On Radical Freedom, A Guest Post from Arthur Yavelberg
I have been thinking a lot about authority and autonomy lately. I know I would like some standard--or algorithm, in today's language--as to when to follow authority and when to follow our own judgment.
The truth, though, is that it always comes down to the latter. Even if we defer to some authority, we have made the choice of which authority to follow--a choice already influenced by our own upbringing, values, experiences, etc. I guess there is comfort in projecting those values on an Authority "out there," but that "plausible deniability" is really illusory.
In that context, we may need to reconsider some of some of our mythic heroes and the decisions that they made. Maybe the Biblical Abraham was wrong in offering to sacrifice his son, Isaac, at God's command. Maybe Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita was wrong in suppressing his compassion for his kin because of Krishna's demand that he fulfill his duty as a warrior. Or, put another way, maybe Jean Paul Sartre was right when he said that humanity is blessed...and cursed....with radical freedom, from which there is "No Exit."
It is interesting to note that Nietzsche said pretty much the same thing half a century before--and went insane, maybe as a result. (There is a comparable Talmudic tale where four illustrious rabbis entered "Pardes"--"Paradise," a euphemism for the mysteries of mystical experience. One died. Another became an apostate. A third went crazy. Only the great Rabbi Akiba was able to reemerge with his psyche intact.)
We may squirm at the thought of it, but we all really are responsible--"able to respond"--for all our choices.
This post was written by the author of A Theology for the Rest of Us, Arthur Yavelberg.
Book description:
If God exists and is good, why is there evil? Avoiding such questions underlies the spiritual emptiness and anxiety in today's world. A Theology for the Rest of Us explores how to approach the divine through Eastern and Western religious traditions without dogma, challenging readers to "be you lamps unto yourselves."
In a time of internecine wars and all kinds of abuse of authority and trust, too many good, thoughtful people are "voting with their feet" and turning away from organized religion. Popular "spirituality"-a sort of mysticism-lite articulated in memes-is often unsatisfying as well.
A Theology for the Rest of Us is a straightforward approach to the fundamental questions of religion and philosophy:
- Does God exist?
- Is there free will?
- What is 'evil'?
This book draws on the traditions of the East as well as the West-Taoism, Buddhism and Hinduism in addition to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam-to see what can make sense in today's world. Whether exploring the implications of 17th century Enlightenment philosophers, quantum physics, or the insights of writers such as Dostoyevsky and Alan Watts, the reader is offered a rational, coherent approach that can provide understanding and a basis for hope in a world where the spirit has been all but decimated by doubt and worse.
Most important, the reader is encouraged to sift through these sources and choose what resonates and what does not. As the Buddha taught so many years ago, the Prime Directive is "Be ye lamps unto yourselves." A Theology for the Rest of Us makes teachings accessible to those who have already begun their spiritual journeys, validating their questions and showing that reasonable answers are available.
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