The Argumentum Ab Imago: Does Humanity’s Enduring Pursuit of Identity Point to God?

On October 9, 2023, a video featuring Ben Shapiro, a well-known political commentator and conservative orthodox Jew, was released by the Daily Wire titled The Face of Absolute Evil.  In it, Shapiro shares his thoughts and concerns about the recent Hamas attack on Israel which had occurred just two days earlier. For a man who is famous for statements like, “Facts don’t care about your feelings”, Shapiro’s typical style of fast talking, fact dropping, dry humor, and general insensitivity were strikingly absent.  In this video, rather than Ben Shapiro the political commentator, he was first and foremost, Ben Shapiro, a grieving Jew.

With conviction, Shapiro addressed viewers saying, “You will look at it,” referring to footage of the attack that would likely never be used by mainstream media. He challenged his audience to watch the grotesque acts of evil done on October 7, arguing that those who refused would likely attempt to sterilize and rationalize Hamas’ actions weeks, months, and years later from the comfort of institutional ivory towers.

The clips Shapiro shared included cell phone footage of families attempting to escape out of windows in their homes as men came for them, women and children being gunned down in the streets, and Hamas soldiers laughing as they mutilated the bodies of the dead and the living.

The video title could not have been more fitting. The acts recorded were without a doubt “absolute evil”. However, where Shapiro erred was in his tribalistic call to look upon, not simply evil, but the face of evil. As though viewers would be treated to a glimpse of another species of hominid cut from a vastly different cloth from the rest of them. 

The truth is however, no such cloth exists. These Hamas soldiers were acting out the natural conclusion of a false narrative they’d been taught since they were young. They’re not different from us, they are us. Living in a different place, under different circumstances, after decades of being told a different story about reality. 

Though tempting, labelling them all “evil” is an oversimplification that affords individuals living in the West the privilege of placing people they don’t understand into an alien category separate and distinct from themselves. While undeniably evil, the attacks in Jerusalem that day weren’t simply a small act of war within a much larger conflict between two nations. Rather, they reflect a profound erosion of one group’s ability to recognize another’s humanity. For Hamas, though the Jewish people are undeniably human in a biological sense, that is where the word’s meaning appears to end. All value beyond that is overshadowed by a Jewish identity that utterly dehumanizes them in their enemy’s eyes.

This devaluation of humanity underpins every genocide throughout history, including the largest one in this nation – the murder of the unborn. When we divorce a person’s existence from their inherent dignity, it fosters a climate where any transgression becomes permissible. But this isn’t an article about war crimes, or Israel, or abortion. And yet, all these things are intricately linked to the central theme of the discussion about identity and whether our search for it points to God’s existence.

In the case of the Hamas soldier breaking down a civilian’s door, the only question they cared about is this: “Are you a Jew?” This question underscores the profound significance of identity. Similarly, for legislators shaping abortion laws in the United States, a pivotal question emerges: “Is it human?” This inquiry transcends mere biological considerations and focuses instead on both the inherent value of individuals and the timing of which that value can be attributed to them.

These critical questions are answered by God, not humankind. Just as the determination of our identity rests with God, whose image we bear. At least, this is what the Christian Worldview teaches, but can any other religion or philosophy explain humanity’s enduring pursuit for identity and value? That is what the following discussion will examine – The Argumentum Ab Imago.