Have You Been Influenced By Cynics?

"THE cynic is one who never sees a good quality in man, and never fails to see a bad one.  He is a human owl, vigilant in darkness, and blind to light, mousing for vermin, and never seeing noble game."  This statement has been attributed to the 19th-century American clergyman Henry Ward Beecher.  Many may think that it accurately portrays the spirit of a modern-day cynic.  But the word "cynic" originated in ancient Greece, where it did not simply denote someone displaying such an attitude.  For centuries, it referred to a school of philosophers.

How did the philosophy of  the Cynics develop?  What did they teach? Would the traits of a Cynic be desirable in a Christian?

Next time: Ancient Cynics-Their Origins and Beliefs

Watchtower, 2000