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'''Freedom''' is the state of being free or at liberty rather than in confinement or under physical restraint.  More specifically, it can mean:
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[[image:USflag.jpg|thumb|right|350px|The flag of the [[United States]], a nation founded upon principles of personal freedom, has become a symbol of freedom and [[liberty]] in a wider sense, despite efforts with mixed results from both [[conservatives]] and [[liberals]] to hinder the freedom of American [[citizen]]s.]]
  
*Ability to act freely: a state in which somebody is able to act and live as he or she chooses, without being subject to any undue restraints or restrictions.
+
'''Freedom''' is the state of being free or at [[liberty]] rather than in confinement or [[slavery]] or under physical, mental or spiritual restraint. More specifically, it can mean:
*Release from captivity or slavery: release or rescue from being physically bound, or from being confined, enslaved, captured, or imprisoned.
+
*The condition of being free; the power to act or speak or think without externally imposed restraints.
+
*Exemption: immunity from an obligation or duty.
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*Civil liberty, as opposed to subjection to an arbitrary or despotic government.
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*The right to enjoy all the privileges or special rights of citizenship, membership, etc., in a community or the like.
+
  
The desire for freedom was one of the founding principles of the United States of America. Today, freedom still stands proudly at the top of a list of aspirations for Americans. All Americans, no matter their creed or the color of their skin agrees that: "we shall have an association in which the free development of each is the condition for the free development of all".
+
* Ability to act freely: a state in which somebody is able to act and live as he or she chooses, without being subject to any undue restraints or restrictions.
  
 +
* The right to practice [[self-governance]] and to live under a [[limited government]], rather than being bound by unaccountable bureaucracies, [[Progressivism]], the [[nanny state]], and ultimately despotism.
  
== Freedom & the Book of Galatians ==
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* Release from captivity or [[slavery]]: release or rescue from being physically bound, or from being confined, enslaved, captured, or [[prison|imprisoned]].
  
John Hanneman wrote, "Inner freedom has to do with the very essence of our being." This "inner freedom" is the theme of the book of [[Galatians]].
+
* The condition of being free; the power to act or [[freedom of speech|speak]] or think without externally imposed restraints.  
  
The [[Greek]] words for freedom appear 36 times in the [[New Testament]]. [[Paul]] uses them 28 times in his letters, 10 times alone in Galatians. The purpose of this book is clear: to get [[Christians]] out from under the law and into freedom in [[Christ]], to have the [[Holy Spirit|Spirit]] replace the [[Torah]] in our lives.
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* Exemption: [[immunity]] from an obligation or [[duty]].
  
Galatians reveals why we struggle so much with law. It identifies the key ingredient to becoming free, and how people can enjoy freedom in Christ day in and day out.  The theme of the book is freedom.
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* [[Civil liberties|Civil liberty]], as opposed to subjection to an arbitrary or [[tyranny|despotic]] [[Police state|government]].
  
Paul writes, {{Bible quote|It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.|book=Galatians|chap=5|verses=1|version=NIV}}
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* The [[rights|right]] to enjoy all the [[privilege]]s or special rights of [[citizenship]], membership, etc., in a community or the like.
In his word of greeting in the introduction, {{Bible quote|Grace to you and peace from [[Father God|God our Father]], and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us out of this present evil age, according to the will of God the Father.|book=Galatians|chap=1|verses=3-4|version=NASB}} the [[apostle]] defines what he means by freedom. Following his wish for "grace and peace," he uses two phrases that capture for Christians the two ways they are free as a result of their relationship with God.
+
  
The first phrase is that the Lord Jesus Christ "gave Himself for our sins." Here the apostle is describing our freedom from slavery to, and from, the power of [[sin]]. This is the great doctrine of [[justification]]. We are born into sin, separated from God, but God sent his Son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. In the [[atonement]], all of our sins, past, present, and future, have been paid for." John Stott comments: "The death of Jesus Christ was primarily neither a display of love, nor an example of heroism, but a sacrifice for sin."<ref>http://www.speraindeo.org/julread.html</ref><ref>http://www.pbcc.org/sermons/hanneman/968.html</ref>
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The desire for freedom was one of the founding principles of the [[United States of America]] thanks to the [[American values|values]] of the [[Founding Fathers]]. Today, freedom still stands proudly at the top of a list of aspirations for Americans. All Americans, no matter their creed or the color of their skin agrees that: "we shall have an association in which the free development of each is the condition for the free development of all".
 +
<center>{{cquote|'''<big>Freedom incurs responsibility. That is why many men fear it.</big> <small>-- [[George Bernard Shaw]]</small>'''}}</center>
 +
<center>{{cquote|'''<big>Freedom is one of the deepest and noblest aspirations of the human spirit.</big><small>-- [[Ronald Reagan]]</small>'''}}</center> <!-- Inaugural of January 21, 1985 -->
  
