Jul 9, 2012
9 July - Quotidian Quotations
"'Do your own thing' is not so different than 'every man for himself.'"
...and later, in the same article...
"Thanks to the '60s, we are all shamelessly selfish."
These come from a thought-provoking - and perhaps just plain "provoking" - article in the New York Times on American liberty, which unfortuantely applies to Canada a great deal as well. It's worth a read - and if you do read it, why not tell us what you think and why?
Here's the article: The Downside of Liberty by Kurt Andersen, published 3 July 2012. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/04/opinion/the-downside-of-liberty.html
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Very interesting article! I've often thought of these issues in terms of individualism vs the common good too, but individualism has triumphed so utterly that resisting it is like trying to stay on your feet in an oncoming tsunami! I am also disturbed by the unrestrained and vehement condemnation poured out on those who resist individualism, as though they are threatening the very foundations of freedom. The problem with individualism, though, is that it doesn't recognize that a "self" is only found in relationship to "others", and the big "other" of course being God. The individualism of our culture is not a freedom, but an unfortunate commitment to self-definition in isolation.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny, we wrestle endlessly with why our churches are emptying so quickly. Could it be as simple as we are getting it right? That people don't want to come to church because we are making God and neighbour the priority rather than their pursuit of individualism?