Liberty – Responsibility/Faith =Anarchy
“But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.“
[Rom. 14:23, Bible, NKJV]
On this site we define Liberty as follows:
Liberty = Freedom + Responsibility
We also say:
“Liberty Means Responsibility. That’s why most men dread it.”
[George Bernard Shaw]
If you take responsibility/accountability/faith in or towards a higher God out of the equation and simply seek only freedom, you become the greatest threat possible to society. You become an anarchist:
- Whose ethics are situational and a product of the environment you are in.
- Whose attitude about any situation is dictated solely by “what’s in it for ME”.
- Who becomes a literal narcissist because of the above. Mental illness. Would anyone argue that this scenario does NOT accurately describe our current political environment?
The selfish types listed above are exemplified in the following instances:
- Socialists who want the CIVIL PRIVILEGES of franchises but who refuse the CIVIL OBLIGATIONS that pay for the delivery of those privileges. In other words, tax the 1% to fund the 99%. See:
Socialism: The New American Civil Religion, Form #05.016
https://sedm.org/Forms/05-MemLaw/SocialismCivilReligion.pdf - Dispensational Christians who insist that Christ is Savior but not Sovereign Lord (lawgiver) of their life or that old testament law doesn’t apply or who insist that works are not necessary to determine a better reward in Heaven. See:
Policy Document: Corruption Within Modern Christianity, Form #08.012
https://sedm.org/Forms/08-PolicyDocs/CorrModernChristianity.pdf - Those who pursue “smorgasbord religion” where they can pick and choose the gods or commandments or laws they want to be subject to. This makes THEM the god to be worshipped. The source of law in any society is the god of that society, according to Rousas John Rushdoony, author of The Institutes of Biblical Law.
Irresponsibility will always have worldly attraction. But the responsibility that remedies it has to be owed to NO MAN, but to something which you perceive as greater than yourself and which is eternal and unchanging and good. If that thing is not greater than yourself or you perceive YOURSELF as equal to or greater than it, then YOU are the pagan god being worshipped and you are practicing religious idolatry.
There is no greater expression or measure of your religion than your priorities. Whatever is at the top of those priorities is who or what your god is. If you are #1, you are religious and you worship yourself. Thus, even those who claim to be “nonreligious” are religious.
Freedom is impossible without religion according to the founder of our country, George Washington:
“Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, Religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of Patriotism who should labour to subvert these great Pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of Men and citizens. The mere politician, equally with the pious man, ought to respect and to cherish them. A volume could not trace all their connections with private and public felicity. Let it simply be asked, “where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation desert the oaths which are the instruments of investigation in courts of justice?” And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.”
[George Washington in his Farewell Address; See also George Washington’s Farewell Address Presented by Ben Sasse, Minute 24; SOURCE: https://youtu.be/VcGIx1hAq7w]
Those who seek freedom instead of liberty seek the impossible and suffer delusion. Responsibility must be to a superior being greater than yourself who is eternal and unchanging. Any other approach is anarchy.
Take it up with George Washington, not me if you don’t like this message. Essentially, he’s saying you don’t belong here if you don’t practice some kind of religion. Perhaps he says this because without religion, man defines his own subjective morality that is always changing and always self-serving.
The content of this article is further explored in:
Problems with Atheistic Anarchism, Form #08.020
SLIDES: https://sedm.org/Forms/08-PolicyDocs/ProbsWithAtheistAnarchism.pdf
VIDEO: http://youtu.be/n883Ce1lML0
A happy or purpose-filled life is not one spent worshipping or elevating or promoting self. There is nothing but sin, hedonism, and decadence in doing so. No scripture necessary because as Thomas Jefferson said, it’s self-evident.
The ONLY thing anyone will remember you for after you are gone is how generous and unselfish you have been during your short visit here.
The main purpose of Christians saying they are all born sinners is simply to reinforce the above points in order to elevate a sense of healthy voluntary community above self.
A theological take on this article can be found at:
Romans 14:23 – Whatsoever is not of Faith is Sin, Nike Insights
https://nikeinsights.famguardian.org/forums/topic/romans-1423-whatsoever-is-not-of-faith-is-sin/