== Two Ideas of Freedom ==
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==Freedom and equality==
 +
[[Milton Friedman]] said, "The society that puts [[equality]] before freedom will end up with neither; the society that puts freedom before equality will end up with a great measure of both." [http://freetochoose.net/broadcasts/ideas_for_all_time/index.php]
  
Isaiah Berlin, [[OM]] (6 June 1909 – 5 November 1997), is regarded as a leading liberal philosopher of the 20th Century. However, he introduced two concepts of freedom which can be universally regarded. Berlin's work on theories of freedom has had a lasting influence. His 1958 lecture, "Two Concepts of Liberty" is famous for its distinction between positive and negative liberty, and has informed much of the debate since then on the relationship between liberty and other values.
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== Freedom & St Paul's Letter to the Galatians ==
  
===Negative Freedom===
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John Hanneman wrote, "Inner freedom has to do with the very essence of our being." This "inner freedom" is the theme of [[St Paul]]'s letter to the [[Galatians]].
  
The first concept of freedom, and the one with which we are usually most familiar, is what Berlin cites as 'negative' freedom.  Berlin sums this up in the simple question "Over what area am I master?"<ref>http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=77888213</ref>.  It refers to the idea of liberty or freedom as an idea of the opportunities available to you, the number of doors open to you or the different roads you may walk down [http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/liberty-positive-negative/]. A recent example is that, in imposing a smoking ban on its citizens, a government is restricting their negative liberty, specifically their freedom to smoke in certain public areas. The degree of freedom is also affected by the nature of the restrictions on somebody. For example, prohibiting a given person from the vote is removing a far greater proportion of a person's negative freedom than asking them to take off their shoes indoors[http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/liberty-positive-negative/].
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The [[Greek]] words for freedom appear 36 times in the [[New Testament]]. Paul uses them 28 times in his letters, and 10 times in Galatians alone. The purpose of this letter is clear: to explain how [[Christians]] have been released from the law and been given freedom in [[Christ]], how the [[Holy Spirit|Spirit]] has replaced the [[Torah]] in our lives.
  
===Positive Freedom===
+
Galatians reveals why people struggle so much with law. It identifies the key ingredient to becoming free, and how people can enjoy freedom in Christ. Paul writes: {{Bible quote|It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.|book=Galatians|chap=5|verses=1|version=NIV}}
 +
In his word of greeting in the introduction, he says: {{Bible quote|Grace to you and peace from [[Father God|God our Father]], and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us out of this present evil age, according to the will of God the Father.|book=Galatians|chap=1|verses=3-4|version=NASB}} Here the [[apostle]] defines what he means by freedom. Following his wish for "grace and peace," he uses two phrases that capture for Christians the two ways they are free as a result of their relationship with God.
  
The notion of positive freedom can be more difficult to explain and understand, and is closely related to the ideas of paternalism. It can be stated basically as "Who is master?<ref>http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=77888213</ref>" and refers to the idea of being free in the sense that you are free to make the right choices.  For example, if negative freedom is a question of how many doors are open to you, positive freedom is a question of which door you decide to take [http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/liberty-positive-negative/]. To understand the concept of positive freedom more easily, the ‘self’ may be split into two distinct characters; one which is described as a ‘higher’ or ‘rational’ self; and another which is the ‘lower’ or ‘irrational’ self.  The measure of positive freedom is whether the higher self has direction over the lower self; whether a person has the control to make the right choices, e.g. I may know that it is a good idea to exercise once a day, however, I would much rather sit on the sofa and be lazy.  The rational side of me knows that for long term benefit, I should exercise, whilst the irrational side desires short-term gratification; lazing around all day.  The achievement of positive freedom is listening to the rational self and doing what is best, in this case going for a swim, over doing that which brings instant and short-term fulfilment; sitting on the sofa.  To some this is the very essence of true freedom, and in order for people to be truly free, there must be an element of state guided interference in their lives; they should be given rules and laws to abide by and achievements to aspire to, all of which help them to achieve positive freedom. 
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The first phrase is that the Lord Jesus Christ "gave Himself for our sins." Here the Apostle is describing our freedom from slavery to the power of [[sin]]. This is the great doctrine of [[Justification]]. We are born into sin, separated from God, but this separation can be overcome because God sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. Through this [[atonement]], all of our sins, past, present, and future, have been paid for - all we need do is put our [[faith]] in Christ. John Stott comments: "The death of Jesus Christ was primarily neither a display of [[love]], nor an example of heroism, but a sacrifice for sin."<ref>http://www.speraindeo.org/julread.html</ref><ref>http://www.pbcc.org/sermons/hanneman/968.html</ref>
  
