Pleasure is Your Master: The Lies of a Hedonistic Culture
Introduction
This
writing is something that I may have to somewhat apologize for but then again,
I will not. There is this tendency in the current cultural climate that has
taken rise that should be addressed. It is this idea that those who profess
Christ and follow a Christian (or Judeo-Christian moral structure) are chastised
for being “slaves.” In this discourse, I shall contend that it is not the
moralistic tendencies of Christians (and Jews) who are truly slaves but those
who profess to be genuinely free but are enslaved to their desires that are the
problem.
The
Story
As
the modern story goes, the Christian is nothing but a bigot who serves a benign
God who only desires to control the subject. The problem that I presently see
is that this seems contrary to the whole biblical corpus. Galatians 5:1 says
that Christ has set us free. First Corinthians 9:19-23, Paul lays out that he
is free and belongs to no one. However, he has chosen to be a slave to various
types of people (the weak, Jews, Gentiles—those who do not have the law, etc).
This is a self-determining act by Paul (and presumably by Christians
generally).
As
Christians, we can eat meat sacrificed to idols (1 Corinthians 8). But this has
a minor caveat, that we should act in such a way so as to not bring a stumbling
block to others. So, there is this idea of self-imposed control over the
actions one takes. Of course, one can disregard these ideas, but they will
simply be known as selfish (which is really just another form of slavery). With
that said, as Christians, we desire the edification of all brothers and sisters
and to see those who are unsaved come to a saving knowledge of Christ. Now, there
is this impulse by the narrative propagated by the moral elite that this is
just a form of slavery that the Christian (or Jew) has failed to see. My main
problem with this sentiment is that it misses the mark. Why? Because, it is a
self-imposed slavery which is different than the lack of self-control that we
see in modern culture.
Modern
culture has this false idea that if we allow ourselves to live “freely” through
the fulfillment of all of our desires that we are somehow freed from the cosmic
machine. But is that really the case. Back to the Christians. Though we are
held captive by Christ and His salvific purposes this does not equal a complete
and involuntary subjugation. Romans 12:2 informs us that we are “transformed by
the renewing of our minds.” When we relinquish ourselves to Christ there is to
be a shift in the thinking of that individual. The mind directs the body; the
will determines actions. In a sense, when we are saved, we are shifting the
desires we once had for a new set. This would be akin to trading the set of all
negative numbers and now holding all positive numbers. There is a
self-determination of everyone to manifest the mind of Christ in their
individual lives.
Imagine
for a moment when a person tries out for a sports team (let’s say football in
this case). That individual contributes to the team with their individual
talents and athleticism. However, it is not about that individual (per se) but
about the mentality of the team. When that person subjects himself to the will
of the team it is for the better of both the team and that individual. There is
an analogy between this example and that of the Christian. We bring our wills
under the subjugation of the will of Christ so that we may bless God, bless one
another, and bless ourselves. There is true freedom in the notion of
sacrificing for the good of others (and indirectly us).
This
notion may seem counter-intuitive, but it is quite the opposite. The only way
that this idea is counter-intuitive is if there are no moral obligations and
constraints on human persons. Therein lies the problem, modern culture flows
about without the slightest inkling of moral obligations. Let me say this
slightly less insultingly, though it is through words that modern culture
believes in some sort of moral obligation(s), it is quite another in practice.
Of course, the words that someone utters will possess the notion of moral
duties and obligations, it is nonetheless void of all these notions when it
comes to the implementation of those guidelines. So, is it better to possess
some objective set of moral constraints or to live completely unabated by the
moralistic strictures of some sky daddy? I would contend that it is by far more
freeing and generally better to adhere to the former.
Augustine
has said it this way, “the good man, though a slave, is free; the wicked,
though he reigns, is a slave, and not the slave of a single man, but—what is
worse—the slave of as many masters as he has vices.”[1] Augustine
points out the interesting reality of the situation, that those who claim to be
free, are actually bound by many masters. Currently, the climate has shown that
people are masters to sex, money, and power (to name a few). In a sense, those
who are controlled by these desires are not even making decisions for themselves
(per se) but are moved about by the whims of their innate and carnal desires.
It is not physicality that is the problem but rather the near uncontrolled
manner by which these people move around. How can it be that a person is free
to make certain decisions that will make them “happy,” and yet cannot seem to choose
any other thing. It is this makeshift happiness that is holding the minds and
actions of our culture captive, and it has led to the unusually self-deprecating
and self-centered world in which we find ourselves.
The
most “woke” thing a person can do is sacrifice those things you think will make
you happy in service of those things that will make you fulfilled. By
this I mean, it is the strength to put yourself last, the graciousness to add
to the well-being of your spouse, friends, family, etc. It is through the
giving up of oneself in service of those relationships (this is the key) that matters
because it is adding value to the world via positive actions. It is hard to add
value to the whole when the focus is centrally located around one thing
(yourself). Ironically, strength is found in the giving up of control; true
manhood (and womanhood) is found in the sacrifice of the general comforts we
may find in service to the deepest things in reality, the joy of meaningful
relationships. We cannot relegate relationships to the dark recesses of
desires. Desire is an important facet of relationships, but it is incredibly reductionistic
to suggests that all a relationship is, is the sum total of desire.
Conclusion
Granted,
this writing could go on for ages but for the sake of your eyeballs and the
fact that time is floating away, I shall leave you with my final thoughts. The
suggestion that Christians are not free is an asinine assertion. Sure, it is
true that the person who does not hold to strict moral guidelines is his/ her
own master, but it seems that they are bound to make no actual decisions (see
above). As Augustine said, it is worse because they are subject to many
masters. The hedonistic tendency within our modern world is one that should be
concerning (even for non-Christians) because it is a completely inward facing
situation. When we go out looking to fulfill “our” own desires, this means, in
many cases, that others will sacrifice for the fulfillment of those desires. I
think that we have this the wrong way around. Each individual should be sacrificing
for the good of others and it is through that sacrifice that the individual
will find fulfillment. I would argue that this is the more fulfilling of the
two options on offer. If I were to concede any point in my oppositions argument
it is this, I will gladly call myself a slave to Christ because that is a far
better option than allowing myself to be determined by the shaky desires that
are innate (and typically wrong) to my sinful nature. Regardless of how I am
viewed, it is better to add value to the whole rather than a small part.
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