God-Centered Identity in a Me-Centered Culture - Essay Example

God-Centered Identity in a Me-Centered Culture Introduction The extent of religious impact in human lives today has shifted with the over reliance on God to fulfill the premises. Proof of fulfillment of God’s promises according to the bible is making people relent on their spiritual background. With the inception of the universe, God obligated all individuals to have strong convictions in his fulfillment of his promises. Such uncertainties among other humans have led to the disintegration of Christianity to other belief dominations especially with the increasing uprising movement of the atheists. However, lip service from believers in stating their belief in God is never enough, as God requires the total translation of passion in his word and actions. In the event of God’s intervention to most situations of that human command His presence, people continue speaking of His greatness, but in normal situations, belief in God is just an assertive statement. This controversy between the saying and the actual belief of God in human lives dictates the direction of life that individuals have and their conception of spiritual identity. An assessment of the literature on spiritual identity God, Freedom and Human Dignity: Embracing a God-Centered Identity in a Me-Centered Culture by Ron Highfield comprehend if God’s embodiment in human life restricts spiritual freedom and diminishes human spiritual dignity. Assessment of the Literature Development of a Me-centered Culture In the process of development from childhood to adulthood, humans experience transitions in their self-identification processes. In the phase of childhood, children are never concerned about their role and impact in their society. Children are also never worried concerning the relationships they build with themselves and with others. In terms of spirituality, children freely follow their parents or guardians and conform to the teachings approved and certified by them. However, the transition into teenage hood makes the mind of one conscious about the decisions, activities and relationships development. This phase enables humans to understand their preferential habitual traits, beliefs and specific interests that results into talents. “The choices and actions chose during the teenage phase dictate the king of life that one maintains in adulthood” (Ron 17). Perception of God in Modern Self-Identity Culture Changes in modernity have transpired the self-identification process that enabled humans to discover and ascertain if their life preferences are worth the journey. Conventional cultures allowed an individual to be authentic and experience life fulfillment by adhering to the natural and socially allocated relationships and roles. One was expected to conform to the terms and regulations provided by the seniors. Responsibilities were also implicated upon people, hence just conforming to their role in life development. However, the advent of modern culture has changed the perception of self-identity. Deep assessment concerning self worth are expounded to enable a human decide on the aspect that he or she will live with. Happiness is also considered as an aspect of helping people reconstruct themselves to the kind of life they would like to live. These strongly advocate for the denial of imposition of social relationships since one would end up building a fake identity not proposed by his or her expectations. According to Ron, this assessment of life reconstruction through identity creates the self me-centered phenomenon. Creating an appropriate me-centered identity advocates for will power by rejecting the imposition of conferring social relationships. This phenomenon is responsible for clouding oppression and resentment of certain issues when confronted to a person. Self-identity makes one conscious of the role of religion, traditions, and morality among other things in his or her life. Self-identity makes one decide freely on the spiritual journey to follow, habitual traits to adopt but at the same time threatens the freedom and human dignity. The assessment of humans having a God-conscious life also triggered relation of the assertions of people’s belief in God to the Promethean Dimension that defines modern self through mythical and metaphoric analysis. As Ron inscribed in this book, the modern self-culture embedded in humans is material conscious of the things around him or her. An individual wants to live the way he want, a high probability of a life with no suffering. Barriers to happiness are not fusible into the modern life and cannot be used in the identification of a person. However, incidences of having good friends, wealth, winning gambles and lotteries among others are the epicenter of self-identity. However, little to our knowledge is that the notions of happiness forever are not applicable to the relationship with God. God makes one undergo vicissitudes in the course of life to test the limits that self-identity can withstand. Humans, however, view this “as a chance to term God as the enemy of that deters the sustainability of their self-identity, and should protect their freedom and dignity against intrusion with flinty defiance” (Ron 40). The promethean dimension and relation to God-Human relationship is dependent on the myths of the Greek gods especially Zeus and Prometheus. As described in the Aeschylus play of the ancient times, Prometheus and Zeus are both gods, whereby the latter was more powerful as he headed the entire geographical, atmospheric and animal territory. The dawn of Prometheus rule broke the tyranny of oppressive rule already used by Zeus, until his submission. Prometheus advocated for humanity courses while Zeus denounced them. The