A Conscious Choice for Faith E-Book

Lothar-Rüdiger Lütge

• Herausgeber: BoD - Books on Demand
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Seitenzahl: 182

Beschreibung

In a world increasingly characterized by disorientation and the disintegration of traditional values, this book offers a clear and well-founded answer: the conscious decision to believe in a personalistic God. It shows how this belief not only enables individual fulfillment and inner stability, but also a return to absolute values and a healing of our crisis-ridden society. A wake up call for us all.

Leseprobe

“Let nothing disturb you, Let nothing frighten you, All things are passing away: God never changes. Patience obtains all things Whoever has God lacks nothing; God alone suffices.”

St. Teresa of Avila (1515 - 1582, Spain)

Preface

In the midst of a world marked by the disintegration of traditional values and a growing sense of disorientation, Western civilization stands at a crossroads. "Choosing to Believe poses the provocative question: Can conscious belief in a personal God be the salvation from the current crisis?

This book shows how the loss of faith and the resulting nihilism are plunging our society into chaos. It offers clear, practical guidance and inspiring examples for those looking for a way out. Discover how faith can offer not only personal fulfillment and stability, but also a return to absolute values and normative orientation.

Be inspired by the stories of people who have rediscovered their faith and experienced profound changes in their lives. "A Deliberate Choice for Faith is not just a book, it is a wake-up call--for you, for your family, and for our society.

Table of Contents

The Central Message

Foreword on the Current Situation

Introduction

Chapter 1: The Crisis of Modernity

1.1 Introduction to the Crisis

1.2 Causes of the Crisis

1.3 Effects of the Crisis

1.4 Examples and Illustrations

1.5 Conclusion of the Chapter

Chapter 2: Possibility of a Way Out

2.1 Introduction to the Way Out

2.2 The Conscious Act of Will

2.3 Transcendent Values and Standards

2.4 Belief in a Personal God

2.5 Practical Implementation of Faith

2.6 The Role of Holiness and Transcendence in the Life of Faith

2.7 Conclusion of the Chapter

Chapter 3: Practical Examples and Inspirations

3.1 Introduction

3.2 Returns and Personal Transformation

3.3 Principles and Practices for Daily Life

3.4 Community and Support

3.5 Reflection and Application

3.6 Conclusion of the Chapter

Chapter 4: Practical Application of Faith in Daily Life

4.1 Introduction

4.2 Personal Spiritual Practices

4.3 Faith and Family

4.4 Faith and Work

4.5 Faith and Community

4.6 Conclusion of the Chapter

Chapter 5: Challenges in the Life of Faith

5.1 Introduction

5.2 Doubt and Crisis

5.3 Social Challenges

5.4 Practical Approaches to Strengthening Faith

5.5 Conclusion of the Chapter

Chapter 6: Additional Topics and Practical Guidance

6.1 Introduction

6.2 Continuing Spiritual Practices

6.3 Faith in the Modern World

6.4 Practical Lifestyle Guidelines

6.5 Community and Social Involvement

6.6 Conclusion of the Chapter

Chapter 7: Conclusion and Outlook

7.1 Review of the Journey

7.2 Personal Reflection and Application

7.3 Outlook and Inspiration

7.4 Concluding Remarks

Appendix

The Story of Rosalind Wright Picard

The Conversion of Ayaan Hirsi Ali:

A Plea for Faith

The Central Message

The central message of this book is as follows:

God is the Creator and Lord of the world, and we can choose to acknowledge this and thereby save ourselves, our society, and our culture.

All subsequent sections of the book are designed to further explain and contextualize this central idea. To this end, a structured format has been chosen in which many different aspects of the topic are presented in a clear and concise manner, considered from different angles, and then elaborated upon. This leads to a deliberate repetition of content when dealing with individual topics and concepts, in order to present them in a kaleidoscopic manner and thus to treat and explain them as comprehensively and in as much depth as possible. It is assumed that the average reader has little religious knowledge and little religious experience. This is therefore not a convenient "reader" in the usual sense, but a systematic collection of arguments and material in support of the central message, which we can formulate in a slightly more sophisticated way as follows:

1. Faith in God as Creator and Sustainer of the world is the way out of our existential social crisis.

2. This faith is open to all of us, because each person can decide to believe in God at any time through a conscious act of will.

This book is therefore intended to clarify certain facts and thus provide a kind of decision-making aid, but it is not intended to be missionary! On the contrary, no one should be persuaded or encouraged to do anything. Everyone decides for himself and on his own responsibility. This is the only way to consciously and willingly believe in God. One must really want to believe! Voluntarily! Out of insight and conviction.

