This document discusses the concept of a "culture of death" and contrasts it with building a "culture of life". It defines elements of a culture of death as having a wrong idea of man, freedom, and God which can lead to moral delusion, insensitivity, exploitation and violence. The document calls people to confront this culture of death and instead build a civilization based on life and love. An example is given of elephants in India being conditioned from a young age to believe they are restrained by ropes through an imprinted false belief, showing how culture and beliefs shape our actions.
4. “Rejoice, O young men and women,
while you are young and let your
heart be glad in the days of your
youth” Ecclesiastes 11:9
“Carpe Diem”
Seize the day
(But it is not the license to do whatever you want)
6. You may know that in
India elephants are used
for manual labor.
But what to do with
them when they are not
working?
How to restrain them?
7. HOW DOES IT WORK?
When the elephants are
still small, weighing
around 150 pounds they
get tied up with a very
heavy rope. All day long,
the elephants try to get rid
of it, whine, tug at it and
some of them even try to
chew it. But they can’t
break free.
Their handlers came up with the
idea to “program” them while they
are still very young by setting self-
imposed limits into their thinking.
8. From this moment on,
they strongly believe that
there is absolutely no
chance to get rid of the
rope.
Finally the elephant gives
up and the fight is over.
9. They accept the “fact” that the rope limits
them. And with this imprinted belief in place,
their handlers are able to tie them with
extremely small ropes later on.
Even as adults weighing 8,000 pounds and
more, they never attempt to break free,
because they “know” they have no chance at
all!
As you can see,
the elephants’ limits
are not real
but exist only in their
mind.
10. We also have built-in boundaries.
Our belief systems
They condition the way we act.
And our behavior and attitudes
flow from them.
This is what CULTUREmeans.
11. Today, we face a crippling culture,
the Culture of Death!
12. Elements of a Culture of
Death
• 1. Wrong idea of man
32. Old Testament Significance
The 5th commandment forbids
us from making any direct
attack on human life.
To dishonor the gift of life is to
dishonor the Giver of life.
33. Seatwork
Make an editorial cartoon that
shows how the culture of death
affects the Filipinos today and
how we are all called to build a
civilization of life and love
