Titanic as a symbol of the foundering of human hubris

wolfsbane · 15-04-2012 03:36PM #1

This 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic has given me cause to reflect on what it meant to the folks back then, and how it was to foreshadow the tragedies of the 20th Century.

I've listened to interviews with survivors and their families, with people intimately involved with the creation of Titanic, and western society back then. What a shock to them all!

Not only the tragedy of 1512 lost souls, but the realisation that human ingenuity was not invincible.

**********************************************************************
Psalm 146:3 Do not put your trust in princes,
Nor in a son of man, in whom there is no help.
4 His spirit departs, he returns to his earth;
In that very day his plans perish.

Run_to_da_hills · 15-04-2012 03:56PM

Jack Chick dose two versions of this story.

Cartoon & Video.

gimmebroadband · 15-04-2012 08:31PM

Just came across this article!

Did anti-Catholic sentiment of Titanic workforce help doom the unsinkable ship? Reports of anti-Catholic secret messages on the Titanic in Belfast were widespread........

http://www.printthis.clickability.com/pt/cpt?expire=&title=Did+anti-Catholic+sentiment+of+Titanic+workforce+help+doom+the+unsinkable+ship?+|+Irish+News+|+IrishCentral&urlID=475780891&action=cpt&partnerID=460162&cid=147293105&fb=Y&url=http://ww

swiftblade · 15-04-2012 10:09PM

gimmebroadband wrote: »

Just came across this article!

Did anti-Catholic sentiment of Titanic workforce help doom the unsinkable ship? Reports of anti-Catholic secret messages on the Titanic in Belfast were widespread........

http://www.printthis.clickability.com/pt/cpt?expire=&title=Did+anti-Catholic+sentiment+of+Titanic+workforce+help+doom+the+unsinkable+ship?+|+Irish+News+|+IrishCentral&urlID=475780891&action=cpt&partnerID=460162&cid=147293105&fb=Y&url=http://ww

Oh for crying out loud! You're not serious I hope?

lmaopml · 15-04-2012 10:23PM

Yeah I think pride played a part in the Titanic sinking on it's maiden voyage - For some reason the history of the Titanic, it's building, the background, it's passengers seperated by class etc. seems to move people and fascinate them -

It's different when somebody goes off to war and dies, but some of these people, in many cases were full of life and looking forward to a new start in America. We can be in NY these days in six hours - amazing the feats of man in the last century -

Still, I think the most resounding story of the Titanic, is the very real stories of those who made a decision to die, so others could live - not soldiers, not even any particular class or creed - that's possibly why it haunts and inspires so many, the people and what it brought out in them, the best, the worst, the least became the greatest.

roro1neil0 · 15-04-2012 10:27PM

Sounds like you are forming your opinion based on the kate winslet movie and not on historical fact.

The RMS Olympic was a precursor to the Titanic and was almost as big. It made the exact same journey as the Titanic without incident and was a long time at sea. When the Titanic launched it wasn't really to much fanfare due to the success of the RMS Olympic

gimmebroadband · 15-04-2012 10:27PM

swiftblade wrote: »

Oh for crying out loud! You're not serious I hope?

I posted it here as a point of interest, I didn't say I believed it!

marty1985 · 15-04-2012 10:34PM

gimmebroadband wrote: »

Just came across this article!

Did anti-Catholic sentiment of Titanic workforce help doom the unsinkable ship? Reports of anti-Catholic secret messages on the Titanic in Belfast were widespread........

http://www.printthis.clickability.com/pt/cpt?expire=&title=Did+anti-Catholic+sentiment+of+Titanic+workforce+help+doom+the+unsinkable+ship?+|+Irish+News+|+IrishCentral&urlID=475780891&action=cpt&partnerID=460162&cid=147293105&fb=Y&url=http://ww

http://www.snopes.com/history/titanic/nopope.asp

swiftblade · 15-04-2012 10:35PM

gimmebroadband wrote: »

I posted it here as a point of interest, I didn't say I believed it!

Ahh Ok. Read it wrong then, sorry

al28283 · 15-04-2012 10:39PM

The whole unsinkable ship thing wasn't as big a deal as we think it was. Not much was made of the claim until it sank and the legend and mythos of the Titanic took over

wolfsbane · 22-04-2012 04:10PM

roro1neil0 wrote: »

Sounds like you are forming your opinion based on the kate winslet movie and not on historical fact.

The RMS Olympic was a precursor to the Titanic and was almost as big. It made the exact same journey as the Titanic without incident and was a long time at sea. When the Titanic launched it wasn't really to much fanfare due to the success of the RMS Olympic

My apologies for delay in reply - we were replacing our kitchen and the fridge had to take the spot in front of my PC. Should have gone for WiFi when I had the chance!

The Titanic had two sister ships, the Olympic and the Britannic:
http://www.starway.org/Titanic/Sister_Ships.html

I'm ignoring whatever I gleaned from the Kate Winslet movie. I'm going on the testimonies of contemporary commentators and survivors. Their confidence in mankind's conquest of nature took the hit with Titanic. Had the Olympic gone down beforehand, the hit would have come with it.

The larger hit came with the World War and all that followed, I'm led to believe by the commentators. I wasn't there, so I can't comment myself.

***************************************************************
Psalm 146:3 Do not put your trust in princes,
Nor in a son of man, in whom there is no help.
4 His spirit departs, he returns to his earth;
In that very day his plans perish.

wolfsbane · 22-04-2012 04:14PM

al28283 wrote: »

The whole unsinkable ship thing wasn't as big a deal as we think it was. Not much was made of the claim until it sank and the legend and mythos of the Titanic took over

It wouldn't be a big deal, as it was the assumption. It was taken for granted.

Many of our present society took it for granted that property prices were a sure thing. Not a big deal, just a happy truth. Until it was proved otherwise.

**********************************************************************
Psalm 146:3 Do not put your trust in princes,
Nor in a son of man, in whom there is no help.
4 His spirit departs, he returns to his earth;
In that very day his plans perish.

Titanic as a symbol of the foundering of human hubris

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