The Heart of the Matter: The Death of Truth

Part 11 of 14 – This series of columns is based on the work of Fr. Chad Ripperger that analyzes the spirits of the past six generations and how those spirits have affected the Church.  We only ask that you consider whether his descriptions are true in a general sense, even if they do not describe you or people you know.

When viewed from the perspective that Fr. Chad Ripperger provides in his analysis of generational spirits, it is almost predictable what the children of the Baby Boomers would become.  Sometimes distinguished as Generation X and Generation Y, they really comprise only one generation characterized by narcissism and a sense of entitlement.  For this reason, they are sometimes called the “Me Generation,” with the latter-born (GenY) referred to as “millenials.”

Fr. Ripperger identifies the generational spirit of these children of the Boomers as “amorality or the absence of religiosity.”  “Amoral” means not recognizing or accepting any moral standards, as opposed to “immoral” which is doing what is wrong.  There is no right and wrong to the amoral person, only the unconcerned, vacuous “whatever…” this generation coined.

The members of this generation are often hallmarked by nice personalities, somewhat easy to get along with, and are not mean spirited. They are not “immoral” in the sense which we will see with the next generation. They are unlikely to steal another’s property, hurt others, or argue with others.

The pursuit of truth was not part of their makeup.  The Christian faith of their forbears was only an accident of history, and history itself only a vague cloud unconnected to the reality of their lives.  Many, if not most, of them would be unable to tell you what the date of the year–1998, for example–stood for.  The Gospels were only stories that may or may not have actually happened, but even if they did, it had no relevance in their lives.  This generation reduced religion to a personal choice or preference. 

They tend not to see the point of religion and this is the generation that was first allowed “to choose which religion” it would follow. That set the stage for the Sixth Generation, which is their progeny. (all quotes taken from Latin Mass magazine, summer 2012)

For you say, ‘I am rich and affluent and have no need of anything,’ and yet do not realize that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.  (Revelation 3:17)