Collectivist Christians v.s. Individualist Christians
Tags: Theology, Spirituality, Catholicer, Culture, Catholic

A reflection of a Catholic worker.

There is a monstrous elephant in the room 99.99% of Catholics never hear or do not want to hear. This article is aimed to educate Christians to seek Jesus, not by being an individualist or a collective. We need to learn to be one or the other depending on circumstances to love God and neighbors. Labeling and putting superiority into these labels are harming the Body of Christ in our world today.

Jewish & Greek

In the early Jewish Christian communities, Mosaic law, tradition, and Messianic vision overflowed the Gospel, for the apostles need to talk to this collective communities. On the other hand, St. Paul preached the Gospel to Athens, Corinth, other individualistic communities affected by the Greek.

Seeing that Jews ask for signs, and Greeks seek after wisdom: but we preach Christ crucified, unto Jews a stumblingblock, and unto Gentiles foolishness; but unto them that are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. — 1 Corrinthian 1

I need to point out that this separation of what one seeks still exists due to education and culture until today, although the matter is no longer in the same proportion.

Individualistic v.s. Collective Cultures

When Catholics cannot comprehend their pope, this educations designed to work on an extreme culture of individualism like in the USA or the extreme collectivism in some Asian & African countries are very one-sided.

In reality, societies and organizations are not defined as purely collectivist or individualistic. ~ https://toughnickel.com/business/Culture-and-Influence-in-the-Workplace-Part-I

I came from one of the highest indexed collective cultures, Indonesia, and now live in one of the highest indexed individualist culture, the USA. Unlike those who live wisely in the equilibrium, knowing when one needs to be an individualist, and when they should not, I was forced to embrace both to the extreme when dealing with different people.

The scary truth is, most living in the extreme always show off what good they have and are scared to death to admit what they don't have as good.

In fact, I have lived hearing Catholic media and groups often demonize the other great things how other side live, because they never felt the benefit of being on the other side in their entire life. Each lived in their own dark cave, thinking others living in a useless small hole in another identical cave.

We advise those who resist this simple statement to refer our article on wisdom.

Verywell Mind

Verywell Mind

Collectives Seek Charitable Way & Mercy. Individualists Seek Truth & Justice.

I remembered attending masses and working with those in the Philippines, Indonesia. What we hear is often how to treat other people better to be true disciples: How we can be a good person in society, how we can love in our family, how we should forgive others. When attending masses and hearing people in the UK & USA, we often hear catechism, theology, and individual calling. I hope this simple example is enough for a wake-up call.

We often hear from collective cultures that those in individualist cultures never love, only talk, and selfish, failing the second commandment. Not knowing that the individualists treat others like they want to be treated, respected, freedom, but not being cared for.

Likewise, the individualist countries lately produce a lot of Catholic podcasts. They often talk about collectivism is sinful, falsely citing Rerum Novarum that never mentioned collectivism as a culture, but rather a loss of the right to personal property. On the other hand, those in the collective cultures live and embody the entire Gospel. They practice what Jesus did and commanded to do as is, without altering them to fit society. Something that might become a crime in individualistic cultures.

How they came about?

Being in a collective culture teaches one how to love others and to forgive others practically. The entire society is a school of love. Because otherwise, you can’t live in a large group and will lose the love you receive from your neighbors. This is why families are thriving in collective cultures uncontrollably.

Being in an extreme individualistic culture forces you to question your existence in response to the loneliness created, a mandate for fairness and opportunities, rely on the government to make lives better. Because otherwise, one is confused and loses their worth, prisoned in a cold society, and there’s no one to blame. When others destroy one, society won’t help out, demanding justice in the government for protection.

This translates a lot into Catholicism in each country.

Catholics in extreme individualism tend to seek theology and teaching for meaning, their operations demand a meaningful reason for their very existence. Catholics in extreme collectivism tend to seek love, care, spirituality, for their operation demands a better and easier way to love others so that they can keep retrieving the love they receive from their neighbors.

I firmly believe, being in equilibrium is always the answer to all issues created by our fallen nature due to sin.

Anything that exalt anything but the Trinity alone, is in itself a heresy.

If we exalt democracy, theology, individualism, collectivism, cultures, countries, anything, we’ve seen the result, it is prideful and later oppressive against others.

All heresies are truths, taken into an extreme to leave the other out, make it wrong. ~ rephrased from Fr. Anthony Fernandez open spoke at his parish.

Hopeful Approach

As technology and economic freedom spread throughout all lands, we can be hopefully that freedom of learning will be accessible in all places. Any progressive society will fall and get up again to find a better future. It might take another millennium, but human learns, thanks to all defenders of Christ and those who follow their conscience to love others.