The World Gone Mad

I've said it before - I think the world seems to be on, to paraphrase AC/DC, the Highway to Hell.

A blogger I follow, but have not met, memorialized actor David Carradine, who died in Bangkok earlier this week. Recent evidence suggests the death was by misadventure connected with the practice of autoerotic asphyxiation. If that's an unfamiliar term to you, well, there's google and wiki. Having no personal experience with the practice, it would also be unfamiliar to me but for having seen the association in obituaries of teens. It surprised me that a 72 year old man, married, no less, might engage in such an activity. In fairness, I must acknowledge that, in the actor's death, it's still speculative at this point.

What's not speculative is that our culture obsesses with all things sexual. In the past 2 weeks, I think I've seen three or four prime time network dramas (I think a couple of them were CSI franchises) that had some form of plotline involving deviant sex, and I don't even have cable. And although I enjoyed Saturday Night Live in the early days, I'm reluctant to watch it these days because I don't think the current fare is appropriate for my kids. The supermarket newsrack is no better - all the mainstream women's magazines seem to feature monthly DIY lessons for mind-blowing sex with whoever happens to be handy: husbands (if you must), co-workers, FWBs, strangers. Have we reached such a pinnacle on Maslow's pyramid that all we can do is think about how to stimulate our nether regions?

Don't get me wrong. I'm not repressed. From junior-high school on, I've told more than a few slightly ribald or bawdy stories. And I enjoy enjoyed sex when I was married. As is not uncommon with husbands, would've enjoyed greater frequency, but never ventured outside of the marriage to satiate those wants. It's fair to say that I have a much better perspective, now, of how the daily grind of raising kids impacts a woman's libido. But, enough digression.

As I see it, we're devolving. Rapidly. Makes me wonder how anyone can not believe in a higher power or Intelligent Design, inasmuch as evidence suggests that there is decay from highly organized/ordered states to disarray, not the happy coincidence of tadpoles developing into homo sapiens. I think the term is 'entropy', which I first heard on Star Trek, even though I'm no Trekkie. It appears we're on the fast track to anarchy.

Is there any hope that we can climb out from our cultural cess-pit? I hope so, but am not encouraged by what I see. As a Christian, I am convinced that there is a path out of the wilderness. However, there's nothing preventing even non-believers from raising the moral code - I know a good many non-spiritual people who are extremely moral. If there's any spine left among men and women of good character, it's incumbent on us (I hope I can include myself amongst) to set standards of conduct for our children to follow - and lead by example.

I pray for Mr. Carradine's family, that if his death was as suggested, they not be subjected to ridicule and torment.

OK, enough pontification. I'll climb down off my box of Duz now - Hey look, there's a salad plate in the box!