The Collapse of Western Civilization
As the Notre Dame Cathedral so tragically collapsed one month ago, so did, in a sense, the West. The fires that would engulf the beautiful cathedral symbolized the fires that have engulfed Western Civilization.
Modernism, postmodernism, and progressivism have all taken their toll on the West. The lack of appreciation for the progress Western civilization has made from the time the Notre Dame Cathedral was built to today is a catastrophic vindication of today’s society as a whole.
The rejection of faith as the foundation for our lives has led to the search for something to replace it. The lack of dedication to our spiritual values has led to the loss of meaning and purpose in our lives. The rejection of truth as an objective standard based on the Bible has created a “post-truth” world in which feelings and emotions take precedence over what is right and wrong. The hatred for church and religion has caused many to become alienated and search for meaning somewhere else. The lack of values, meaning, and purpose is breeding a generation that hates the founding principles that made the West so great.
Already, millions of dollars have been raised to rebuild the cathedral, but no amount of money can rebuild the spiritual collapse that has culminated for centuries. As the world reflects on what was lost last month, one has to wonder if what the cathedral represented can ever be found again.
So, yes, weep for Notre Dame. It is more than just a church; it is a symbol of a civilization that has slowly been burned to the ground through no fault but its own. Only through the rediscovering of the values that made Western Civilization so great (faith, liberty, community, a desire for knowledge, the rule of law) can the West be built and renewed.