Patheos

BuddhistCatholicContemplativeEvangelicalGeneral ChristianHinduJewishLatter-day SaintMuslimNew VisionsProgressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Patheos

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos Patheos on Facebook Patheos on YouTube

Andy Gill

Cynicism in the Age of Disinformation…

Last updated on: September 6, 2018 at 3:02 pm   by Andy Gill

Cynicism in the Age of Disinformation… 2018-09-06T15:02:34-05:00 Andy Gill

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

“Trump polices [sic] destroy lives, his racist rhetoric emboldens hate groups and his constant stream of lies undercut the moral fabric of society. His policies target widows, orphans and aliens, literally the same people scripture repeatedly says we as Christians are supposed to help.”

– Jim Meisner Jr. [1]

I mean, have you ever tried to find the hidden agenda of a politician? It’s like trying to find a needle in a haystack; it’s usually just not worth your time or energy.

Plus, who is going to dive headfirst into a haystack with the knowledge that there’s a needle somewhere in it.

No thanks.

What’s even more soul-destroyingly devastating is when you find that at the end of all of this, we weren’t even searching in the right haystack. We were just being distracted and misdirected into fighting against a straw man.

Being angry about imaginary concepts, it’s like chasing the wind.

Is cynicism the new norm we’ve just come to accept?

[2]

Cynicism, it’s toxic.

It’s tough to not be cynical in today’s day and age when collectively our conscience is being warped, deceived and/or misdirected.

You can’t not be cynical if you’re not intentional.

It’s the very parasite that slowly but steadily eats away at your faith, hope, and security.

“And cynicism is also a kind of faith: the faith that nothing can change, that those institutions are corrupt beyond all accountability, immune to intimidation or appeal…”

– Tim Kreider

Personally, I found myself expending far too much energy on watching my back, tiptoeing around trying to not step on any eggshells, all the while constantly adapting to our ever-changing culture where the rules and societal norms are moving so fast they’re just one large ambiguous blur to us all.

But, in my opinion, what’s worse than cynicism is indifference… It’s the question of how one can live in a world in which inundates us with negativity but still yet, remain open to beauty, creativity, etc.

If you ask me, the beginning of our end usually happens at the point of which we normalize the abnormal (e.g. government monitoring our emails and phones, collusion, police brutality, voter suppression, etc.)…

Think about it, how numb have we collectively become towards “mass shootings”?

It’s as if it’s become “the new norm.”

How do y’all curate the environment you experience (without, necessarily, unhealthily disconnecting from your surroundings)?


facebook-thought-catalog-609285-unsplash-andy-gill-facebook


[1] “The Irony of Evangelical Idolatry in the White House” by Jim Meisner Jr.
[2] Screenshot from Netflix Trailer for the movie “Get Me Roger Stone.”

Go back

Church

Culture

Life

Politics

cynicism

Cynicism in the Age of Disinformation…

Donald Trump

Jim Meisner Jr.

Previous Post



September 2, 2018

The Forgotten Meaning of Labor Day

Next Post



September 9, 2018 Are God’s Race, Gender, and Nationality Contextual…?


Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Book Reviews Books Buzzfeed Christian Church Church Culture Dating Dechurched eXvangelical Guest Post Humor Inspirational Justice LGBTQ Life Marriage Media Millennials Mini Post Monday Money Podcast Politics Race Reason Relationships Science Sex Socioeconomic Theology Theology Uncategorized Video Wednesday Youth Ministry

Select a Month June 2020 March 2020 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 January 2013 December 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011


Follow Us!

Follow Us on Facebook Follow Us on Twitter



TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What did the Israelites eat in the wilderness?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Grapes and figs Bread and fish Honey and milk Manna

Support this
Column

Related posts from Andy Gill

Progressive Christian

Trump Pushing for $1.2 Trillion to Give Cash...

Andy Gill

Progressive Christian

A Short Cut to Reconciling One’s Cognitive Dissonance...

Andy Gill

Progressive Christian

The Evangelical Concept of Hell Was Actually Invented...

Andy Gill

Progressive Christian

Jesus Promises Persecution Not Prosperity

Andy Gill

TRENDING AT PATHEOS Progressive Christian

Why Christians Have a Sacred Duty to Vote:...

The Bible offers strong support for the sacred duty to vote. Here...

What Being a Modern-Day Apostle Means to Me

In my last column, I discussed the ins and outs of modern-day...

Did Ancient China Once Worship the God of...

Across human history, a common thread weaves through the origins of the...

Love Your Neighbor – Including Earth-Kin: Lev. 19,...

God’s command to love your neighbor means acting in an ethical and...

Lead a Church Study of “Jesus and Lao...

Guest writer Jack Thomas (The Irreverent Reverend) reflects on leading his church...

Principles for Understanding the Apostolic Ministry Today

Whenever people discover that my formal ministry title is "apostle," as in...

view all Progressive Christian blogs

Patheos on Facebook Patheos on YouTube

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Copyright 2008-2026, Patheos. All rights reserved.

Subscription Support Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In

Follow Patheos Patheos on Facebook Patheos on YouTube