In the information age, it seems that bloody wars fought with swords and bullets have nearly ended but the war on identity has just begun. Republican vs Democrat, Atheist vs Christian, White vs Black, Rich vs Poor, the list goes on and on. It can be confusing, most sides have valid points, and people feel attacked when their group is criticized, shamed, or justice is withheld. Our minds and words have become the battleground and we are tearing apart our society as the culture and identity wars rage. How did we get here, and what is the solution?
Identity Loss
When Nietzsche wrote “God is dead” the western world, and ultimately the world at large, went into a tailspin. This was not a triumphant statement but a pained cry, for at the time Nietzsche believed western society had rid itself of God (see below for the full quote). Western society has always been based on the morality and teachings of the Bible. This is true for a few reasons the first being that the first book that most humans could read was the Bible when the Gutenberg press made reading available to peasants due to the steep price reduction in the manufacturing books. This means the world at the time knew the Bible, they learned how to read by reading the Bible. The ideas in the Bible began to seep into the hearts and minds of the people. At first, this led to the downfall of Monarchs and the rise of democracy. Constitutions, Magna Cartas, Laws, and Bills of Rights. People began to realize their rights did not come from other men but instead they came from God. This then led to the downfall of slavery, no, it led to the extermination of the slave trade as western societies, led by their people, waged a war on slavery around the world, a war that is still being waged today. God Bless America. The Bible and ultimately God’s laws of morality sat as the foundation for Western society. When Nietzsche stated “God is dead” all of western society shuddered for it had lost its identity, its home, its foundation. People began to turn to their families, their careers, their hobbies, their politics, their gender, their race, their sexuality and their ideas as their once strong identity had been shaken so they had to make gods out of themselves. A society without an identity began to strap meaning and purpose in other aspects of life that seemed good and noble.
God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him. How shall we comfort ourselves, the murderers of all murderers? What was holiest and mightiest of all that the world has yet owned has bled to death under our knives: who will wipe this blood off us? What water is there for us to clean ourselves? What festivals of atonement, what sacred games shall we have to invent? Is not the greatness of this deed too great for us? Must we ourselves not become gods simply to appear worthy of it?
— Nietzsche
State of Identity
The state of identity continued to crumble over the generations as society as a whole began to feel the effects of PTSD on the soul. Today identity comes in many forms, political party, neighborhood, bank account balance, sexual preference, race, and gender. Today the prevailing thought is that you get to choose your identity, regardless of how you are born, and that the identity you choose is reality regardless of fact. People believe they are gods and that they can change the reality around them by claiming an identity. This has led to a victim mindset, the more groups that are hated that you are a part of the more righteous you have become. As surely a person who is so oppressed must be in the right, as only bigots and racists, and fascists oppress such a downtrodden person. These victims have built up their own oppression, they oppress themselves with their mindset. Freedom is a mindset, you can always find a prison if you really want one. Identity has been reduced to the color of your skin, who you find attractive, the color of tie that you wear, and the amount of privilege you have. It no longer is about the honor you possess, or how good of a person you are. No longer is identity about how well you treat others, or how far you will go to help the downtrodden. It definitely isn’t about God. No today people put on a mask of identity that will earn them the most social pull, how many eyes can they draw, and how many dollars will be donated. Identity has lost its meaning because people have put their identity in things that are innate traits, fictional fantasies, or in things that will one day be dust.
Solution to the Identity Crisis
We must find our identity and ultimately our in something greater. It cannot be in gender for there will be division. It cannot be in sexuality as there is conflict. It cannot be in careers that come and go. It cannot be in political parties which soon become corrupted. It cannot be in idea, or dollar, or fame. It cannot be in product, or brand, or name. No, all of these things bring conflict, division, and difference. They are not permanent and they are not equal. What if I told you that God was not dead, that we tried to kill him, we did kill him, but by his own power and goodness he rose from the dead to save all of humanity? Our identity, freedom, rights, and purpose they must come from something greater. They must come from God. Whether you believe in God or not you must have the weight lifted off your shoulders, the universe cannot rest upon them but it can on God. We can be united in our identity as that of a people created by God in his image, we can be united in our commission to go forth and multiply and to subdue the earth. Our purpose is to be good stewards of the earth to be efficient with its resources, promote its growth, and use it to build up humanity so that humanity might point toward God.
“There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Galations 3:28
TLDR
Whether you are a Christian or not, the foundation of your society is built upon God and the Bible, it is in your vocabulary, in your ideologies, and in your heart. Our rights, our freedoms, and our ambition rest in the teachings of the Old and New Testaments. These foundations have risen people out of poverty at an alarming rate, they have helped feed the world, end slavery, stop tyranny, provide education, and fulfill dreams. We do not have to bicker over petty differences instead we can be united in our history, our traditions, our heroes, and our God. We can be free of anxiety, depression, and fear. An identity in God promotes courage, inspires compassion, maintains hope, and builds joy. An identity in God is not reliant on the circumstance, achievement, or the family or body you were born into. An identity in God is timeless, powerful, and greater than yourself. It gives you guidance through the Bible’s teachings, reassuring you during difficult times, and it is the thing that allows celebration in good times. It brings peace to your mind and heart. It allows you to be thankful in the storm of life. It unburdens your shoulders as you are able to let go of the things of this world, and unburdens your heart from regret when you are forgiven of your sins and mistakes. The hole you are trying to fill deep down in your soul with women or men or career or tv or politics can only be filled by Jesus. All you have to do is believe.
Nietzsche has been disproven, and Jordan B. Peterson is working on a proof for god, or rather a proof against atheism. God is showing people that he is alive, that we cannot kill him, and that he is here for our benefit.
I ask you, what is your identity in? Can it stand the test of time? Can it give you peace when a loved one dies? Can it provide you courage when the world says you are wrong? Can it protect you when your friends turn on you? Can it look at the world and say give me your worst I will not crack for my identity is in the all-powerful, all-good, all-knowing, and everlasting? If your identity isn’t in Jesus, isn't in God then I think you may find your identity will fail. When it does crack or crumble, I suggest your read John the fourth book in the New Testament. I also suggest you read Psalm 23 as it is a passage of scripture that continues to build meaning, reveal aspects of God, and give me light in dark times.