or is there?
some thoughts from richard rohr:
"if contemplation teaches us to see an enchanted world, cynicism is afraid there is nothing there. as a people, we have become cynical about ourselves, our world, our future. someone rightly said, 'the problem is no longer to believe in god; it's to believe in humanity.' we're tremendously underconfident about what it means to be human. for many secular people today we live in a disenchanted universe without meaning, purpose or direction. we are aware only of what is not. seldom do we enjoy what it is. probably it is only healthy religion that is prepared to answer that question. healthy religion is an enthusiasm about what is, not an anger about what isn't."
Everything Belongs. New York: The Crossroad Publishing Company, 2003. 96.
and, closer to home, pete rollins:
"...the original cynics...far from being nihilists and relativists, were deeply moral individuals who questioned the ethical conduct they saw around them precisely because they loved morality so much."
How (Not) to Speak of God. London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 2006. 26.
and, further afield, douglas coupland:
"i asked her if she was unhappy; she says it is not a question of happiness. she says she remembers another thing about when she was young - she remembers when the world was full of wonder - when life was a strand of magic moments strung together, a succession of mysteries revealed, leaving her feeling as though she was in a trance. she remembers back when all it took to make her feel like she was a part of the stars was to simply talk abotu things like death and life and the universe. she doesn't know how to reclaim that sense of magic anymore.
i told her to wait - that maybe this is about something else."
Life After God. London: Scribner, 2002. 107-8.
it's a wonder-ful life.
go and cyn some/no more.