mythical assessment derived from humans helps them live in a modernity culture that places God and humans as competitors. If God impends the causes of Humanity, the potential of humans is drained, therefore, in order to maintain their dignity and freedom even in oppressive situations, most believe that their self-proclaimed saint of those in defiance of God’s policies, Prometheus, will be at their rescue (Ron 42). The metaphoric character depicted by Prometheus depicts itself in the solace that people find outside their affiliation to God. Prometheus relates to being in the tyranny of God’s oppression, hence finds an alternative of existence and living happily. In our human experience, God expelled Satan for his non-compliance to His teachings in heaven, and led to his downfall on earth. As a means to counter the wrath and continue exercising his freedom and dignity, he created Hell where God cannot reach. The ideologies of Satan depict God a tyrannical rule with His goodness and power as accidental. Satan believes in his likeness to God, with the only difference in their provision of human freedom. According to Ron, “Satan finds true freedoms and finds dignity in his inner sanctuary where he refuses to “bow and sue for grace” to God.” However, despite the comforts of Satan, humans doubt the possibility of God being a tyrant and the rhetoric of Satan’s heroism in their hearts. In additional to controversial beliefs between the beliefs of people to God, spiritual symbolic elements of Christianity have also put humans under an emblem of doubt and inquisition concerning their relevance to Christianity. The cross, a symbol used in most Christian denomination churches depicts the cruelty and execution of Jesus Christ for the salvation of human kind. Despite the relatable experiences to the Promethean dimension, the God of true Christianity provides eternal love and provides to His people. Other gods worshipped by humans are just symbols of earthly possessions and pleasure, whereby many humans friends their identity solace. Despite materialistic happiness, the reliance on other gods and satanic influence, humans are prone to defiance, envy and terror, characteristics that define the virtues of these gods. Other than Ron, many philosophers such as Plato, Augustine and Descartes have outlined their propositions regarding the relations made from the ancient gods of Greece, Zeus and Prometheus, citing the fact that humans are naturally religious. The relation of the true God to the idols is a reflection of defiance to others. Despite religious differences, humans respect the actions that religion (natural forces) does in their life sustainability. According to Ron, humans ought to relate their identity and process of finding divine freedom and dignity from God’s salvation from original sin. It is because of our mistakes and disobedience that we had to face the wrath of God. However, noting the power and the Almighty position of God in the world, He was to give us severe punishment but His love surpassed His actions. The modernity of self-identification is promoting the attainment of happiness, dignity and human freedom through alternative that do not conform to the genuine Christian faith. Response from Own Evaluation Since the pre-modern times, humans have developed the notion of putting their belief in God without asking about His omnipresence and omnipotent. However, the world’s corruption from secular influence, in comparison to the pre-modern era has changed this notion, with the over emphasis on self-identity. Such influence has led to the notions that God is not the solution to a proper definition of human lives. Over confidence from earthly desires, make God the problem to the attainment of human freedom. Most of us think that God is the hindrance to us living freely since He ordains moral obligation to all humankind. However, the current world has seen people revert to immorality of behavior and respect to religion. The principles of God require that we wear decent wear that portrays a responsible and with high dignity levels. For example, unlike the pre-modern times when such notions applied, dressing is a main aspect that defines the loss of human dignity in these modern times. People feel freer to dress scantily irrespective of their age and role in the society. The bible ascertains that the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit; however, the depiction that men and women in the current society represent is not a reflection of it. Dressing in whatever manner is a reflection of the self-identity of a person that contradicts with Christianity values. The opinion that God defines what people wear and makes them question and resent the bestowment of God’s position. It is therefore important to note that despite the competitive views from humans concerning the role of God in our lives, God is the bestowal of freedom and dignity upon all creatures that he created. Self-identity is a highly individualistic aspect in humans that focuses on their socio-cultural language of freedom and dignity. It defines an individual as autonomous and a self-determiner in the modern society in which we live today. In agreement with Ron’s assessment, change of self-identity from the conventional era ought to define human freedom, dignity and relation to God from a Trinitarian perspective. A Christian ought to use Christian light in their renouncement of freedom and dignitary desire. The doctrines from the Holy Trinity and the bible provide the inner assessment on human me-centered self by providing a self-given relationship through which the humans ought to undertake the importance of Christ’s salvation. God’s love is seen not as an impediment of human subjectivity but as a basis of human