The Fallacy of Freedom

By: American Decency Staff

The Fourth of July is more than fireworks, picnics, and family get-togethers. It’s a celebration of independence, but it should also be a time of remembering our political and spiritual moorings. We ought never to forget the price tag of freedom—Founding Fathers and uncommon “common men” who gave up their lives, fortunes, families, and sacred honor. We mustn’t forget the cost that others have paid throughout our history to protect and keep the flame of liberty alive—men and women who have fought and given their lives to stay the hand of dictators, oppressors, and those who would deny life and liberty to others. Most of all, we ought never ever forget the Author of our freedom, the One who raises nations and brings them down, the Creator of ALL, the Lord Jesus Christ. It was by His providential Hand of grace alone that moved men, creating a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. He was responsible for lighting the “city on the hill.”

As our Founding Fathers pointed to Jesus, reminding England of where true liberty lies, let us read with humility the second paragraph of our Declaration of Independence:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. . . "

Ironically, it’s a celebration of independence from a tyrannical king; yet, if we look at the list of grievances listed in our Declaration of Independence, it would appear that our current government has out tyrannized those whom we fought against, throwing off their oppressive yoke.

I remember hearing a speech Ronald Reagan gave where he told a group of college students that he felt sorry for them.  He was sorry they had lost freedoms which they never even knew of and went on to list a few.  We are losing freedoms today at an alarming rate, with our “representatives” playing a large role in unconstitutionally wresting them from our freedom loving hands.

Wresting?  Too many apathetically sleep as this goes on or they don’t realize how the giving up of one freedom leads to the eventual loss of all freedoms. So, it’s only Constitutional restraint that keeps these lawless thugs from waltzing in and taking every freedom away from us.  Even President Obama said, “Our Founders designed a system that makes it more difficult to bring about change than I would like sometimes.” Well, that’s right Mr. President! The Founders were trying to prevent exactly what you, your administration, and congressional and judicial colleagues are trying to do. They wanted men to work for themselves, not for a tyrannical and overstepping Federal Government. Our Founders fought so that we would be free from the cradle to the grave, not so that a nanny state type government could cradle us into the grave.

Let’s also give a passing mention to the fact that our government is funding our enemy abroad and inviting potential terrorists into our towns, giving them freedoms while restraining ours.

The point is this, we say we are free; we are supposed to be free; but many of the freedoms we still have are tenuous at best. We do little to stop the erosion of our freedoms while claiming to love liberty.

Our Founding Fathers were awake to the dangers at hand and refused to be apathetic to their nature or cause. They would stand boldly for what is right, never flinching in the face of evil tyranny or oppression. They looked to God for guidance and for the developing of our nation, its laws, and its government. We can be forever grateful for their bravery and their righteousness, as imperfect as it may have been.

But, what of us? Are we awake and alert or are we apathetic? Do we show that we’re thankful for what Jesus, our Founding Fathers, and our military has given and preserved for us or do we take it for granted? Can we enthusiastically answer, “Yes, yes there is!” to James Madison’s query, “Is there no virtue among us?” Or must we shamefully hang our heads to the indictment of Alexander Solzhenitsyn, in summing up our culture’s decay, “Man has forgotten God, that is why this has happened.”? 

As we look back to our founding and into tomorrow, look unto the Lord. Our nation is sick and needs healing; but, we must depend upon God for healing, not some political leader.  For too long, wherever he (national leader) leads, we have followed. We can no longer afford to follow the donkey or the elephant…we must follow the LAMB!

We must wake up and look up! Repentance will bring true freedom! Let this celebration of independence bring you to a declaration of your dependence upon Christ alone!  Obviously we can’t write in Jesus for our vote; but, we should be hitting the prayer closet long before and frequently before we hit the voting booth.  Only through repentance and obedience will we find a renewed freedom within ourselves and within our nation.

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