Scenes from the Passing Madness

As the West sinks into terminal decline, it becomes a fulltime job simply to chronicle each new case of madness and idiocy. The West is becoming expert at self-destruction, and the examples of its deterioration are the stuff of daily headlines.

Because so much lunacy had been occurring in the past week or so, perhaps the best way to cover it all is to simply provide several vignettes of some of the more notable cases. Let me start with Holland. If there is one nation to get a regular mention on this site, it is the Netherlands. Leave it to the Dutch to come up with one outrageous bit of madness after another.

The latest episode is this: as of today smoking tobacco in Dutch restaurants is illegal. Hey, sounds good, you say. Well, it would be, except for one minor detail. You see, major Dutch cities like Amsterdam are notorious for their marijuana cafes. You see, people can still toke away on reefers in their cafes, but they dare not puff on that evil weed, tobacco.

As one coffee shop owner remarked, “It’s absurd. In other countries they look to see whether you have marijuana in your cigarette, here they’ll look to see if you’ve got cigarette in your marijuana.” The Dutch disease is obviously spreading, and getting worse.

Just what were these guys thinking? Never mind that the marijuana smoked today is many times stronger – and therefore much more risky and dangerous – than that smoked by us hippies back in the 60s. The scientific research on the harm of cannabis is rock solid, and potheads are doing themselves tremendous harm.

And never mind that “passive smoking” is every bit as risky, if not more, with marijuana than it is with tobacco. You can get high even if you don’t want to simply by sitting in one of these cannabis cafes.

But leave it to the Dutch to allow marijuana use, while cracking down on tobacco. One can only conclude that the lawmakers in Holland are all potheads, or old stoned-out hippies. There is obviously no one left with intact brain cells amongst the ruling elites of Holland.

But things are not much better in nearby Sweden. Consider an absolutely whacko discrimination case there. A school has complained to the Swedish Parliament about a gross case of human rights abuse. The school says an 8-year-old school boy has violated two fellow students’ rights by not inviting them to his birthday party.

I kid you not! Let me repeat this, in case you do not get it. An 8-year-old did not invite everyone in his class to his birthday party, so his school is screaming discrimination. How horrible. So now it is heading to the big boys in politics to settle.

Now I know I might be the odd man out here, but it seems that I was fairly selective in whom I invited to my birthday parties when I was but a tyke. Indeed, I discriminated in favour of some, and against some others. Back then it was not seen as a crime to make such choices.

But things are different now. The burgeoning rights industry has gone ballistic, and Political Correctness has a stranglehold on the West. So our intellectualoids in Sweden have decided this nasty abuse of human rights must be dealt with harshly and forthrightly. Remind me not to go to Sweden for my next holidays.

The third item concerns the US and Australia, two other leaders in the great liberal death wish. It seems that a number of Australian homosexuals are heading to the US to buy babies. You heard me right. They are paying up to $80,000 to create a baby using surrogate arrangement in the US.

These rent-a-womb women are being paid big bikkies to sell their babies to homosexual couples. Known as “one-stop baby shopping,” the scheme allows childless homosexual couples (and what else could they be?) to shop around for their baby of choice.

According to press reports, the couples “pick a donor from a list of 400 university students and her eggs are then implanted in a different woman who bears the child.” Kind of like going to McDonalds and ordering your own personalised burger. Except a bit more expensive.

Never mind how the child is going to fare in such a situation. Not only will the child be denied the right to his or her own biological mother and father, but the child will grow up to one day discover that he or she came into existence not unlike a fancy new red sports car: made to order to please adults’ whims and cravings.

A doctor at one of California’s fertility clinics offering this “service” said that these homosexuals “are almost all professional, working men who obviously have a bit of money and desperately want a child.” I suppose it will be a waste of time to inform these desperate househusbands that there is a much easier way of getting a child: nature’s way. Find a girl, settle down, and the children bit comes pretty easy.

But these folk want to live their disordered lifestyles, and think they can just chuck a baby into the mix like they might the latest Kylie Minogue CD. This is about one thing, and one thing only: selfish, immature adults buying babies as fashion accessories. And who gives a rip how the children will turn out in such bizarre arrangements?

