Monsters of Our Own Making

vcg3rd »

Tue Jan 15, 2008 5:43 am Agree: 1   Disagree: 0

"As our capacity to reengineer the human body grows, what kind of society will we become? 'We might lose sight of the difference between real and false excellence, and eventually not care.'"

"And that’s a pleasure we can all feel when we use the abilities God has given us—when we reflect His image, not the image of our own making or a chemist’s."

I do not approve of the use of steroids or other drugs, and I agreee with your premise, that the society is partly responsible, but I think you analysis does not go any where deep enough.

What is the distinction between "real" and "false" excellence? Is it "real" excellence when an afluent parent can afford to pay for a personal trainer, hours at the batting cage or skaing rink, private coaches? Is it "real" excellence when a high school athelete uses legally prescribed drugs to "push through the pain" when another may not have access to basic health care or nutrition?

What we choose to call "real" excellence reflecting God's image is conditioned by many socially and culturally unexamined presuppositions.

I admire Liddell, too, but human history only honors and remembers the victors. Liddell's act of conscience would have been just as pleasing had he not run and won the 400 and we had never heard of him.

Real God-pleasing excellence is stopping to help up the runner who was pushed to the side of the field, even if it cost you the race., or even if he comes back and wins, beating you in the process.

Our model for excellence is warped. Steroid use is only a reflection of that. True excellence, real excellence, is seeking the pleasure of the Creator over the pleasures of His creation.

Steroid use could vanish tomorrow forever and atheletics would still be a flawed model for "real" excellence.

"But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the LORD does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart."