Some random thoughts in regard to this post and comments...

I no longer consider myself a Christian (although I certainly hold a lot of Christian values). I believe in a higher power and maybe Jesus did exist. I don't know...it's irrelevant...the point is to be the best person you can be. Jesus was an example of that. That being said, I haven't celebrated Xmas since I was a kid...even if I was Christian, it's actually a pagan holiday if you look at history. Second, it's extremely commercialized. I save lots of money, time and stress by not participating. I've also always been one of those people who never wants to do what the masses are doing. Finally, I only have one close family member left (mom) so there's really no point.

About the person who said they can't discuss anything deep with their family - I feel for you. I am lucky though that I can discuss deep stuff with my mom and certain friends. I can't stand the superficiality of the world anymore.

As far as cultural decline...I believe that media forms culture, not the other way around. People are too susceptible to the programming. And so, TPTB are shaping society. It's a tough thing to overcome because public schools are there to dumb us down now. I am encouraged by the current backlash against the MSM, but it's not going to be enough to turn the tide. We are getting closer to the movie Idiocracy every day.

Technology has also been part of our downfall because it's all been about making money, not truly bettering society. I honestly think our society is not spiritually advanced enough to use technology for the better. And I admit, for a loner like me, it's easy to fall into the trap of vegging out on the computer instead of interacting with people in real life. But, I've always been like that unless you add alcohol, which I can't have much of these days.

Anyways, those are just some of my random thoughts...