Silent Apocalypse

  1. Lemma
  2. Тихий апокалипсис
  3. Russian
  4. Asliturk, Miriam
  5. Ethics - Ecology and the environment - Concepts of knowledge and modes of reasoning > Materialism/Idealism
  6. 19-10-2018
  7. Шишкин, Димитрий [Author]. Тихий апокалипсис
  8. Православие.Ru
  9. apocalypse - Climate change - Russian Orthodoxy - morality - materialism - Human nature
  10. Click Here
    1. <p>Шишкин, Дмитрий (2011). Тихий апокалипсис. <em>Православие.Ru</em>. Retrieved from: <a href="http://www.pravoslavie.ru/45629.html">http://www.pravoslavie.ru/45629.html</a> </p>

    1. The author, a priest working in the Crimea, posits that today’s media uses the concept of the apocalypse as a thrill to attract the public’s attention. The author reminds the reader that the word apocalypse in Christianity means revelation: God’s message to the people to make them wake up and see the rightful meaning of life, which is to be in unity with God. 

      In the author’s view, the media represents the apocalypse as a global natural disaster: a tsunami or a radioactive contamination, whereas in his view there are more threatening features of the apocalypse. St. Paul described it as a time when people would become less loving, more egoistic, vain, malicious, and ungrateful. The real climate change, posits the author, is the change of a human nature that becomes more and more selfish and lacking empathy. The Bible teaches not to be afraid of things that kill the body; it insists instead that it is the soul without Christ which represents the real horror. A person who is not sensitive to the pain of others is in fact the mark of the approaching apocalypse. The author believes that today’s society can be diagnosed with a dependency on pleasure, comfort, and love of power. Dependency on promiscuity destroys families and corrupts children’s psychological health.

      The author adds that some dependencies are highly praised by society but seen as sinful in Christianity: the desire for success, career achievements, and money. This alleged healthy ambition is a destructive dependency that makes people become slaves of pride. These so-called successful people cannot see the sin in them and this is the main characteristic of spiritual death.

      Even taking care of daily problems can represent a hidden sin in Christianity. For example it is easy to justify deceit and self-interest by noble defense of family interests. This sin is even worse than gluttony and drunkenness because its effects are not that evident. It is hard to admit that taking care of one’s family can become a source of destruction for the human soul. It is good to work and care for the family but this should be done in unity with God.

      The author concludes by stating that the disaster at the Fukushima nuclear power station can be interpreted as a warning to humanity. The catastrophe also reminds people that happiness is not possible without faith.