"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain, unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness." --The Declaration of Independence
1) Life
2) Liberty
3) The Pursuit of Happiness.
Many people over the years have written and said that they believe these three things are the root, the original intent, of the American Dream, and we'll explore them individually and more fully in future posts.
All one has to do is simply "Google" the phrase American Dream (or "Bing" it, if you enjoy waiting for your search engine to load...HaHa), and countless results will unfold on your screen.
From modest Wikipedia entries to commentaries on The Great Gatsby, from generic downloadable essays for college students to recent op-eds on the death of said Dream, the internet is chock full of thoughts, comments and queries on The American Dream.
Wikipedia states that the Dream is "a national ethos of the Unites States in which freedom includes the promise of prosperity and success." (QUICK SIDE NOTE: I can't figure out how to do footnotes on Blogger, so where possible, you will see bold print for the links of pages from which I am quoting.) The website also explores the history and evolution of the Dream from the 18th century through the present, from political and public opinion to popular literature.
The actual phrase, "American Dream" was coined by author James Truslow Adams, in his book Epic of America. His view of the Dream basically stated, "life should be better for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement."
His opinion was also deeply mired in the idea that, "it is not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position."
I know this seems more like an info-filled blog entry, but I'm just building some groundwork, so thanks for staying with me on this.
I think the dream has evolved to mean something today that it was never meant to be, and I think that the pursuit of today's version of the Dream has disillusioned many people, even Christians.
1st Question: If the Original Intent of the Dream is Life, Liberty, Pursuit of Happiness, then does that now mean a mortgage, 2 cars, 2.5 children, job, 401k, cable TV, and annual vacation???
2nd Question: What would the Biblical version of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness look like?
3rd Question: Is the Biblical version of the Dream able to fit within an American context?
MORE TO COME...
2) Liberty
3) The Pursuit of Happiness.
Many people over the years have written and said that they believe these three things are the root, the original intent, of the American Dream, and we'll explore them individually and more fully in future posts.
All one has to do is simply "Google" the phrase American Dream (or "Bing" it, if you enjoy waiting for your search engine to load...HaHa), and countless results will unfold on your screen.
From modest Wikipedia entries to commentaries on The Great Gatsby, from generic downloadable essays for college students to recent op-eds on the death of said Dream, the internet is chock full of thoughts, comments and queries on The American Dream.
Wikipedia states that the Dream is "a national ethos of the Unites States in which freedom includes the promise of prosperity and success." (QUICK SIDE NOTE: I can't figure out how to do footnotes on Blogger, so where possible, you will see bold print for the links of pages from which I am quoting.) The website also explores the history and evolution of the Dream from the 18th century through the present, from political and public opinion to popular literature.
The actual phrase, "American Dream" was coined by author James Truslow Adams, in his book Epic of America. His view of the Dream basically stated, "life should be better for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement."
His opinion was also deeply mired in the idea that, "it is not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position."
I know this seems more like an info-filled blog entry, but I'm just building some groundwork, so thanks for staying with me on this.
I think the dream has evolved to mean something today that it was never meant to be, and I think that the pursuit of today's version of the Dream has disillusioned many people, even Christians.
1st Question: If the Original Intent of the Dream is Life, Liberty, Pursuit of Happiness, then does that now mean a mortgage, 2 cars, 2.5 children, job, 401k, cable TV, and annual vacation???
2nd Question: What would the Biblical version of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness look like?
3rd Question: Is the Biblical version of the Dream able to fit within an American context?
MORE TO COME...
I love the conversation!! I can't help but think about true freedom as the ability to live free from sin, not to sin. Recent conversations in our family Bible studies have caused me to realize the pursuit of anything other than God's will for our life ultimately ends in frustration and disappointment. I know for all those good Christians out there this is all too obvious (or is it???), but I am confident that a true pursuit of Christ and his Kingdom has never left me feeling disappointed or empty. Can any of us do any better than than God's will for our life? Keep up the good work my friend!!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Allison. You could easily substitute Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness with the pursuit of God's ultimate for my life and the lives of those around me. This will definitely result in the highest levels of the big three.
ReplyDeleteSure is easy to say...