===Paradox of Positive Freedom===
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==Misdefinitions of Freedom==
 +
In several cases, the left has often co-opted the term "freedom" when in reality they mean socialism, communism, and anarchism. This sort of misdefining of freedom has its roots with the French Revolution with its slogan of "Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite" as well as their concept of "total liberty" being closer in definition to "total anarchy".<ref>https://www.theepochtimes.com/the-dark-origins-of-communism-part-2-of-3_2251602.html<br />"While the French Revolution called for principles of liberty, equality, and fraternity, the concept of “total liberty” they proposed is best described as “total anarchy,” said Fr. William Jenkins, in a 1980s segment of the TV show “What Catholics Believe.”"</ref> Likewise, because they falsely conflate conservativism and the right as being "fascist" despite fascism being closer to the far left, they create a false dichotomy regarding what they defined as freedom and fascism, and often imply that freedom is often "given up" for what they defined as fascism. A notable example of this is George Lucas with the Star Wars saga,<ref>https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2005/nov/07/theatre1<br />He [McDiarmid] also bristles at the notion that the Star Wars films are totally hollow entertainments. "I remember when I sat there in the Evil Emperor's swivel chair and George [Lucas] said things like 'does it remind you of the Oval office?' And I realised that at that time Richard Nixon was in his mind.<br />
  
This concept implies that a person could be convinced or coerced into doing things they wouldn’t usually do, on the basis that it is what they would do, were they thinking rationally [http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/liberty-positive-negative/]. This paradox is looked at by Berlin, and he speaks about governments or regimes which have used this concept to disastrous consequence, stating that it has been one of the cornerstones of both Stalin-Communist and Hitler-Fascist societies. That the coercion of it's own citizens into doing something, he says is bad enough. But the greatest atrocity is that these regimes use the idea of positive freedom to convince their populous that they are acting in the way they would act anyway, if their 'rational self' had president over their 'irrational' self [http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/liberty-positive-negative/]. Many people believe that this is evidence that Berlin is a Liberal, and that he denounces the concept of positive freedom as invalid. Berlin vehemently denies this, and claims only that he seeks to identify that it is a concept which has, can be and will be misused. He also claims that many of mankind's greatest atrocities have occurred as a result of attempts to reconcile all of mankind's goals into one [http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Isaiah+Berlin-a018850965].
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"And I see that in the Guardian's review of the DVD - not favourable, of course - mention is made of the fact that there are lines that sound really contemporary. But the reviewer decided that was by chance: no, no, no, no. Entirely by design.<br />
 +
 