These three cases (and many more could be produced) demonstrate a West in a downward spiral, with moral blindness matched only by a deficiency in common sense. The only question worth asking at this point is how much further down can the West go before it becomes  a mere memory.

I for one will keep chronicling these steps to the asylum until our elites determine that this site is one big hate crime, and they imprison me for my crimes. But until that happens, I will continue to act as a watchman. But my days may well be numbered.

[1006 words]

22 Replies to “Scenes from the Passing Madness”

  1. It must be depressing Bill. I suspect Jeremiah must have felt equally despondant in his day. But God knows the end from the beginning. Amen Come Lord Jesus!
    Stephen White

  2. Thanks Stephen

    Yes it certainly can get a bit depressing at times. But then again, I should think that all believers would share with our heavenly Father the broken heart he has over what he sees happening. He created us for a love relationship with Him, and we have rejected his love and preferred instead to live with the pigs, as the prodigal son experienced.

    So all Christians should have this broken heart for the lost and for a world that has spurned God and chosen instead its own poison. But yes you are right – we have the blessed hope of Christ’s return, and we know that our labour in the Lord is not in vain, so we persevere.

    I guess my main concern is that so many Christians simply don’t seem to really care about what is happening around them. A worthwhile prayer for all believers is to ask God to break our hearts as His is broken, and to give us His concern and passion for a lost and needy world.

    Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch

  3. I totally agree with you Bill, there are some bizarre and frightening developments in our society. I feel sorry for the children of tomorrow (let alone today) who be so confused by the chaos today’s generation are throwing onto them.

    Regards
    Andrew Dinham, Hope Valley in SA

  4. Hi Bill,

    I suspect that if one takes on the worries of the world it could lead to an early grave given the lunacy that is occurring. Today I read of a misfortunate 15 yo girl that was made to trade sexual services because she was caught shop lifting. This is but a small example. It would be interesting to know the underlying force driving such attitudes. I suspect it has something to do with a loss of community and the “me” society amongst others but who knows?? It is a disturbing mystery.

    Ben Green

  5. Thanks Ben

    Yes there is no question that a growing selfishness, me-firstism, and loss of concern for the general community is a big part of all this. But of course as a Christian, I would take this one step further, and argue that as societies become more and more secular, and increasingly leave God out of the picture, things get even worse as well. And the bottom line to all this – from a biblical point of view – is sin. We put self ahead of others, whereas biblical love is preferring others, and serving others. And that is why Jesus came: to deal with the sin issue, and to empower us to live lives which express the love of God.

    Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch

  6. Hi Bill,

    I do not see secular or non secular as being the problem. There is something at a much lower lever that drives disobedience and depravity. There are examples of this within religious faiths as there are outside of it. It is almost that within some of us there is a need to do wrong at many different levels. Having a code of ethics to live by does dampen this to some degree but the need is so strong within some they will go to any length or take advantage of any situation to fill this need. I do not think that having a faith of sorts really discourages theses types of people. I suspect in some cases it heightens the experience. Clergy or people in power being examples. The thrill of controlling people and getting away with it seems to drive them.

    Ben Green

  7. Thanks Ben

    Oppressive power plays – whether by religious or non-religious people – are just one more manifestation of sin. Sin is the real problem, as I mentioned. We are all born with an orientation to sin and to self. We were designed for giving, caring, sharing and loving relationships, but sin distorts and pre-empts all this. Again, this is the reason for Christ coming to earth: to make a way to offer forgiveness for sins, and to bring about changed lives. Jesus said that in our sinful condition we do not have the ability to make amends or to turn things around. Thus he came to offer forgiveness and to help us to be transformed.

    So while many things can be done on various levels to curb selfishness and depravity – laws, customs, mores, peer pressure, etc. – the ultimate answer is to be changed from within, by the power of God, and not just constrained from without. But in a fallen world we need the external checks on selfishness as well.

    This is the biblical version of events. I think it best describes the predicament we are in, and offers the best way out of it. And millions of transformed lives offer testimony to this.

    Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch

  8. Hello Bill,

    I believe that The Lord will have to return very soon as our children are now becoming the victims more and more.

    Everyday, as I read the papers, I see the result of the ALP’s social experimentation and it is the children that suffer the most. (Not that the Liberals are much better, but it is the ALP that changes the most of the “norms” first.

