Part 1: The Problem Continued

"The calling" according to Weber is, "the valuation of the fulfillment of duty in worldly affairs as the highest form which the moral activity of the individual could assume" (40).  In other words, Weber goes on to say, "The only way of living acceptably to God was not to surpass worldly morality in monastic asceticism, but solely through the fulfillment of the obligations imposed upon the individual by his position in the world.  That was his calling" (40).

I'm a bit skeptical about this.  Taking this in a Biblical perspective, God did call as to live among the worldly.  We are to go into the world and make disciples so says Matthew 28:19, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations..." (NIV).  We are to live in the world but never to fall with the world.  While people around us do not choose God, we must remain loyal and faithful to God.  Sometimes fulfilling the "obligations imposed upon the individual by his position in the world" often times means surpassing "worldly morality in monastic asceticism."

Now one must look closely at the extent of this monastic asceticism.  We don't necessarily have to become and monk or a nun in order to avoid worldly temptations.  Monks and nuns have chosen that way of life.  We, on the other hand, should look to them as examples.  Maybe for some of us, we need to become like a monk or a nun in order to avoid doing wrong in the eyes of the Lord.  And maybe for others, we have the self control to live among the world and avoid those temptations.

As for asceticism, how much is too much?  We can't just hide in a closet avoiding everything.  That is not the reason God put us here on earth.  In addition, He did not put us on the earth to fight temptations alone.  He gave us weapons, one of them being His Word.  However, it also depends on the situation.  For example, pornography seems to be a very "popular" but wrong addiction.  In order to rid of the problem, one cannot just simply put the magazines away or shut off the computer.  In some ways Weber is right: we cannot abstain from it.  Sometimes we need to change our way of thinking; we need to look at the root of the problem?  Why is that one individual addicted to pornography?  Are they trying to fulfill something in their life that is missing?  Did they go through some kind of childhood experience that led them to that kind of addiction?

Because God did not send us into this world alone, and because He sent us in this world with weapons, we have the power to live among the world and not become entrapped by it.  Weber is correct in that we have a position in this world, but what obligations are we talking about exactly?  If this obligation gets in the way of God's plan for us, maybe we do need to fall in some sort of "monastic asceticism"...to a degree.  What I mean is that we can't always fulfill our obligations on earth because not all obligations come from God.  Often times they come from anything that can lead us away from God.  That is the time when we need to abstain.