And because the book has no missionary claim, it has even less claim to propagate a particular faith. It is neutral with regard to religions and denominations. There is, however, one important requirement: that the God of whom we speak must be the transcendent Creator and Sustainer of the world, and that this God must be recognized and worshipped as a person, as an individual being with consciousness and will. For only this God fulfills the indispensable conditions that are absolutely necessary for the salvation of us human beings and for the salvation of our world. All other concepts of God explicitly do not fulfill these conditions, because they lack either the transcendent or the personal component. In concrete terms, this means that all pantheistic conceptions of God and all conceptions of an impersonal, anonymous divine power as a causal or immanent factor in creation are not sufficient to solve our acute crisis of meaning and existence. We need God as our counterpart! We need Him as the Lord of the world who has given us rules and guidelines for our lives. Only in this way can we escape the rapidly spreading nihilism that threatens to devour us all.

This non-negotiable requirement for the image of God automatically limits the number of possible religions. In particular, the three monotheistic religions remain: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, because they all appeal to a personal God and see Him as the Creator and Sustainer of the world. And since this book is especially addressed to the most threatened and endangered people of the Western world, and since this culture was primarily built on the foundation of Christianity, it is only natural that in the further course of the book special reference is made to the God defined by Christianity. More specifically, there are many references to Roman Catholic Christianity simply because that is the faith with which the author is most personally familiar. No exclusive claims are made.

As a preface to his own remarks and as a vivid illustration of the current crisis in which Europe and the Western world find themselves, the content of a detailed interview given by the historian and publicist David Engels to the television station ‘Hoch2TV’ on July 26, 2024 is summarized. This is followed by a text in which David Engels' central statements on the opening of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris are also condensed and summarized. His original article on this topic appeared in ‘Tichys Einblick’ on July 27, 2024. The texts are not quoted verbatim or reproduced in their original form; rather, the content is presented in an edited and condensed form in order to make the central ideas clear.

This book is the result of extensive and constructive communication. Therefore, in addition to the author, there are other unnamed contributors. For this reason, the plural is used at various points in the text when the author is mentioned.

No prior knowledge is required to read this book, but since it is not so much for amusing entertainment, but primarily for information and reflection on quite serious topics, a certain amount of patient attention is expected from the reader. After all, it's about everything! Either the individual and society will succeed in regaining a firm foundation by returning to the source of our being, God, and confronting the nothingness of nihilism with the truth of God, in which case salvation is in sight. Or it will not succeed, in which case God have mercy on us, for then all will be lost, both for the individual and for society and culture as a whole, which will sink into the dystopian chaos of non-being.

Foreword on the Current Situation

The Crisis of the West - An Overview of the Theses of Prof. Dr. David Engels

In recent decades we have witnessed a profound transformation of our society, characterized by the loss of traditional values and the dissolution of cultural identities. These developments have led to a crisis of meaning that affects both individuals and entire communities. Prof. Dr. David Engels, a renowned historian and cultural philosopher, has highlighted this problem in his works and analyses. His theses offer valuable insights and form an important basis for the argumentation of this book. Prof. Dr. David Engels' analysis in ten points

Cultural cycle theory: Engels sees Western civilization as being in its late phase, comparable to the final phase of the Roman Republic. This phase is characterized by decadence, moral decay, and political instability, indicating an impending period of conflict. He warns that we are in a situation similar to that of ancient Rome and that a change in thinking is necessary to prevent a complete collapse.

Comparative historical analysis: The study of past civilizations reveals parallels to our present, including mass immigration, demographic decline, and the breakdown of traditional family structures. Engels emphasizes that these historical parallels can help us understand the current crisis and take appropriate measures to avoid similar mistakes.

Technocratic elites: Engels criticizes the technocratic elites in Europe as undemocratic and ideologically anti-Western. In his view, these elites pursue their own interests and promote a global agenda that undermines cultural and national identities. Engels calls for a return to democratic principles and greater popular participation in political decision-making.

Loss of Identity and Universalism: The EU is criticized as an attempt to create a universalist state that neglects Western identity. Engels argues that this universalism leads to the loss of cultural diversity and the uprooting of people. He advocates a "Western patriotism" that preserves Europe's cultural identity and traditional values.

Return to tradition: Engels argues for a conscious and rational return to traditional values and transcendence in order to halt the disintegration of civilization. He sees the revival of religious and cultural traditions as the key to stabilizing society and creating a new sense of community.