    It is good to know that no matter how many “battles” we lose, that God will win the War.

    Keep up the good work and may God continue to bless you ministry.

    Helmut Bohn

  9. Habakkuk 2:14: “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.”

    Dear world, I decline to participate in the current depressing climate of apparent despair.

    Please adjust your believing. The fault is not in the Universe.

    🙂

    John Angelico

  10. Dear Helmut,
    I also had the impression that, over a long period, “it is the ALP that changes the most of the ‘norms’ first”. However, a closer look at the actual “breakthrough” actions often contradicts that facile judgment [ref: Chipp on public media decency, 1970s (decried as “censorship”). ref. Hamer on Vic abortion holocaust, 1970s. Ref. ‘conservatives/Big Business’, which, in the mid 60s (pre-“feminisim”), built the basis of mass industrialisation of women into the -discounted!- workforce.]

    On Bill’s general point, the lovely Gilbert Keith C. said it well, (badly paraphrased): when man stops believing in God, its not that he believes in nothing; it’s worse: he will believe in anything at all.

    Gerard Flood

  11. I don’t think that there is anything facile about the judgment that the Left of politics (ALP, Greens, etc.) is further removed from the biblical standard than is the so-called conservative side (Lib, Nat, etc.). Far from being facile, this is a demonstrable fact when an objective comparison is made of the respective policies of these parties.

    Ewan McDonald.

  12. Hi Ben Green,
    Just in response to your comment on why the West is spiraling into chaos. The root cause is sin and because of sin humans are natively rebels against God. That would be the overarching framework. So it’s nothing that can be totally eliminated but it can certainly be suppressed and controlled. However this book does a great job of describing the contributing factors to this decline which started back in the 15th century.

    10 Books That Screwed Up the World: And 5 Others That Didn’t Help
    http://www.amazon.com/10-Books-That-Screwed-World/dp/1596980559/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1215060399&sr=1-1

    Ultimately the West is a Christian civilization. The longer people deny that and the more they attempt to divorce that from the idea of “western civilization” the worse things get. How can you remove the Christian out of Christian civilization?

    Michael Mifsud

  13. To your list of madness Bill, I would like to add the following. Our Governments profit handsomely from gambling, they make it almost impossible for communities to say “No” to brothels, adult sex bookshops and poker machines, they want to legalize abortion right up to practically the time of birth and then have the cheek to express shock and horror that families are falling apart. Have we become not only mad, but incapable of rational thought?
    Jane Munro

  14. Lets face it, the world has gone completely nuts. Somebody ring the bell and let the driver know I want to get off at the next stop! If only it were that simple. I suppose salt probably doesn’t enjoy being stirred around in a tasteless goop of a stew sometimes …

    Stephen Frost, Melbourne.

  15. Dear Ewan,
    your general point that “the Left of politics (ALP, Greens, etc.) is further removed from the biblical standard than is the so-called conservative side (Lib, Nat, etc.). Far from being facile, this is a demonstrable fact when an objective comparison is made of the respective policies of these parties.” This is evident from Bill’s (et al) pre-election surveys of the parties policy responses. My point is not about mere “policies” but actual delivered results. The Howard/Costello defence of the economic viability of “single income” families [on which critical child security depends] was non-existent, when compared to dual income families..That the ALP is worse, is no consolation to a marital separation rate driven by severe financial stress. All the best!
    Gerard Flood

  16. Hi Gerard,

    Thanks for that clarification. I do agree that the Coalition Parties are not a great deal better which is why I referred to them as ‘so-called conservatives’. It annoys me when Leftists refer to the Howard government as the ‘most right-wing government in Australia’s history’ or words to that effect.

    Ewan McDonald.

  17. “If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and forgive their sin and heal their land.” 1 Chron 7:14. This is us! I hate the sin and wickedness in the land, but do I hate the sin and wickedness in myself? I’m still not sure I really do. Do I really seek God’s face and desire to please Him and love His Law? I’m not sure I really do.

    As John Angelico said let’s not get too bent up over the wicked (though Bill I appreciate your great work) and trust that this is God’s world and that he will make a mockery of the foolishness of men.

