The importance of being a miserable sinner! Part 4

The importance of being a miserable sinner!

Part 4: The distortion of freedom into license

This is linked to the modern emphasis on freedom as the be all and end all of human existence: I demand my right to be completely free. We all love freedom, but, very tellingly, modern ideologies also demand the right never to be criticised, challenged or even questioned, as they see that as oppressive interference in the freedom to do whatever I please: how can I be truly free if someone criticises me and so I feel bad about doing what I want? Freedom is wonderful, but in modern society when the word “freedom” is used, it could often be better translated as “licence”. There are so many terrible things that we need to be freed from, and so many good things that we want to be free to do, but many people who shout for “freedom” really mean: “I demand the right to do whatever I damn well please! – And everyone must approve of this”. It is this false understanding of freedom that fuels the aggressive intolerance that is becoming the trademark of modern society. This hatred and intolerance of challenge suggests to me a subconscious realisation that there are indeed things at fault with me, but I don’t want to face up to it, so I will be incensed at anyone who raises the matter with me. Even if you are deep-down content with the choices you have made, if we truly value freedom, we will have to accept that different people want to use their freedom to do different things. Ironically – tragically – it is often those who trumpet the loudest their demands to be free to live their way of life who refuse to allow the same freedom to others who want to live their life a different way.