The All-Consuming Self

September 15, 2007 Posted by Roger OvertoncloseAuthor: Roger Overton Name: Roger Overton
Email: rogeroverton@hotmail.com
Site: http://ateamblog.com
About: Roger Overton is currently pursuing a Masters degree at Talbot School of Theology. He has addressed various churches, schools and youth camps throughout the United States. Roger was co-editor of The New Media Frontier (Crossway, 2008) and God and Governing (Wipf & Stock, 2009). Roger can be emailed at rogeroverton@hotmail.com.See Authors Posts (559)

In the comments to a previous post, Aaron Snell referenced
the classical notion of freedom meaning “freedom to.” Ironically, I’ve been
reading Biblical Christian Ethics by David Clyde Jones and he discussed this as
well. Jones notes the shift from freedom being the ability to do what’s right,
to the current idea in our society that freedom is the ability to do what you
want…

“One of the most perceptive analyses of the American
character in the 1980s was the best-seller Habits of the Heart, by Robert
Bellah and four associates. The authors, backed up by their extensive
sociological research, observe that “Americans tend to think of the ultimate
goals of a good life as matters of personal choice.” Americans accordingly rank
freedom has practically become definitive of the good in the American mind. But
as Americans typically describe it, freedom is a summum bonum without positive content.

“Freedom turns out to mean being left alone by others, not
having other people’s values, ideas, or styles of life forced upon one, being
fee of arbitrary authority in work, family, and political life. What it is that
one might do with that freedom is much more difficult for Americans to define.”
(Bellah)

Freedom in the biblical tradition means freedom to do the
will of God; in the republican tradition, to participate in working for the
common good of society. But in modern American individualism, freedom means “freedom
of choice” without reference to objective moral criteria. “What does the Bill
of Rights mean to you?” a reporter asked a schoolchild viewing the original
manuscript on display. “Being free to do whatever you want,” was not the
expected reply. This is how the posterity of the founders of the American
republic typically construe the “blessings of liberty” it as the purpose of the
Constitution to secure for them/ “Choice is what this country’s all about” is a
proposition of bumper-sticker depth, yet it appears as the trump card in all sorts
of public policy issues… Freedom of choice functions in American culture as a
self-justifying moral absolute.” (pages 34-35).

            In other
words, our culture’s view of morality, which went from generally objective to
subjective, has also affected our view of freedom. The postmodern culture puts
Self as the standard: Self is the standard for what is right, and it must be
unrestricted. In some sense, we are consuming ourselves. Our god is out
stomachs.

Related posts:

1. The Implications of Free Will
2. Playing Politics With Same-Sex Marriage And Undermining A Free Society
3. Interview with David Wells, Part I
4. A Letter to Our Soldiers in Iraq
5. Interview with Scott Smith, Part I
6. Obama On Abortion At Saddleback

Posted in Culture, Main Page, Roger's Posts