    For those of us who believe, we had better work on finding out what wickedness lies in our own hearts. Sadly in the Church we often neglect to measure ourselves by God’s standard and instead compare ourselves to the world. The good news (in our own circles anyway) is we are probably going to look more and more righteous relatively speaking, the bad news is we are probably going to be moving further and further away from the Lord’s standard and not even know it. We must seek after the Lord where he can be found. We must obey his Holy Law. No, more than that we must begin once again to love His Law. We will not become humbled by focusing on the wickedness, but we will become humbled when we present ourselves before God’s standard. Thanks be to God that in his Grace and Mercy Has taken the condemnation of the Law from us and instead made it life.

    The evil and the foolish of this world are blinded from the destruction that awaits. We, in living by His commands under grace, will be the salt and light that will both condemn their hearts and show them the Glory of God. All we need to do is humble ourselves and pray and seek His face… if we are truly doing this then whatever actions follow on our part will be motivated out of the obedience and the love of Christ, then we may act aright, and then perhaps in God’s goodness our society will start, once again, on that road to redemption.

    Phil Twiss

  18. Thanks Phil

    Hey, I am with you. The world is in a mess because the church is in a mess. And the church is in a mess because I am in a mess. So personal revival, and revival in the churches is vital. But being salt and light in the world is also something to be done simultaneously. We need both, and should work toward both.

    Thanks for sharing.
    Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch

  19. Absolutely Bill. I think though many of us in the Church have been getting away with trying to be salty without the salt. An old problem to be sure but one we periodically forget. Let’s stop forgetting.
    Phil Twiss

  20. The Dutch have no other justification for this illogical legislation than their ideology of being at the forefront of breaking down every moral taboo. It’s what they’re known for. And they provide a weekend destination for young Europeans who wish to go and blow a few brain cells in those marijuana cafes. It doesn’t have to be logical as long as it fits in with new age agenda.

    As for the Swedish boy, this is not the first case of PC idiocy in this socialist showcase Utopia. There have been other incidents such as one in which a teacher had her young class cross dress. The boys had to come dressed in girls’ clothes. Socialism and secularism in a wealthy society brings these kinds of aberrations.

    Upsetting as all these stories are, the one that upsets me personally the most is the idea of a made-to-order child being taken to live in a hybrid homosexual ‘family’. This is a human who will never know the affirming feeling of a bloodline, biological ties and affinity with the vast majority of the human race. It’s institutionalized cruelty of a lingering, soul-destroying kind. It’s barbaric.
    Come quickly Lord Jesus. This world can’t go on much longer like this.

    Dee Graf

  21. The Earth is degenerating these days. Bribery and corruption abound. Children no longer mind their parents, every man wants to write a book, and it is evident that the end of the world is fast approaching.

    -Assyrian Stone Tablet, c.2800 BCE

    Nothing new under the sun it seems. I am confident Christianity will win in the end – one way or another. Don’t let this type of news depress you – make you angry, yes! – but do not despair.

    Michael Mifsud

  22. Dear Brother Bill,
    We were back in Holland from June 1984 – December ’87. Through prayers, I was miraculously saved from a physical death by the grace of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit in March 1984. Coming back to the Netherlands after being away for 8 years in Indonesia, we noticed and observed that then. Indeed the smoking of “grass” was virtually free and practised every where in the big cities e.g. Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague etc.

    But no one seem to have mentioned that during 1984-87 (when we were there), that 90% of the women on the beaches were topless. From time to time, nudists from adjacent nude-beaches were walking past these public beaches. Tourists from all over the world watch freely. These half naked, topless women and men from all ages, would cross the public walking promenade and go shopping in the restaurants and food or convenient stores. They would stand topless in queues at McDonalds, KFC etc.

    In those years, there were also the self administered (aided) euthanasia cases. And open/public homosexuality every where: public transport, restaurants etc. And the “football” violence in public places, that started a long way away and long before the actual footbal match.

    We have never been back to Holland since. I don’t honestly know the situation in the Netherlands now. But anything happening in the world i.e. Australia today, is following the world trend that started long time ago when governments and churches were no longer effective, and relevant in their Biblical teaching, preaching and discipleship to balance this already prophesized and therefore well known, downward trend. Including the rise of Islam?

    I certainly support your “culture watch”. Jesus with our ministries.

    Jack West

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