Re: The cost of Freedom -- RSQUBF discussion forum

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Date Posted: 11:58:14 03/28/05 Mon
Author: Mike K.
Subject: Re: The cost of Freedom
In reply to: Jan 's message, "The cost of Freedom" on 13:47:15 03/25/05 Fri

Where is the freedome if you take away rights? Where is the freedom to make a mistake? What the world really needs absolute freedom coinciding with a biblical foundation in God in the hearts of it's people...

Care from parents to ensure that their children are not being brainwashed.

Well, dear Jan.
Thing is, people aren't ready for "absolute freedom", since it requires all people to have a functioning, keen conscience and I'd dare administer some serious doubts there.

Absolute freedom... to take that lady's handbag and disappear into the street corner?
Absolute freedom... to just go stroll over to your teacher and drill a handful bullets into their head?
Absolute freedom... for drug dealers to press young girls into prostitution?
Absolute freedom... for Al-Quaeda to abduct airplanes and use them to bomb civilian faculties?
Absolute freedom... for dictators like Saddam to torture, suppress and kill millions?
Absolute freedom... for a single madman to press a red button, eradicating half the globe?

Thing is, "absolute freedom" is, like you said: A B S O L U T E.
You can not say "a limited absolute freedom" or "a bit of abssolute freedom".

So, absolute freedom is fictional. Absolute freedom is not what our legislature should aim for. Absolute freedom doesn't just give people "the right to make mistakes", it also gives them the right to exploit, torture, kill others, otherwise that is a restriction of freedom already.

And this is where we already cut into line with cultism:
Cults steal away the freedom of their members, by implanting subliminal fears, by indoctrinating to the point where exercise of free thought is impossible, by presenting a warped reality where freedom is meaningless ... all these are the looming dangers.

I mean, does a group really need to kill a quarter-million people before someone realizes that the group is harmful?
Is the limit of "harm" drawn where outsiders get killed, or is "harm" already present where members are deprived of their ability to exercise basic human rights?

I'd rather have a government police patrol my meetings undercover and arrest all the leaders if they're presenting real harm than know that there's groups like Al-Quaeda recruiting my youngsters on campus.
After all, if we're god-fearing, upright folks, then we have no man to fear, and no police force, either.

And, Jan, your statement about parental care being a certain defense against brainwashing is at best naive. I hate to bring up that example, but ... what happens if the parents are also brainwashed? Ever seen 2nd gen cult kids?

In Christ,
Mike K.

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