What ever happened to austerity?

[Ambient]

Ive been meaning to make this post for a long time, being a "part-time" member of S&A on the &T i was waiting for the right moment/revelation.

Now i understand this is quite esoteric from the usual topics here which to a large degree fit into western/secular societies definition of Love and Relationships; but i feel this is the appropriate place for this.

So; what ever happened to Austerity?

In case you don't know what austerity is, it is synonymous with asceticism "Abstinence from material pleasures".

When i talk of material i speak of everything and everything that is not spiritual including love; which is a spiritual quality of virtue.

What do i mean when i say spiritual? Many would be quick to associated this with divinity which i will also define.

Spirituality is rooted in consciousness; it is the assessment of that which is significant or insignificant, and that of purpose or lack thereof. So according to this definition we are all spiritual, though we may not actively engage in spirituality everything that can be introspected is spiritual because the definition of consciousness is that which can be introspected.

Now the contents of consciousness can contain both virtuous and viscous qualities example passion vs hate or love vs indifference. Divinity is simply the embrace of virtue and dissipation of vice through awareness; humanities best asset.

"It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God".

This passage simply means those who are materialistic create impediments to virtuous existence (which is a cultural universal; all that differs is our ontological premise and ethnographic expression).

You can find more info here if you want it

http://bbs.zoklet.net/showthread.php?t=6769

I dont ask you to pay attention to me simply because i have provided a biblical passage.

Im just using it help illustrate that people are marginal creatures, both material and spiritual, both virtuous and viscous. We have two fundamental components- consciousness and body.

I believe to a large degree virtue died alongside austerity, and with everyone adhering to the bodily conception everyone is still trapped in "the marriage of true minds".

[AnalHerpes]

Ok, I'll bite.

Ever since religion (its current understanding) was defeated by science some odd centuries ago, people live under the notion that there is nothing greater than their worldly life. This could also be a contributing factor in the supposed lack of morality among the younger generations.

People today simply look for cheap thrills, which thankfully the media has kept us complacent by constantly spewing out entertainment that distracts us from the fact that the highest power we serve is the rich, not God/ourselves.

Our spirituality is still there, it's just being suppressed by overindulgence in material goods. If you talk to most people for long enough, you can yank something out of them but it's not something they consciously think about and that might be why people today are becoming increasingly depressed.

[jackketch]

Originally Posted by Killallthewhiteman420

This passage simply means those who are materialistic create impediments to virtuous existence (which is a cultural universal; all that differs is our ontological premise and ethnographic expression).

No it doesn't-you probably haven't understood what was meant by the term 'kingdom of heaven' and this doesn't belong here.