Kinds of Choice

Last updated on: June 17, 2008 at 11:40 am by David Hayward

Kinds of Choice 2008-06-17T11:40:51-04:00 David Hayward

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

What is being offered to the church today is a multitude of choices. (Let me see: leeks or onions? I choose onions!) We are being told that when we select one of these choices, we are making a free choice. And we feel as though we are free when we make our selection from among the several choices.

This is not perfect freedom. As the philosopher Zizek writes in his book, On Belief:

… the truly free choice is a choice in which I do not merely choose between two or more options WITHIN a pre-given set of coordinates, but I choose to change this set of coordinates itself.

Zizek points out that Lenin differentiated between two kinds of freedom: “formal” and “actual”:

This is what the distinction between ‘formal’ and ‘actual’ freedom ultimately amounts to: ‘formal freedom’ is the freedom of choice WITHIN the coordinates of the existing power relations, while ‘actual freedom’ designates the site of an intervention which undermines these very coordinates.

I do not want to settle for formal freedom. And the church as well as other religious communities, I suspect, are under the illusion that this formal freedom is as good as it gets in this life. I refuse to accept this concession. We are actually given actual freedom. It is ours to live. It requires courage and transformation, but it is entirely ours. Zizek also writes:

We can go on making our small choices, ‘reinventing ourselves’ thoroughly, on condition that these choices do not seriously disturb the social and ideological balance.

Small choices. Reinventing ourselves within the prescribed parameters. Conditions. Don’t rock the boat. Keep balanced. This will go on forever. Unless I stop. Unless you stop.

thought

Previous Post

June 17, 2008

cartoon: what jesus gets EVERY DAY!

Next Post

June 18, 2008 cartoon: bighead

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category art cartoons cartoons 2 freebie music one minute message podcast Sophia teaching technology thought

Select a Month February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 March 2006 February 2006

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What does Jesus say about storing up treasures on earth?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Store as much as possible Only store in banks Do not, because they are temporary Treasure is godliness