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Is the world getting better or worse?



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bigsis144




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, May 10 2016, 3:39 pm
Forgive me for not necessarily having all my thoughts in neat essay form; I've just been thinking about this a lot lately and wanted to get it out of my system/see what some other perspectives might add.

Is the world getting better or worse?

Part I: Moshiach
I've learned two different approaches to what will bring Moshiach:
(1) The world is getting worse and worse -- terrible tzaros becoming more common, depraved culture in the outside world, niskatnu hadoros in terms of spirituality, etc. Like in Mitzrayim, we will cry out to Hashem from the pain and He will swoop in and usher in the utopia of Moshiach.
(2) The world is actually getting better -- Hashem created an imperfect world so that we could be partners with Him in creating it. Lifespans are getting longer, fewer people are dying of hunger, individuals as well as governments are making huge strides to end oppression and bigotry. This is all part of the Plan.

Part II: Make America Great Again!
"Again?"
Please point to me the exact year in which things were "great". For everybody, not just wealthy white males, mmkay?
1950? 1900? 1970? 1770??

Part III: Party Lines?
It seems like, at least to me, that the answer to this question lumps people together like so:
* World getting better: Liberal/progressive politically, religiously secular/progressive, optimistic.
* World getting worse: Conservative politically, traditionally religious, pessimistic.

tl;dr -- I just realized I wrote a whole post on the very definitions of conservative and progressive. Thank you for your time...
goes back to wall-flower in the corner embarrassed
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FranticFrummie




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, May 10 2016, 3:51 pm
Honestly, I have no idea. I go back and forth in my own head. Some days seem hopeful, others not so much.

I don't think we're meant to know. We're just supposed to do the best we can, and work on ourselves. It's the only thing we have immediate control over.
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PinkFridge




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, May 10 2016, 7:55 pm
bigsis144 wrote:
Forgive me for not necessarily having all my thoughts in neat essay form; I've just been thinking about this a lot lately and wanted to get it out of my system/see what some other perspectives might add.

Is the world getting better or worse?

Part I: Moshiach
I've learned two different approaches to what will bring Moshiach:
(1) The world is getting worse and worse -- terrible tzaros becoming more common, depraved culture in the outside world, niskatnu hadoros in terms of spirituality, etc. Like in Mitzrayim, we will cry out to Hashem from the pain and He will swoop in and usher in the utopia of Moshiach.
(2) The world is actually getting better -- Hashem created an imperfect world so that we could be partners with Him in creating it. Lifespans are getting longer, fewer people are dying of hunger, individuals as well as governments are making huge strides to end oppression and bigotry. This is all part of the Plan.

Part II: Make America Great Again!
"Again?"
Please point to me the exact year in which things were "great". For everybody, not just wealthy white males, mmkay?
1950? 1900? 1970? 1770??

Part III: Party Lines?
It seems like, at least to me, that the answer to this question lumps people together like so:
* World getting better: Liberal/progressive politically, religiously secular/progressive, optimistic.
* World getting worse: Conservative politically, traditionally religious, pessimistic.

tl;dr -- I just realized I wrote a whole post on the very definitions of conservative and progressive. Thank you for your time...
goes back to wall-flower in the corner embarrassed


I'm with FF.
Re I: I don't overthink it. People shouldn't be tempted to make the world as decrepit as possible to hasten Moshiach, we just have to do what we can to lead lives of integrity. And in many ways the world is getting better, as you say in (2).
I really see both approaches working together because on a physical level, things have improved greatly, and b"H, but on a spiritual level, we see steady yeridas hodoros.

II. Not sure when the US was great. Sometime pre-Obama. But yeah, it's the white 'muricans who are scaring me. (Some of them, I think you all kwim.)

III. The polarization is scary. It didn't use to be that way. There was such a thing as bi-partisan. The world is going south in a handbasket. Look at Canada rejecting an exceptional statesman. But "anachnu maaminim bnei maaminim" and we have on Whom to rely. This isn't just something we say in the trenches, we should remember this all the time.
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Petra




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, May 10 2016, 9:47 pm
Worse. There are a lot of conveniences now but at what cost? Instant everything is not so good. Too much idleness. Too much sensational news. Too much throw away mentality. Too much ego! Too much entitlement.
Are you asking what kind of world brings the Moshiach? Well, that I can't comment on.
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amother
Floralwhite


 

Post Tue, May 10 2016, 9:54 pm
I think the world is a much better place than it used to be - in general. At least in western society.

First of all, as a woman; we're not property, we have rights, we have so many opportunities.

Civilization in general: I think is way less barbaric than it used to be. I don't have the time to bring in-depth examples, but just think of the times when war and glory were priorities, whereas now financial success and fame are priorities - much more safe, imo.

Emotionally - Yes, you can argue that today we're emotionally handicapped and have all kinds of mental and emotional illnesses, but I think that existed everywhere at every time, and we're the ones who have the time and resources to confront and treat them.

In general, I think that daily life was much harsher for the average person in most eras than it is for us today. JMHO.
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