 +
"George knew that eight-year-olds, for whom these films are primarily intended, are very impressionable, and he wanted to make the right impression. So the whole film is about the unnecessary rise of fascism. In other words: watch out, they're all after your freedom, particularly when they're talking about defending freedom. Without getting over-extended about it, that is at the heart of these movies."</ref><ref name="'Sith' invites Bush Comparisons">[http://www.cbsnews.com/news/sith-invites-bush-comparisons/2/ ''Revenge of the Sith'' invites Bush Comparisons, page 2] on CBSNews.com<br />"Lucas said he patterned his story after historical transformations from freedom to fascism, never figuring when he started his prequel trilogy in the late 1990s that current events might parallel his space fantasy.<br />"As you go through history, I didn't think it was going to get quite this close. So it's just one of those recurring things," Lucas said at a Cannes news conference. "I hope this doesn't come true in our country.<br />"Maybe the film will waken people to the situation," Lucas joked<br />[...]<br />"When I wrote it, [the 2003 Iraq war] didn't exist," Lucas said, laughing.<br />"We were just funding Saddam Hussein and giving him weapons of mass destruction. We didn't think of him as an enemy at that time. We were going after Iran and using him as our surrogate, just as we were doing in Vietnam. ... The parallels between what we did in Vietnam and what we're doing in Iraq now are unbelievable."<br />The prequel trilogy is based on a back-story outline Lucas created in the mid-1970s for the original three "Star Wars" movies, so the themes percolated out of the Vietnam War and the Nixon-Watergate era, he said.<br />Lucas began researching how democracies can turn into dictatorships with full consent of the electorate.In ancient Rome, "why did the senate after killing Caesar turn around and give the government to his nephew?" Lucas said. "Why did France after they got rid of the king and that whole system turn around and give it to Napoleon? It's the same thing with Germany and Hitler.<br />"You sort of see these recurring themes where a democracy turns itself into a dictatorship, and it always seems to happen kind of in the same way, with the same kinds of issues, and threats from the outside, needing more control. A democratic body, a senate, not being able to function properly because everybody's squabbling, there's corruption.""</ref> who among other things falsely claimed, owing to his anti-war politics, that going to war at all results in a loss of freedom (despite America literally being founded in the American War for Independence among others).<ref>http://archive.frontpagemag.com/readArticle.aspx?ARTID=8371</ref>
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==See also==
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* [[American values]]
 +
* [[Conservative values]]
 +
* [[Liberty]]
 +
* [[Bill of Rights]]
  
 
==References==
 
==References==
{{reflist|2}}
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{{reflist}}
  
==External Links==
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==External links==
 
*[http://www.aim.org/wls/category/freedom/ What Liberals Say - Category: Freedom], [[Accuracy In Media]]
 
*[http://www.aim.org/wls/category/freedom/ What Liberals Say - Category: Freedom], [[Accuracy In Media]]
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*[http://oathkeepers.org Oath Keepers]
  
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[[Category:United States of America]]
 
[[Category:Bible Study]]
 
[[Category:Bible Study]]
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[[Category:Virtues]]
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[[Category:Veterans]]
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[[Category:Conservatism]]
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[[Category:Libertarianism]]
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[[Category:United States History]]
 +
[[Category:Pro Second Amendment]]
 +
[[Category:Survivalism]]

Revision as of 11:05, July 17, 2018

The flag of the United States, a nation founded upon principles of personal freedom, has become a symbol of freedom and liberty in a wider sense, despite efforts with mixed results from both conservatives and liberals to hinder the freedom of American citizens.

Freedom is the state of being free or at liberty rather than in confinement or slavery or under physical, mental or spiritual restraint. More specifically, it can mean:

  • Ability to act freely: a state in which somebody is able to act and live as he or she chooses, without being subject to any undue restraints or restrictions.
  • Release from captivity or slavery: release or rescue from being physically bound, or from being confined, enslaved, captured, or imprisoned.
  • The condition of being free; the power to act or speak or think without externally imposed restraints.

The desire for freedom was one of the founding principles of the United States of America thanks to the values of the Founding Fathers. Today, freedom still stands proudly at the top of a list of aspirations for Americans. All Americans, no matter their creed or the color of their skin agrees that: "we shall have an association in which the free development of each is the condition for the free development of all".

Freedom incurs responsibility. That is why many men fear it. -- George Bernard Shaw
Freedom is one of the deepest and noblest aspirations of the human spirit.-- Ronald Reagan

Freedom and equality

Milton Friedman said, "The society that puts equality before freedom will end up with neither; the society that puts freedom before equality will end up with a great measure of both." [1]

Freedom & St Paul's Letter to the Galatians

John Hanneman wrote, "Inner freedom has to do with the very essence of our being." This "inner freedom" is the theme of St Paul's letter to the Galatians.

The Greek words for freedom appear 36 times in the New Testament. Paul uses them 28 times in his letters, and 10 times in Galatians alone. The purpose of this letter is clear: to explain how Christians have been released from the law and been given freedom in Christ, how the Spirit has replaced the Torah in our lives.

Galatians reveals why people struggle so much with law. It identifies the key ingredient to becoming free, and how people can enjoy freedom in Christ. Paul writes:

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Galatians 5:1 (NIV)

In his word of greeting in the introduction, he says:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us out of this present evil age, according to the will of God the Father. Galatians 1:3-4 (NASB)

Here the apostle defines what he means by freedom. Following his wish for "grace and peace," he uses two phrases that capture for Christians the two ways they are free as a result of their relationship with God.

