Dumb as a Bag of Rocks

And Not as Useful

3-24-22

Is it just me or are people getting dumber and dumber? I'm including myself in that category of dumb. I believe present-day humans are as dumb as a bag of rocks, and not as useful since a bag of rocks is quite useful for all kinds of things (e.g. hitting dumb people on the head with).

Hey! I resemble that remark.

I was reading the Daily Gospel today, with commentary online. Here it is, see if you understand what Jesus is saying:

Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute, and when the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke and the crowds were amazed. Some of them said, "By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons, he drives out demons." Others, to test him, asked him for a sign from heaven.

But he knew their thoughts and said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste and house will fall against house. And if Satan is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand?

For you say that it is by Beelzebul that I drive out demons. If I, then, drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own people drive them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if it is by the finger of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

When a strong man fully armed guards his palace, his possessions are safe. But when one stronger than he attacks and overcomes him, he takes away the armor on which he relied and distributes the spoils. Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters." Saint Luke 11: 14-23.

I read that three times and still I do not get it. The words just do not register in my brain. † "If I, then, drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own people drive them out? Therefore they will be your judges." † Who is Jesus talking about with "they will be your judges?"

Then He says † "Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters." † Probably a parable sentence talking about reaping and sowing, but it just does not register with me about gathering and scattering.

Maybe modern humans are just too far removed from the land to understand Jesus' parables anymore. But it's more than just the parables. The actual words are getting harder and harder to understand (or maybe I'm just having a slow brain bleed lately).

Read the Bible, if you can. That book is difficult to read. The words are hefty and weighty and the grammar is difficult. Not to mention the subject matter. I can read a paragraph and go over it a thousand times and still not understand what it means. This is the Word of God, but written down by mere people thousands of years ago. The people back then must have been geniuses compared to us dullards now.

Seriously.

Hefty, Hefty, Hefty!

Case in point, here is the commentary on today's Gospel by Saint Catherine of Siena (1347-1380):

[Saint Catherine heard God say to her]: You reach perfection through knowledge and contempt of yourself and knowledge of my goodness. And at no time does the soul know herself so well, if I am within her, as when she is most beleaguered. Why? I will tell you. She knows herself well when she finds herself besieged and can neither free herself nor resist being captured. Yes, she can resist with her will to the point of not giving her consent, but that is all. Then she can come to know that of herself she is nothing. For if she were anything at all of herself she would be able to get rid of what she did not want. So in this way she is humbled in true self-knowledge, and in the light of holy faith she runs to me, God eternal. For by my goodness she was able to maintain her good and holy will steadfast when she was sorely besieged so that she did not imitate the wretched things that were vexing her.

You have good reason, then, to take comfort in the teaching of the gentle, loving Word, my only-begotten Son, in times of great trouble, suffering and adversity, and when you are tempted by people or the devil. For these things strengthen your virtue and bring you to great perfection. (The gift of tears, chap. III, no. 90 (The Dialogue) : (Classics of Western spirituality, trans. Suzanne Noffke, London: SPCK, 1980, p.168))

Are you kidding me? Saint Catherine back in the 1300's apparently understood all of the above. I read that over and over and don't get it. Maybe modern humans can't read so many words anymore. Maybe the words have lost their meanings. Maybe we just don't care. Maybe we are as dumb as a bag of rocks.

I think it is the latter assessment.

Apparently even the most intelligent judge in the history of mankind can no longer define who a woman is. Who is a woman? Nobody knows without being a biologist. But then biologists don't know either, because... dumbness. Jesus knew who a woman was. Catherine of Sienna knew who a woman was. But modern humans do not have a clue:

Duh...

I could go on and on with examples of human dumbness - masks, pcr tests, clot shots, cellphones, social media, doctors, schools, workplaces, etc., but I try to stay away from dumbing myself down even more, knowing that I am already thousands of levels dumber than my ancestors. That's why I read the Bible - to try to smarten up.

If the whole world was actually forced to read the Bible, we would see how dumb we really are - probably even dumber than a bag of rocks.

Hey! I resemble that remark.