and fewer potential role models as we continue to send those actually smart enough to build a solid Christian life together into such life draining institutions.