We should become peasants.

[Theodora Elizabeth]

I'm not good at simple living... so maybe I should post on temptations that lead you away from simple living (something I have a lot of experience with!) Recently my wife and I bought another TV. We've thrown out or given away two since we were married 18 months ago, along with DVD players, VCRs, etc. It's taken me a while to realise that sometimes our proverbial "spiritual eyes" are bigger than our "spiritual stomachs". We see spiritual meat and want it (in the form of humility, simplicity, etc.), even though we are really only ready for spiritual milk. For us, having no cable seems to be as "simple" as we can live, even if it isn't the ultimate goal I fantasize about. Most times it's nothing more than spiritual delusion to think I should jump into the deep water straight off and go as simplistic as I can get.

Your comment about the TV had me in hysterics. Here's why: I'm having endometriosis outpatient surgery (but I'll be laid up for a few days) the end of July. Fellow parishioners will be taking care of me since I live alone and the parents are 300+ miles away, and will not be coming (that's fine - since they would stress me out more). Mom called a couple of nights ago, telling me they want to send me a couple of hundred dollars so I could, among other things, buy a small TV for when I'm laid up. They can't comprehend I LIKE being without one, and prefer books and the radio for news. I told her I'll still take the money, but I'll use it for something else.

Theodora Elizabeth

[Vasily]

The TV and DVD part is funny. I am glad I'm not the only one who, with good hopes, has given up my DVD only to have another one appear later. My wife loves spending time together watching movies and having family movie night, which isn't all bad.

[尼古拉前执事]

I was re-reading these threads and someone asked me to see if people were still interested in this as he and a few others he knew were, so I figured I would bump it up for everyone.

[Грешник]

I sincerely believe that this is a possibility, maybe now more tan ever. I think that it would be good tp bring this up again as I think that by talking like this, of topics like this, it shows the desires of some people and the ability to work with ideas like this in a constructive manner.

I like very much this idea and think that with proper prayers and the ability to work together, those who desire soething like this it might just work out.

We start small and work towards a big picture.

[Грешник]

By the way, I voted for #3. My lease is up in a year. Let's get cracking!

[Etienne]

An intriguing concept. My son stayed at an Amish community as part of an educational trip to the States, some 10 years ago.

Practically I see a number of issues would need some hard-boiled thought, many already addressed.

• If agricultural, seed companies increasingly moving toward products you cannot take viable seed from to replicate crop. This is something third world farmers are already finding. So you are going to need cash.

• Governments, national and local want their taxes and the like, so you need cash. Same applies for healthcare.

• Young people have always rebelled against their elders norms and expectations. (I remember a young monk telling me of the care the Elder Sophrony took of him, and his patience while a young man went his own way for a while).

• Who will own the property and how would the community organise and 'govern' itself?

• Which local Church would it adhere to, and what would happen if the two 'fell' out? (Just think of the 'justified' jurisdiction hopping we see now).

• What would happen, even a highly a society where everyone appears to sue everyone else at the drop of a hat, if the community were sued for 'equal rights' violations, child or elder abuse, etc? You would need a LOT of cash.

It feels a lovely idea but a Utopian one, perhaps we need to struggle in the desert of this world in the hope of salvation in the next?

[TomS]

I voted for #2. I develop and sell a software package for state and county criminal justice agencies (i.e, pretiral, probation, drug courts) so my business can be conducted anywhere that I have an internet connection.