~Christina
The book Born Again, written by Chuck Colson, is a very good book. It contains a lot about politics, which interested me. He also wrote about his own personal life, which was absorbing. Chuck Colson was able to put his point across without making it too difficult to understand. There were many questions that popped up along the way. But the one that was chosen for the topic of this paper was: which is more important, the individual or the whole group? And what does our culture say about it? I am going to give you my personal opinion in this essay.
In the book, Born Again, Chuck Colson touches on this topic briefly. He quotes from C.S. Lewis’ book, Mere Christianity, “If individuals live only seventy years, then a state, or a nation, or a civilization, which may last for a thousand years, is more important than an individual. But if Christianity is true, then the individual is not only more important but incomparably more important, for he is everlasting and the life of a state or a civilization, compared with his, is only a moment.” Colson was shocked at hearing that the lowliest individual is more important than the state or the whole nation. He had previously believed that the state exists only to serve the individual, created and maintained only with the individual’s consent, but over time, politics had changed him. What had happened to him was that when a person spends time in gdovernment, he or she becomes absolutely intent on preserving the institution of the state. In my opinion, if you don’t believe in God then you are pushed to 1 of 2 extremes.
Many godless dictators and totalitarian regimes believe that the individual is more important than the whole group. In the beginning of the quote, from C.S. Lewis’ book, it says, “If individuals live only seventy years, then a state, or a nation, or a civilization, which may last for a thousand years, is more important than an individual.” The dictators care more about the country. Why? Well, they don’t believe that people have an afterlife, in heaven or hell, so they don’t care about the individual.
Recently, there have been several songs that American music artists have written that seem to point to the other extreme. In our culture, self is the only thing that matters -- almost like nobody else exists. A lot of the songs that have come out also are telling teens that they are more important than other people. Everything is about you, you, you. It is almost like some people can’t live without the reassurance of knowing that they are important. But this view is selfish.
I think that both the individual and the group are important. I should live my life for others -- my family, my church, my country because that is what Christ did for us. John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” However, I am, as an individual, also infinitely important. The King of the Universe died for ME! And He did it for you too! I know I focus on the individual more because I have more of a chance of witnessing to a person one on one.
In conclusion, I think that our country is focusing too much on the individual and many other countries focus too much on the group. Christ brings balance.
Please feel free to leave a comment (I want to hear other people's opinions also) and tell me what you think whether the individual or the whole group more important?
Kindly ignore that previous comment; I'd forgotten that someone else was still logged in :)
ReplyDeleteVery thought provoking! I think the individual and the group are equally important, but it's far too easy to become hyper-obsessed with one and completely ignore the other (with would explain the recent epidemic of Selfishness spreading across America).