A free society is the only society in which persons can get to know themselves – to the degree anyone may know personal self. Freedom relieves us from some external distractions (like oppressive governments), but we may create our own distractions so as to mute our freedom. Escape from external restricting influences does not mean freedom is gained if the individual provides various substitutes for self-defeat that distorts a life meant to find balance (golden mean). The complications of life are such that we will never know, during the earth sojourn, what comprises all of the life we live. Life is one, characterized on earth as generated from life, through birth, to a maturation process and goal perceived in growing self-awareness, with physical weakening in the course of time, and dying. Life comes from life, and in this has something of God in it. The image of God in us is likely closely linked to self-conscious life. (According to Scripture it included righteousness which, as presumed here, was taken from God’s holy nature – so to offer values.) God is fully self-conscious in the highest concept possible, and in that context he has knowledge, power, nature (for us his nature is identified as supernatural), and whatever attributes additionally that form him – God. His character is holiness (affirmation) so to be contrarian to anything unholy (negation). In that holiness are love, mercy, compassion and all the factors that permit him to find ways to register his grace, a grace that finds a way to recover those with conscious life who choose to follow his way to peace, and a life of righteousness. All this is too ephemeral for us to tie down firmly in society. The concepts of compassion, mercy and the like are from God and his kingdom. He offers them out of his love to an imperfect world that practicing some negatives must receive mercy and compassion to survive for a better situation. Perfection has no need for mercy or compassion. There is no wrong in God’s kingdom.
However, there is life hunger, perhaps unfelt hunger (an oxymoron) that substitutes this or that choice in place of spiritual nourishment for life identified as spiritual life. Substitutes are found in secular religion like meditation, education, distraction, philosophy, or some other manageable factor for those able to control self by the mind alone. For some not choosing that route alone, and desiring less effort to meet something nagging at them, the feeling for that beyond the human is fostered with drugs, alcoholism, power, wealth, sex and other factors – for those most controlled by fleshly (emotional) desires. They are desires generally understood and identified in the emotions. In either the intellectual or emotional contexts the individual can become addicted. Addictions are presumed to be necessary to the addicted, even when deplored by them when the addiction is not operative, or is weakened in some way, perhaps by some great loss – like decline in health. Addictions are self-oriented so may, at the point of recovery or despair, follow a pattern of restoration, or destruction, perhaps overdosing or suicide. Even Freud was taken for a period of time with addiction, but by his will gave it up in the belief a person should not go the point of death out of self-control. Many persons die from their addictions. That finality, registered in the consequences of the death of the body, causes the humanist to make addiction a disease. Indeed it is that, but it is also a disease of the soul – sin. The person denying the dual concern, natural and spiritual, for health is in error. Addiction defies the health of the body and mind, but it also manufactures false gods. There is a dualism.
Christians (religion) and doctors (society) need to admit they have not treated the problem/person of addiction well. There are some excellent aids, even laws that make access difficult – as in the current approach to the sale of tobacco products. I remember when we were given, as young people, samples in attractive little packages so to make us users early. That is taboo at this writing. The intense activism against nicotine, accented strongly by a Christian/Surgeon General of the United States, set the nation on an aggressive program that has significantly reduced nicotine addiction. Newer addictions need the same kind of education and publicity in a democratic society that wants to gain what God would have for mankind in balanced and free life – religious or secular. Balance resists destruction, and accents benefits. There are spiritual resources that aid, even offering strength to resist addiction or obsession. Even religious obsession can lead to addiction (driving distortion) for mankind in belief and practice. *Mark W. Lee, Sr. — 2016, 2020