Daniel versus Tyler

Daniel is given as a popular biblical example of the need for God's people to engage in society at all levels and in order to be a living example of a healthy relationship with God. In Daniel's example, he is able to successfully hang onto all those things he possesses, such as his identity, his ancestry, his God while at the same time completely immersing himself in the society in which he lived.

The movie "Fight Club" has 2 main characters; Jack and Tyler Durden.

Jack is “Ikea Boy”, consumer of all the things the world has to offer realizing that all his possesions do not help him sleep at night. Something that he is desparate to do. He's a “recall coordinator” in a “major” car manufacturer who calculates the cost of recalls versus the costs of lawsuits so the company can make the least expensive choiice for each defect found and he goes days without being able to sleep. He finally finds peace when sitting in on a testicular cancer support meeting. ( no he doesn't have cancer, but a doctor told him if he wanted to really see what pain is like, he should go )

He narates after his first session
“Then... something happened. I was lost in oblivion -- dark and silent and complete. I found freedom. Losing all hope was freedom.” He goes home and sleeps better than a baby and becomes addicted.
Within a few weeks he is attending support groups every night of the week.
“Every evening I died and every evening I was born again. Resurrected.”
Having dealt with his need for community, he is now faced with dealing with the problem of worldy possessions as his apartment condo explodes and everything he owns is thrown flaming to the ground 15 stories below.

The doorman tries to comfort him when he arives home: “Lots of young people try to impress the world and buy too many things.“

The now homeless Jack makes a decision to phone Tyler Durden whom he met on a plane during a business trip.

They get together over beer and reflect on the loss, come to the realization that Jack has maybe been delivered. Delivered from Swedish furniture, from trendy paper lamps and Martha Stewart.

TYLER: Oh, yeah, you gotta start making the list.

JACK: What list?

TYLER: The "now I get to go out and buy the exact same stuff all over again" list. That list.

JACK: I don't... think so.

TYLER: This time maybe get a widescreen TV. You'll be occupied for weeks.

JACK: Well, I have to file a claim...

TYLER: The things you own, they end up owning you.

From this point on a very destructive friendship is sealed. They head to the parking lot where Tyler demands that Jack hit him as hard as he can and “Fight Club” is born.

Others join and clubs spring up everywhere the 2 travel.

"When the fight was over, nothing was solved, but nothing mattered."

The movement to eliminate any last remnants of things that were unimportant was complete. One main aspect of that movement was Tyler's comment: “First, you have to know that someday, you are going to die. Until you know that, you will be useless."
Fight club is quite obviously a metaphor for all those “Ikea Boys” getting together and corporately stripping away those things in their lives of little consequence or importance. The problem is that driven by Tyler Durden, Fight Club begins to engage in “disinfomation” in order to share their enlightenment with society. Disinfomation then escalates into “project mayhem”.

Project Mayhem is simply a very good example of what happens when we forget that our identity is ours and try to impose our identity on others by force.

For Daniel, remaining true to his identity meant being the absolute best citizen he could be without giving up those things which were non-negotiable's such as direct commandments from God. Affecting people one by one was his mandate and if society changed as a result that would simply be a bonus. Subversion of society was not an option for that would not suit God's purpose for Daniel to be a brilliant example of God's faithfulness.

For Tyler Durden, society needed to change - and affecting people one by one simply gave him a greater and greater army of subversives to employ in project mayhem which intended to create the desired societal changes.