Living in a Culture of Death

[Almeria]

My husband is at the end of his rope. The Culture of Death is everywhere where we are, and it is really getting to him. His university classes are focusing on things like man’s inhumanity to man and suffering in war, and since this is a public school, not being seen with any sort of Redemptive Suffering, hope, or faith. He’s not sleeping well, has no desire to go to class, and looks beaten down. He is very firm in his faith, and is currently looking into joining a lay third order–doing research on that is one of the few things helping him to get through the day. We’re praying for the opportunity to move to a Culture of Life university in the spring, but right now I’m not sure if dh can last that long.

Other than continuing to pray, anyone have any ideas on how to survive living in a Culture of Death?

 

[dhgray]

Not sure what you mean by “Culture of Death”

 

[Tantum_ergo]

Along with continuing to pray, make your own lives an affirmation of the Culture of Life. Toss the TV, load up on good reading (that’s why we have libraries), get involved with the local soup kitchen, nursing homes, shelters, food pantries, AA groups, etc. Get to weekly Holy Hours–start one up at your church if one isn’t in place. Consider a total consecration to Jesus through Mary. Make perpetual Novenas of Divine Mercy. Focus on making every thing you do a prayer, all for Jesus, totus tuus.

Read clean humor daily–God loves a cheerful giver. Try each day to strengthen your partner in a secret way as well as an open way. . .an extra prayer here, a loving embrace there, written love notes, hand-made “badges of courage” or “gold stars” for something s/he did that day–being uncomplaining, perserving in the face of adversity, etc. Sponsor a child. Plant a tree. Love the unlovable. Above all, love God.

Blessings to you.

 

[Almeria]

From Evangelium Vitae (emphasis mine):

1. In fact, while the climate of widespread moral uncertainty can in some way be explained by the multiplicity and gravity of today’s social problems, and these can sometimes mitigate the subjective responsibility of individuals, it is no less true that we are confronted by an even larger reality, which can be described as a veritable structure of sin. This reality is characterized by the emergence of a culture which denies solidarity and in many cases takes the form of a veritable “culture of death”. This culture is actively fostered by powerful cultural, economic and political currents which encourage an idea of society excessively concerned with efficiency. Looking at the situation from this point of view, it is possible to speak in a certain sense of a war of the powerful against the weak: a life which would require greater acceptance, love and care is considered useless, or held to be an intolerable burden, and is therefore rejected in one way or another. A person who, because of illness, handicap or, more simply, just by existing, compromises the well-being or life-style of those who are more favoured tends to be looked upon as an enemy to be resisted or eliminated. In this way a kind of “conspiracy against life” is unleashed. This conspiracy involves not only individuals in their personal, family or group relationships, but goes far beyond, to the point of damaging and distorting, at the international level, relations between peoples and States.

 

[Detroit_Sue]

Perhaps what he is experiencing right now is a purgation - he is “dying to the world.” Think of it as shedding his skin so he can grow.

Hate to sound so cliche, but perhaps he is on the edge of a personal Epiphany. God bless you both, and may you stand firm in your faith!

 

[SeekerJen]

Almeria:

My husband is at the end of his rope. The Culture of Death is everywhere where we are, and it is really getting to him. His university classes are focusing on things like man’s inhumanity to man and suffering in war, and since this is a public school, not being seen with any sort of Redemptive Suffering, hope, or faith. He’s not sleeping well, has no desire to go to class, and looks beaten down. He is very firm in his faith, and is currently looking into joining a lay third order–doing research on that is one of the few things helping him to get through the day. We’re praying for the opportunity to move to a Culture of Life university in the spring, but right now I’m not sure if dh can last that long.

Other than continuing to pray, anyone have any ideas on how to survive living in a Culture of Death?

What is his major?

I attended both a public and a Catholic university in pursuit of my degree and did not come up against such gloom-and-doom. My major was biochemistry, which meant I escaped a lot of the upper-level psych, sociology, poli sci, philosophy, etc. classes that can mess with your head if your prof and fellow students are convincing enough. My only risk was falling asleep in physics or anatomy lecture, whapping my head on the desk, and facing the wrath of the prof. Or botching up an experiment and exploding a piece of glassware.

Honestly, if his chosen field of study is this bad at the university level, what reason do you have to think that it will be any better in the professional world? Maybe this is God’s way of indicating that He has something better in mind for your husband. If he’s looking into lay orders, perhaps he would be better off in seminary, training for lay ministry. Just a thought. God bless.

 

[Almeria]

He’s a history major, and the college here is mainly servicing a poor region, and the academic level of the students is quite poor. There is no one in class that can hold an argument or debate–people won’t even answer professor’s questions, let alone get them right (one person said the D-Day invasion was in Norway…). A movie that had a mentally disabled male marry a emotionally disabled female (talk about inspiring! It really was wonderful) during wartime was met with snickering by the class, and questions about whether or not they should be permitted to marry and “clog up the gene pool”. I did a year at a public school for biology, and got plenty of attempted brainwashing there, myself.

Dh had started his degree at the Franciscan University of Steubenville, so we know there are decent places out there. The school he’s hoping to go to grad school next semester is a great school like Steubenville. He wants to teach at a place like that as well, so he should be fine once he fully graduates.

Sue, I don’t really see it as a cliche. I know he’s been getting stronger in his faith the more the people here try to turn him away. A lot of what he wants to do in his life is coming out based on the negative experiences he’s had here. He sees a need out there, and wants to respond to it. And I think he’ll be great at it, if we can just get through the next month or so…

 

[asquared]

we are called by our baptism to evangelize the culture, and it sounds like he is placed in a great position to do this, but it begins with actions and attitudes of the heart, not words.