Erosion of traditions: According to Engels, the deliberate dismantling of traditions leads to cultural disorientation and nihilism. He describes how the destruction of traditional institutions such as family, religion, and community leads to a loss of meaning and direction. This is very much in line with our comments in the first chapter, where we described the disintegration of values and norms and the dissolution of family structures.

Role of the EU: While Engels supports European cooperation in principle, he criticizes its current implementation and the ideology behind it. He argues for a greater emphasis on defending Western values and interests, while warning of the dangers of excessive centralization.

Historical parallels: Engels sees recurring patterns in history in which civilizations pass through phases of transcendence and immanence. He expects a similar development for the West, in which the current phase of immanence can be overcome by a return to transcendence. This view supports our argument in chapter two, where we explained the need for a transcendent reference point.

The Ambivalence of Restoration: A return to traditional values is not the ideal solution, but a necessary response to disintegration. Engels recognizes the ambivalence of this restoration, but insists that it offers an alternative to the current cultural and moral decay.

Critique of Modern Populism: Engels recognizes the accuracy of many diagnoses of modern populism, but criticizes the unrealistic solutions proposed. He advocates realistic and feasible approaches to overcoming the current crisis and renewing society.

The opening of the 2024 Olympic Games - an example of the decline of civilization:

Prof. Dr. David Engels describes the opening of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris as a symbol of Europe's cultural decline. The event was marked by blasphemous and grotesque performances that reflected the decadence and aesthetics of a Rome choking on its own perversity. The advertising for the Olympics, which showed Paris without its church domes and crosses, already pointed to a conscious removal of religious symbols. The security measures, which excluded millions of people from the city and sealed off entire neighborhoods to prevent attacks, reinforced the impression of an overbearing and controlling state.

The artistic design of the opening ceremony was full of distasteful and controversial elements. Arielle Dombasle's multi-million-dollar interpretation of Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" was the first major media flop, featuring embarrassing choreography and ridiculous gestures. In several places in France, train lines to Paris were disrupted by suspected left-wing "activists," causing major logistical problems. Another embarrassing mishap was the Olympic flag being hoisted upside down, which Engels symbolized as the general incompetence of the French government.

The actual opening ceremony was dominated by a postmodern aesthetic that Engels describes as a "debacle. A feminist gallery of ancestors, an erotically whispered Marseillaise, and floating piles of garbage were just some of the bizarre elements. The culmination of tastelessness was a blasphemous re-enactment of the Last Supper and the presentation of a plump, blue-tinted Dionysus. Engels sees this event as a symbol of the "fin de règne" and the cultural decay of the West, which is leading itself ad absurdum.

Conclusion: The theses and observations of Prof. Dr. David Engels underline the necessity of a return to traditional values and a conscious reorientation towards transcendent principles. They provide a sound basis for the argumentation of this book and clarify why a conscious act of faith in a personal God is a rational and necessary response to the current crisis. This is consistent with our discussion in chapter two, where we present faith as a conscious and rational choice that can lead us out of moral and cultural decline.

Introduction

In a world marked by chaos, meaninglessness, and disorientation, this book aims to offer you a way out. Perhaps you often feel lost in a society that has abandoned its traditional values and norms. Perhaps you feel the effects of a culture that no longer offers clear guidelines and where everything seems relative. This book seeks to offer you a new perspective-a way back to stability, meaning, and direction.

We live in a time when many of us feel that our culture and society are in crisis. Families are breaking up, communities are disintegrating, and many people feel isolated and without real connections. Selfishness and self-centeredness dominate social life, while civility, discipline, and mutual respect are in increasingly short supply. In this book we want to explore why this is so and how we can find a way out.

Our answer lies in belief in a personal God. This term may be new or strange to you. A personal God is a transcendent being who exists beyond space and time and who created the universe, the world, and humanity. This God is not just an abstract idea, but a conscious Creator who has given us rules to live by and to whom we must answer after our physical death.

Rational considerations regarding belief in God:

It is understandable that in our modern and postmodern world, belief in a personal God is often seen as naive or irrational. However, there are good reasons to show that such belief can be perfectly rational and meaningful. Many materialistic and biologistic-evolutionary models of explaining the world run into considerable mathematical difficulties. For example, the time since the Big Bang is not long enough to explain the complex evolution of life and consciousness by chance alone. The mathematical probability that our existence is the result of pure chance is extremely low. This does not prove anything in the strict sense, but it shows that the foundations of modern and postmodern thought are not sacrosanct and are often based on unproven assumptions.