The first phrase is that the Lord Jesus Christ "gave Himself for our sins." Here the Apostle is describing our freedom from slavery to the power of sin. This is the great doctrine of Justification. We are born into sin, separated from God, but this separation can be overcome because God sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. Through this atonement, all of our sins, past, present, and future, have been paid for - all we need do is put our faith in Christ. John Stott comments: "The death of Jesus Christ was primarily neither a display of love, nor an example of heroism, but a sacrifice for sin."[1][2]

Misdefinitions of Freedom

In several cases, the left has often co-opted the term "freedom" when in reality they mean socialism, communism, and anarchism. This sort of misdefining of freedom has its roots with the French Revolution with its slogan of "Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite" as well as their concept of "total liberty" being closer in definition to "total anarchy".[3] Likewise, because they falsely conflate conservativism and the right as being "fascist" despite fascism being closer to the far left, they create a false dichotomy regarding what they defined as freedom and fascism, and often imply that freedom is often "given up" for what they defined as fascism. A notable example of this is George Lucas with the Star Wars saga,[4][5] who among other things falsely claimed, owing to his anti-war politics, that going to war at all results in a loss of freedom (despite America literally being founded in the American War for Independence among others).[6]

See also

References

  1. http://www.speraindeo.org/julread.html
  2. http://www.pbcc.org/sermons/hanneman/968.html
  3. https://www.theepochtimes.com/the-dark-origins-of-communism-part-2-of-3_2251602.html
    "While the French Revolution called for principles of liberty, equality, and fraternity, the concept of “total liberty” they proposed is best described as “total anarchy,” said Fr. William Jenkins, in a 1980s segment of the TV show “What Catholics Believe.”"
  4. https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2005/nov/07/theatre1
    He [McDiarmid] also bristles at the notion that the Star Wars films are totally hollow entertainments. "I remember when I sat there in the Evil Emperor's swivel chair and George [Lucas] said things like 'does it remind you of the Oval office?' And I realised that at that time Richard Nixon was in his mind.
    "And I see that in the Guardian's review of the DVD - not favourable, of course - mention is made of the fact that there are lines that sound really contemporary. But the reviewer decided that was by chance: no, no, no, no. Entirely by design.
    "George knew that eight-year-olds, for whom these films are primarily intended, are very impressionable, and he wanted to make the right impression. So the whole film is about the unnecessary rise of fascism. In other words: watch out, they're all after your freedom, particularly when they're talking about defending freedom. Without getting over-extended about it, that is at the heart of these movies."
  5. Revenge of the Sith invites Bush Comparisons, page 2 on CBSNews.com
    "Lucas said he patterned his story after historical transformations from freedom to fascism, never figuring when he started his prequel trilogy in the late 1990s that current events might parallel his space fantasy.
    "As you go through history, I didn't think it was going to get quite this close. So it's just one of those recurring things," Lucas said at a Cannes news conference. "I hope this doesn't come true in our country.
    "Maybe the film will waken people to the situation," Lucas joked
    [...]
    "When I wrote it, [the 2003 Iraq war] didn't exist," Lucas said, laughing.
    "We were just funding Saddam Hussein and giving him weapons of mass destruction. We didn't think of him as an enemy at that time. We were going after Iran and using him as our surrogate, just as we were doing in Vietnam. ... The parallels between what we did in Vietnam and what we're doing in Iraq now are unbelievable."
    The prequel trilogy is based on a back-story outline Lucas created in the mid-1970s for the original three "Star Wars" movies, so the themes percolated out of the Vietnam War and the Nixon-Watergate era, he said.
    Lucas began researching how democracies can turn into dictatorships with full consent of the electorate.In ancient Rome, "why did the senate after killing Caesar turn around and give the government to his nephew?" Lucas said. "Why did France after they got rid of the king and that whole system turn around and give it to Napoleon? It's the same thing with Germany and Hitler.
    "You sort of see these recurring themes where a democracy turns itself into a dictatorship, and it always seems to happen kind of in the same way, with the same kinds of issues, and threats from the outside, needing more control. A democratic body, a senate, not being able to function properly because everybody's squabbling, there's corruption.""
  6. http://archive.frontpagemag.com/readArticle.aspx?ARTID=8371

External links