We Are Not Free Agents!

Modern American culture is distinguished by its sharp focus on the individual. One of the great myths of our time is that we are free agents; that is, that society is merely a collection of individuals who make rational choices as they pursue their individual self-interest. Sometimes, this spirit of individualism is even more prevalent in American Christianity, and particularly American evangelical fundamentalist Christianity, than it is in secular society. One expression of it is the evangelical belief that each individual can make a “decision” for Christ that will guarantee eternal salvation (and hence, infant baptism is anathema). But as Pope Francis argues in Laudato Si, this spirit of individualism is typically accompanied by a sharp separation from the world around us and a distinct selfishness.

We see that selfishness very clearly in Christianity today when we examine the response to mask mandates. Much of the opposition to them comes from Christians, some of whom have compared them to forcing Jews to wear the Star of David. In one case, a pastor even threatened to expel anyone who came to church wearing a mask.

This notion that we are free agents, and this excess of individualism, runs sharply counter to the traditional understanding of the Church. As Christians, we believe that “the earth is the Lord’s and thee fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein” (Psalm 24:1). In other words, we are part of God’s creation, not autonomous entities placed above God’s creation. Moreover, we believe that, in an unprecedented way, God directly and forcefully entered human history by sending His Son to proclaim the presence of the Kingdom of God.

Jesus’ response to the accusation that he was abrogating the Mosaic Law is revealing. In saying “Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfil them.” (Matthew 5:17), Jesus implies that his teaching, his mission, and his ministry is built on top of what has come before it. In other words, there is continuity in the midst of transformation. As followers of our Lord, we continue to live in history even as the coming of the new heaven and the new earth (Revelation 21:1) approaches.

Living in history in turn means that, although it is true that we are individuals to whom God has given free will, it is also true that who we are in many ways has been defined by our histories. For example, if we examine the apparent contradiction between everyone’s bearing responsibility for his or her own sin and the sins of the fathers being passed down to generations of their children, we come to the inevitable conclusion that these are not contradictory statements: just as blessings can be passed down from generations, so can sin, because we live in history, and we are formed by history and by the cultures in which we live.

If we examine our histories, we begin to realize how significant history and culture has been in forming us. First, we all are members of a family, and each family has its own distinctive culture and traditions. We are also members of a particular ethnic or racial group, and that too has profoundly shaped our identify. As residents of the United States, we live in a culture that also shapes who we are. And perhaps most importantly, as Catholics and pre-Reformation Christians, we have been shaped by a faith tradition that spans two millennia.

While we live in history and are defined by it, we also define history. Our lives, and the ways in which we imitate Christ in the world, leave a lasting imprint on history. Some of this comes from chance encounters, so that we never know what our impact is. But much of it comes through our passing on our cultural traditions, including our faith, to those generations that come after us. Just as we are united with the past, we are united with the future.

So the notion that we are free agents is profoundly misguided. Instead, let us pray for the grace to recognize and resist our own selfishness, to pray for the grace to see the ways in which we are connected not only to those who have preceded us but also to those who will follow us, and particularly to pray for a stronger connection to our Catholic faith tradition.