dignity and freedom that secures the His love for all humanity. This has been experienced with how humans engage in sinful behaviors but still win the favor of God. Humans are born with original sin that resulted from eating the forbidden fruit at the Garden of Eden. God was angered by the disobedience of Adam and Eve, and with the manipulation of the snake. However, God portrayed His unending love by just offering punishment other than condemning them to death. His reaction prompted the comprehensive assessment on how the descendants of Adam and Eve were expected to run their life. However, as the modern descendants, we still engage in sin and upon the call on God to forgive, He cleanses and forgives. Many are time that humans have backslid even after having confessions, but God continue to show His unending love. The notion described by Ron in reconstructing a human ought to be approached in a different manner. Other than focusing on the social aspects of life, an individual is expected to conduct a personal evaluation while considering other aspect in life development such as spiritual aspect and mental aspects. Most importantly, it is important to consider the sovereignty of God, as He is the most Supreme Being on Earth. By incorporating a road map to Christianity, a human is able to relate and discover his spiritual being and identity. This is mainly realized when a human has a conscious soul. The soul makes up the immaterial of a human’s body that initiates feeling and emotions, mainly affiliated to religious concepts and relation to God. Inclusiveness of the material being and the soul in a human being in determining self-identity is an all-consuming exercise. This is not only a self-defining process, but also what people around say about our character also influence it. Many have been termed as pagans since they do not attend church, while others have been termed as staunch Christians only to be acting out of hypocrisy. In addition, the determination of self-identity requires absolute differentiation of existential and transpersonal perspectives. These aspects help an individual recognize the importance of maintaining the me-centered and God relationship. It is important to integrate the demands of autonomy and authenticity that present a self-presupposition on all the integral parts of the human body, mind and emotions. Authenticity is the ability of a human to make free choices in inner directness. The incorporation of religious aspects in the self-actualization process leads to the engagement of personal dignity, whereby an individual comprehends the functionality of religious conformity. In addition, the process of initiating differentiation of existential and transpersonal aspects divides human self-identity process into three major phases, the pre-conventional, conventional and post conventional process. A me-centered identity requires the application of cognitive, moral, self-sense and faith aspects in a human being. These phases and the involvement of all aspects of self-reconstruction help a rational development of a human being that can appropriately chose his or her cause of action in religion, freedom and dignity in accordance to the teachings of God. It is a misjudging statement to declare that God is a threat to human freedom and dignity. Tracing the beginning of the world, the creation of man ought to be a call to humans to respect and maintain their faithfulness to God. The depictions of Ron are a support to non-believers to continue raising suspicions concerning the role of God in the wake of modernism. Scientific revelations and investigations especially in the Western society have corrupted Christianity by proving certain aspects of God. Theories and concepts have been proposed to dispute the belief that God is the creator and influences every phenomenon on earth. The overall inscription of Ron’s assessment is a show of his strong belief in God’s actions and condemnation of the people that question the role of God in the modern times. The underlying message that Ron desired was to assert the relation of narcissism and selfishness in having faith in God. The rapprochement of a me-culture is essential in understanding human freedom and dignity. The God-centered aspect asserted by Ron was an assertion of human participation in religious activities. A God-centered factor grounds the human nature, freedom and dignity and other positive aspects relatable to God. The first identification of a God-centered culture from human beings ought to appreciate the gift of life among other gifts of wisdom, will and moral inclination. The modern current modern culture has made human beings determine how to exercise their freedom and have the dignity to do whatever seems right and comfortable. With the development of scientific and technological, higher education, entertainment, economical and religious advancements, the me-centered philosophy is embedding the modern aspect of human relation to God. Christianity and its believers adhere to having faith in God. However, theological challenges have shown the doubt of many towards the existence and the role of God. The modern culture and its approval of self-identity have led to the development of atheism and the increased population of pagans in the world. The transition of self-identity process to the modern perception has deterred the attainment of full human freedom and dignity. However, the integration of the human aspects of self-identity through the me-centered and God-centered notion is a means of regaining control and the essence of human freedom and dignity. Work Cited Ron, Highfield. God, Freedom and Human Dignity: Embracing a God-centered Identity in a Me-Centered Culture. New York: Intervarsity Press, 2012. Read More