"Prepping" for Disaster, Collapse or Total Destruction

There is a considerable literature on disaster preparedness. The idea of a Disaster is one of some limited catastrophe that leaves intact the basic structures of civilization; and the problem is a matter of bridging the temporary gap that exists before civilization regrows to restore normality.

Beyond a Disaster is what currently is very likely: Collapse.

In a Collapse the basic structure of civilization is destroyed. This may be permanent (ie. may last many human generations) - or the gap may be filled, to a greater or lesser degree, by assimilation into a surviving external civilization - by being invaded, colonized, or whatever.


The gap caused by Collapse is far too great for preparations to be relevant - not to recognise this is to fail to understand the nature of a Collapse.

When a civilization goes-down, problems are too many, too unpredictable, and too severe, for planning survival. Think of being an Ancient Briton/ Celtic family when the Roman legions departed c. 410 AD. Trade almost ceased, the standard of living plummeted by half (which meant about half as much food), government evaporated, bandits and feuding warlords arose, technologies broke and could not be replaced...  

And if Collapse is Global, as it will be, nowadays; then it is essentially permanent.


Of course, if Total (planetary) Destruction is the prospect - something like a solar incineration, or an impact from space, or some kind of cataclysmic volcano-earthquake scenario; then nothing could be done to ensure survival.


So, what's the point of this discussion? Well, partly that 'Prepping' is of value for a limited span of possibilities, and when it comes to the main possibility confronting us here-and-now - which is civilizational Collapse; Prep is essentially irrelevant.

I also have a problem with the Prepping mind-set; which is focused on material, physical survival - on 'saving our skins'. Most Preppers are thoroughly materialist and hedonic in their world-view - they are 'survivalists' who regard death as annihilation and 'therefore' something to be postponed for as long as possible.

(Actually that 'therefore' doesn't follow; because if death is inevitable, it is also possible to infer that one might as well get death over and done-with; especially if the situation is one of suffering, fear, misery, boredom, despair...)

A further problem is that the survivalist mindset will lead to Christian Apsotasy in a world where evil controls all the social systems, all the institutions for survival. Sooner or later, the Christian will find himself in a situation where to survive would entail actively supporting institutions with evil motivations.

Indeed, we are surely here already? Anyone in doubt now knows-for-sure - from their explicit statements over the past couple of weeks - that all governments, bureaucracies, mass media... all the major social institutions are actively supporting Evil Liars - the forces of value-inversion. Yet we all rely upon these institutions to keep us alive...


If we regard the current world crisis, the totalitarian takeover, the increasingly overt and aggressive civilizational suicide; as essentially a spiritual phenomenon; then it becomes primarily important to think about salvation rather than survival; and about theosis rather than preparedness. 


The challenges are, or soon will be, to remain Christian when there are so many forces encouraging the support of that which is evil in its nature and motivation; and to learn the personal spiritual lessons from the many unprecedented experiences of this era.

Because our situation is unprecedented. The entire world leadership is corrupt and on the side of evil - and the mass majority are either supportive or passively compliant.

Hence we absolutely-must think for our-selves; each individual person must discern and evaluate the situation because (almost certainly) there is nobody else that we can (or should) trust to do it for us.


This is Not really "Preparedness", because we do not know what will happen nor when. Nor is it a matter of being prepared for a disaster 'at any moment' - which (if we are honest) would not be compatible with a good daily life.

It is more a matter of you and me being awake and aware, of learning from our actual daily experiences, of attuning to our own deepest thinking and genuine intuitions.

A matter of Not 'putting off' the main business of life.

If we don't do it now - we may never get the chance to do it at all.