Freedoms

Vernon Henson has hand-copied the entire Bible. In other nations, at other times, this would not be so remarkable. Were we in China, such compilations would be considered rare but only because it's by one scribe, not many. Were we in ancient Rome, circa 300 A.D., Diocletian would have burned every copy of the Scriptures he could find.

The American nation in which we now live is truly unique. The concept of freedom is not unique, but until recent times never have so many people enjoyed such widespread freedom. In modern times, the ruling class of several societies before us could be considered “free,” and even within our own history, some of the citizens were more equal than others. It’s ironic that many who observe Morgan Freeman in his acting never realize the origins of his last name.

The founding fathers of this American country, most of whom were Christians, laid down a unique and liberating blueprint for the future. Is it freedom alone that makes America’s birth and survival unique? We see that France’s revolution a few years after our own was a dismal failure because it was based on no higher authority than man and his “Enlightenment.” They had no belief that God governs the affairs of men, that men are endowed by their Creator with inalienable rights, such as life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Such things were not just assumed, but championed by men with the integrity to see that tyranny and unjust rulers were something that should not be tolerated.

They did not get these ideas from believing in mankind, in man's humanity. It certainly wasn't from looking within themselves or appealing to man's better nature. Man can no more pull himself up by his bootstraps than by any other non-leveraged maneuver. We must look to something outside of ourselves if we wish to find greatness. No man is great, if he is taken by himself, isolated from his time or his ideals. In fact, only when ideals are combined with action do we see greatness. Such ideals were founded on the belief that God created man with a will that by necessity conveys a freedom of choice. A man compelled by king or rule is not truly free, and the founders understood that.

While freedom is necessary for the human being to thrive, freedom is not the ultimate American, or even the ultimate human expression. Instead, it is a tool or a vital mean, but nothing more. We have the freedom to choose, but whether we choose life or death makes all the difference. I celebrate the Fourth of July tomorrow not because I like fireworks--although I do, but I celebrate it because it has given me the choice to love God. I have the ability to read my Bible in public. My children have the ability to learn about God as we understand Him. My property and vocation are mine alone to determine, and it is my duty to guard and retain such freedoms as best I can. Faith, hope and love are the ultimate expressions of any human, and it is freedom that enables actions based on these three qualities.