Civil Civilizations

Unruly crowd in colonial Charleston - alamy.com

Is a civilization either civil or not, or something between? Maybe we should ask that question more often. For instance, is the US more civil today than it was nearly 300 years ago? Some would say yes or no, others, who knows? And still some might say who cares?

So let's probe into it as author Mark Steyn did for Hillsdale College quite recently. His lecture was titled Our Increasingly Unrecognizable Civilization printed in the College's monthly journal Imprimis.

Yes, civilizations can become unrecognizable, not only to historians but probably to many others even if less knowledgeable. Should a Country, Nation, Republic, Society or Commonwealth be considered a Civilization or only as Civilized, Uncivilized or Unrecognizable? What is your opinion? Go to Webster's for multiple definitions like this one in its Learner Section:Civilization: 1. The condition that exists when people have developed effective ways of organizing a society and care about art, science;  and 2. All the societies in the world is also included as a definition so it is indeed complicated.

Let's conclude with civility vs spirituality for a society and for the world. Civility includes behaving, courtesy, friendliness, good manners, politeness, speaking kindly and comes from a Latin word civillis which implies relating to public life, befitting a citizen. These are all included in spirituality (or should be). Spirituality includes Godliness, becoming a Christian by accepting Jesus Christ God's Son as both Savior and Lord (Master), and as a disciple (learner), a witness, and of course civility. Ideally, Christianity should be available for a society or many societies to exist as Christian (not as Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim etc. nor as atheistic or secular).

In closing, how would you classify our Country, and for example, Canada, China, England, Iran, Mexico, Japan? Or our Universe? Recognizable or maybe  Unrecognizable? Something to think about in our spare time maybe?