Therefore, conscious belief in God is at least as rational as the nihilism to which many people in our society subscribe. This belief offers not only a deeper sense of meaning, but also a more stable foundation for moral and ethical values. When you choose to believe in God, you are making a well-considered and well-founded decision that can enrich and give direction to your life.

The purpose of this book:

Western societies are in a state of profound dysfunction. The almost absolute and unconditional liberalism that allows everything and makes everything possible for everyone has largely undermined traditional customs and norms. The consequences are widespread and profound. Families are breaking up, marriages are failing, and the social fabric is unraveling. Stable communities are being replaced by loose, temporary ties that create no real bonds or responsibilities.

This disintegration extends to countries and states. Ethnic and cultural identities are diluted in dysfunctional multicultural structures formed by people from different cultural backgrounds. This leads to a general loss of a sense of belonging and community, and isolation increases.

This cultural disintegration is accompanied by a dramatic decline in education and culture, in style and manners, in honor and appropriate behavior. A general coarsening is spreading. Clothing, appearance, behavior and manners have reached a frighteningly low level. Civility, order, style, discipline, and propriety have become foreign words, hardly understood or appreciated in our society. The meaning and purpose of life have disappeared from the consciousness of many people, replaced by the pursuit of immediate gratification. There are no objective values anymore, everything is relative. Public life is increasingly disintegrating, and no one feels responsible for anything. This irresponsibility also prevails in business and the economy. At the same time, we are experiencing an increasingly intrusive state, whose representatives behave like absolute rulers and no longer tolerate any criticism.

In the midst of this cultural and moral decline, it is clear that the solution cannot be found within the existing system. Such a solution must come from outside, from a transcendent source that can give us orientation and stability again. The conscious decision to believe in a personal God who gives us transcendent values and norms is the key to overcoming this crisis. This belief is not a blind act, but a rational decision based on the realization that without this transcendent foundation we will slide into nihilism and meaninglessness.

Traditional religions, especially Christianity, offer us this knowledge and guidance. They contain valuable teachings and principles that can help us put our lives and our societies back on a stable and meaningful footing. This book shows how we can consciously re-integrate these transcendent values into our lives. It offers practical guidance on how individuals, families, and communities can live this faith and thereby achieve a new order and meaning.

Let us walk this path together and discover how consciously choosing to believe can transform our lives and heal our society.

Chapter 1: The Crisis of Modernity

1.1 Introduction to the Crisis

Our modern society is experiencing a profound crisis that manifests itself on many levels. The traditional values and norms that once formed the foundation of our culture and communities are disintegrating. This crisis is not the result of a single problem, but rather the result of a complex interaction of many factors that together present an unprecedented challenge.

The disintegration of traditional values and norms

In the past, values and norms such as honor, respect, discipline, and responsibility were central to social life. These values provided guidance and helped foster a sense of community and cohesion. Today, however, we see that these traditional values are eroding. Relativism and a culture of arbitrariness have taken hold. Clear standards for guiding individual and collective behavior have largely disappeared. The concept of morality seems antiquated, and the pursuit of instant gratification and personal freedom without regard for others has grown in importance.

Disintegration of Families and Communities

A particularly alarming aspect of this crisis is the breakdown of families and communities. Family structures, once considered the cornerstone of society, are crumbling. Divorce rates are high, and more and more children are growing up in broken or single-parent households. The traditional role of the family as a place of stability and transmission of values is increasingly challenged. At the same time, we are witnessing the erosion of communities. Places where people support each other and come together are declining. Loneliness is on the rise, and many people feel isolated and without real connections.

The Dominance of Selfishness and Self-Centeredness

These social changes are accompanied by an increasing dominance of selfishness and self-centeredness. In a culture that values individualism and personal freedom above all else, altruistic values and the common good are often neglected. People are more concerned with satisfying their own needs and desires than with taking responsibility for their fellow human beings. This leads to a fragmentation of society and a lack of social cohesion.

Decline in Aesthetics, Decency, Dignity and Style

The social decline is also evident in the erosion of aesthetics, decency, dignity and style in all facets of life. Everything is becoming vulgar and tasteless. Clothing, art, architecture, and entertainment are increasingly characterized by arbitrariness and superficiality. Society is neglected and loses its sense of beauty and elegance. Decency and courtesy have become rare, and respectful interaction is replaced by rude and selfish behavior. The dignity of the individual is often disregarded and there is a general lack of respect for others.

General arbitrariness and levelling of values