Digital Babylon, Ancient Pride: The Culture War's Biblical Roots

Description:
What if our technological achievements are actually building our own hell? How did "I define myself" become humanity's most dangerous claim? How can you orient yourself towards the good, and what are the consequences if you don’t? Join us as we wrestle with Jordan Peterson's analysis of the Tower of Babel—a timeless warning about the alliance between tyranny, pride, and technological hubris. In Chapter 5, Peterson reveals how the ancient builders of Babel mirror our modern moment: engineers drunk on their own brilliance, societies fragmenting into incomprehensible languages, and the collapse of shared meaning itself. We'll explore how Luciferian pride corrupts both the masculine drive for technological mastery and its feminine counterpart, the exploitation of beauty and sexuality for power. From the violent fate of tyrants throughout history to the confusion surrounding fundamental categories like male and female, Peterson traces how abandoning transcendent truth leads inevitably to tyrannical hell. When we declare "I am that I am," we shatter the very foundations that make communication and civilization possible. This ancient story can serve as a mirror reflecting our current cultural moment. Whether you're wrestling with questions of meaning, tradition, or the proper ordering of society, this story will challenge you to examine where you've placed your ultimate allegiance.

Questions for Discussion:
How do you approach the idea of attributing your achievements to God versus your own effort?
Have you ever found yourself working on something that wasn’t truly “at the highest aim,” but you wanted to argue that it was? If so, how did you grapple with this?
Do you feel like you struggle to separate worship of the intellect from worship of God? How do you worship?
What modern projects strike you as being akin to the Tower of Babel from the biblical story, and why? Do you think anyone changes their assessment of such projects due to such parallels or warnings?

No prior reading required, though Chapter 5 provides rich material for reflection. Come ready for deep discussion about pride, humility, and what it truly means to build something that reaches toward heaven without becoming our own god. Book available here: https://a.co/d/4jCV1gw

GENERAL INFORMATION: The first half hour of our meetup is for mingling, then 7:30pm-10pm consists of a formal presentation and discussion; the discussion section may divide into smaller groups if size necessitates. All are encouraged to contribute to the formal discussion, although you may decline if you wish. Afterwards, we enjoy further discussion with those who wish to stay longer and pursue pertinent topics in more depth, but people should feel free to leave whenever they want/need to. We have a potluck for everyone to partake of throughout the evening, so bring some food to share if you wish (this could be anything from a bag of chips to a homemade dish). Our fundamental principle is to encourage the free expression and exploration of ideas. Therefore, we will never silence controversial views that anyone may have about a topic. For the same reason, we do not tolerate direct personal attacks, which only impede genuine dialogue. DISCORD SERVER (updated link!): The group has a Discord server! This gives us all a space to talk about stuff between meetups. Use the following link to join, if you haven't already: https://discord.gg/FRab8G8j2V