when it is ad hominem, dispose as refuse

 I wish I could find this internet thing that says something about wishing for a break from historical human events. Like Friendster, MySpace, and Facebook, I have deactivated my Twitter account--after 15 years. It has become filled with bots and trolls and has decreased in trustworthiness. It has become a space of anarchy and utter disrespect. And the strategy of mass repetition of a statement or certain statements is obviously a form of conditioning--like hypnotism. New age folks could describe it as filled with dark energy, and I could only describe it as diabolical...filled with demons. (YouTube is becoming the same...the political ads and comments)

I just grabbed a copy of C.S. Lewis's 'The Screwtape Letters' (published in 1942) where Screwtape, "...a senior tempter in the service of 'Our Father Below'," corresponds with his nephew Wormwood, "...a novice demon in charge of securing the damnation of an ordinary young man." In one of his letters, Screwtape advises Wormwood: "Let him begin by treating the Patriotism or the Pacifism as a part of his religion. Then let him, under the influence of partisan spirit, come to regard it as the most important part. Then quietly and gradually nurse him on to the stage at which the religion becomes merely part of the 'cause', in which Christianity is valued chiefly in favour of the British war-effort or of Pacifism...Once you have made the World an end, and faith a means, you have almost won your man, and it makes very little difference what kind of worldly end he is pursuing. Provided that meetings, pamphlets, policies, movements, causes, and crusades, matter more to him than prayers and sacraments and charity, he is ours--and the more 'religious' (on these terms) the more securely ours. I could show you a pretty cageful down here..."

Cue this famous children's rhyme: "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words shall never hurt me." 

We have to be careful, friends. It's Lent and I am struggling mentally and spiritually. My tendency to harbour a certain amount of anger and ill-will as a result of exposure to noisy information is among the many things I need to pray for. Compels mortification.

When my father was alive, his work later became associated with an authoritarian. At that time, my father's brilliance and behind-the-scenes efforts contributed to the unfortunate rise of this aforementioned figure. He alreay had terminal stage cancer then, but probably felt that he needed to achieve this goal. We supported his cause. Some of my peers had doubts, but since we vouched for this figure (but I did not vote due to geography), then they indicated support. A year later, my father succumbed to his affliction. A terrible political milieu followed and continues to occur even after new leadership. The thing is, to others, I have already been associated with these set of events. My father didn't experience (and likely didn't expect) the degree of negative (terrible) turn out that happened after his death. What a field day for anyone who didn't (and still don't) like me, eh? 

Let's examine ourselves. Is there something or someone that just rubs us the wrong way? We have no direct connection to this thing or this person, but we're just repelled? Maybe because this thing or person represents the opposite of how we identify ourselves. Then schadenfreude. Anything that reduces this thing or humiliates this person, (whether secretly or overtly) elates us? Yes to all questions? We have to hit the brakes, before we spiral into a never ending and vicious cycle of judgment and disdain. Next thing we know, we just added a potential winning point for the enemy below. A point for team Screwtape and Wormwood.

It's tricky. Everyday and every second. Let's ask for help. Let's help ourselves. God help us. God help me. Kyrie eleison. There are terrible external threats to our souls, but one insidious enemy that we have to be aware of is our own self-sabotaging tendencies. 

We can do this.