On Liberty And Religion
They are compliments, not enemies
"He that would make his own liberty
secure must guard even his enemy from oppression."
- Thomas Paine
When discussing religion and freedom
they are frequently seen as mutually exclusive.
If we want freedom to worship and live
our lives as we wish, then we can not restrict others
rights to do the same without being hypocrites.
Christians must bring sinners to Jesus,
not seek to separate sinners from sin. Our freedom is
protected by respecting everyone's freedom.
As long as no harm comes to others and everyone's rights
to do as they wish, then we should not seek to control
other's actions. There is no virtue in a forced action.
If we do not want others controlling us, then we should
respect liberty for all.
I perceive that a very limited form of government is most
advantageous for spreading the good news of Jesus Christ,
learning freedom, and advancing civilization. The smaller
the government, the more citizens are free to embrace
anything they chose, the greater our freedom to preach
as we are led.
God's love is what we will use to draw
the lost to him; we should not try to legislate our values.
Once anyone's values are legislated then controls will
also be asserted against everyone, including us. Freedom
must be for all to live, talk, and act as they wish; as
long as they do not interrupt others rights to the same.
In a non-restrictive environment of maximum liberty we
will be able to move when and where God leads, without
encountering government's restrictions.
To my fellow Christians, we can trust God. God will take
care of all negatives that sincere people claim arise
from freedom. We need both our liberty and an unfettered
willingness to follow Jesus Christ.
Yes, God will still empower us if our liberty is lost.
We should however avoid being the agents by which liberty
is decayed. This liberty applies to all speech, all educational
institutions, all life styles, and all religions.
If we limit anyone, in the end we limit ourselves. Our
own efforts to be a political force are changing freedom
of religion to a reaction of freedom from religion. It
is far better to let politics decay and diminish itself.
"He that would make his own liberty
secure must guard even his enemy from oppression."
- Thomas Paine
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