“Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.“ (KJV 2 Cor. 3:17)
This series about freedom will discuss what freedom is, then review freedom in a scriptural context, and examine how freedom applies today.
What is freedom? Asking this question can generate some surprising responses. One particular view of freedom will be examined here. This definition of freedom is being able to do what you believe to be right, while allowing and not violating this same freedom for others.
Freedom is not about figuring out what is right and then forcing it upon everyone. Even when the view is truly correct, the compulsion upon others is what violates their freedom. In a free society, all are allowed to discover truth for themselves and to freely act accordingly, not by compulsory means.
What must be defended in a free society is freedom itself. Those actions which violate, undermine or destroy freedom must be defended against. Stealing from someone violates their freedom. Murder violates personal freedom. Rape violates freedom. Allowing violations of freedom, creates various forms of tyranny where the will of one is forced upon another. Tyranny makes slaves of those who must follow their will, whether on a small or large scale. Slavery cannot truly be abolished without also abolishing masters. Masters cannot be abolished while at the same time, forcing people to be subjects to the will of others.
Force comes into play only to defend freedom and never to give an offense. Without defending the freedom, tyranny in one or many of its various forms will take hold. When that happens, views are enforced upon people against their own will. By not allowing each to act according by what they believe to be right, they become slaves to the will of others. It is not a matter of a majority or even a super majority agreeing about what is right. It is about allowing individuals to pursue what they believe to be right, so long as their course does not violate this same freedom for others.
Beyond violating freedom, when certain views are enforced upon people, it limits the ideas that those people will entertain. Enforcing a view of what is right stunts the growth that can come within a truly free society. The growth that can come when people are truly free, can produce a bounteous harvest of wonderful fruits. The fruits of a free society can be plentiful and the envy of nations. When the fruits become plentiful, they can also become a primary focus rather than the freedom which produces them. Such distortion of priorities can lead to focusing on controlling the fruits themselves or controlling the people who produce them, rather than protecting the freedom of the people who generate those fruits. This improper order of priorities can lead to freedom being neglected and unprotected by instead focusing on controlling or protecting the fruits of freedom.
When a person believes an action is the right course for him to pursue, in a free society, that person is free to do what they believe to be right. Another who believes differently, is free to pursue the course they believe to be right. When the course of each does not involve forcing anything upon the other or destroying their freedom, allowing such action ought to be easy. When a person is not allowed to do what they believe is right, and their action upholds the principle of freedom, tyranny is taking hold.
Forcing people to do what they believe to be wrong, is an obvious form of tyranny. Forcing people to do what is right is also a form of tyranny. When people are capable of making and being accountable for their own decisions, tyrants may still force their will upon the people. Sometimes this is accomplished if the people believe it is for their own good. That is not freedom. Upholding tyranny is upholding a form of slavery. Tyranny is rebellion against freedom. Freedom is being able to do what you believe to be right, whether others agree with the reasons behind it or not, so long as it does not violate their freedom. Freedom must be defended. Powers which seek to enslave mankind must be put down. If freedom is not defended, mankind will be enslaved.