Freedom or slavery?

       Reading today's Scripture passage, I'd be hard pressed not to think of the freedoms we enjoy here in these United States. Far from perfect, always great and purported to be the last best hope of mankind. But what freedoms do we enjoy?

       Years ago at the height of the cold war I heard a very compelling response from a communist apologist about freedom. Oddly enough he argued that a communist citizen was more free than any citizen of the United States. His theory was that communist citizens had only to be concerned with fulfilling their lives not having to worry any longer about health care and housing which was all supplied by the state. In theory.  In reality it is nonsense of the highest order. But it begs the question of what we are free from in any country, in any situation.

        Freedom is quite a charged word. The United States was formed on the premise of separation of church and state. Yet there are many this very day that are trying to eliminate that barrier to make this a "Christian" theocracy.  In reality, this too is nonsense of the highest order. We are free to embrace whatever religion, or no religion, as long as it does not impinge on the rights of others.  That Colorado baker who refused to bake a cake for a gay couple, once engaging in the public domain must  comply with rules and guidelines of the government which should be non-denominational. ( No preference for any religion ).Not doing so impinges on other constitutional rights, the freedom to the pursuit of my happiness and my freedom of religion. If you are not willing to abide by some universal governmental guidelines, you have no business in the public sector.  Of course that's how I feel. Intelligent minds can argue but in the end we are supposed to have a separation between church and state. We certainly were not founded as a Christian country no matter who proclaims it to be so. It just isn't so.

        As citizens of the world and especially these United States, I do know that we are a horrible disadvantage. We seem to be slaves to a large number of 'things', none of which have a relation to God.  Whether it 's the slavery to materialism, prestige or some other human construct, we are not as free as we like to think we are.  This slavery quite often takes us far away from our creator that wants to have a personal relationship with us when we seem more attached at times to our phones than perhaps even our kids, spouses or families. Who is trapped in slavery now?

           We at least have arrived at a point where human slavery seems to be universally abhorrent even if it is not eradicated.  We see that just because it is mentioned in Scriptures, it is not morally right. But now we have enslaved ourselves and it is up to us to rebel and fight back at the hands that bind us, even if they are our own hands or our own minds.

            Let us not take freedom for granted. Perhaps we would be freer in a United States that takes away the concern of health care and allows us that much more freedom to pursue more productively the objectives of a more humane society. 

       Today's thoughts, freedom or enslaved?

          

John 8:33-47

They answered him, ‘We are descendants of Abraham and have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean by saying, “You will be made free”?’

 Jesus answered them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not have a permanent place in the household; the son has a place there for ever. So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. I know that you are descendants of Abraham; yet you look for an opportunity to kill me, because there is no place in you for my word. I declare what I have seen in the Father’s presence; as for you, you should do what you have heard from the Father.’

 They answered him, ‘Abraham is our father.’ Jesus said to them, ‘If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing what Abraham did, but now you are trying to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did. You are indeed doing what your father does.’ They said to him, ‘We are not illegitimate children; we have one father, God himself.’ Jesus said to them, ‘If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now I am here. I did not come on my own, but he sent me. Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot accept my word. You are from your father the devil, and you choose to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me.Which of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? Whoever is from God hears the words of God. The reason you do not hear them is that you are not from God.’