I said I would re-read and so I have. Now for the comment. So, what did I write about it before? I checked a bit into that with links to those posts:
As for number 1, not much has changed there. In fact, it has been enhanced. We do seem to be going in that direction. Feeding the Christians to the lions is definitely possible, for we aren't any more immune to that than any other people on this earth. The only things that may separate us is our Constitution and a belief in God, but these could be going out of style in this country.
I write that, and people may scoff at it. One theme in the book is about how people tried to pretend to be Christians. You can't fake something like that. For a true Christian will allow himself/herself to be thrown to the lions. Happened before and it could happen again. Now, there could be a whole lot of "pretend Christians" out there who will never allow that. If so, then there may not be any TRUE Christians at all. If there are none of those, and none permitted, then what prevents the horrific spectacles that the Romans were capable of? What restrains people, beside a TRUE belief in God? A pretend belief won't.
One thing has changed though. I wrote favorably of Ayn Rand, and I think she was wrong about something. To put it as briefly as possible, I'd say Rand believed that people can orient themselves to the objective state and stay there. But that may be where her error lies. There is a bit of subjectivity in every person, and that is what can make us irrational. In other words, people can never reach her idealized state of pure objectivity. People don't stay objective when their own skins are at risk.
Secondly, I attributed a better outcome to these difference in philosophies, as Rand did. Perhaps I should walk that back a bit because I relied too much on her opinion. I have no opinion on the competing philosophies at this time, but my opinion could now have changed to something Rand would probably condemn.
I think Christianity may have made our modern high tech society possible because it enables TRUTH, which from science is the seeking of same, whereas anything false will subvert it.
The Romans could have said to have been the same, but that is not so. If it were, then the Pretend Christians would have inherited the Church.
As for number 2, I'm still not Catholic. Nor am I likely to convert. Perhaps I'm more useful outside of the current institutions because as they stand now, I'm pretty glad I'm not with any of them. I hate phonies and always will.
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