Freedom
Erich Fromm said,
“I believe in freedom, in man’s right to be himself, to assert himself and to fight all those who try to prevent him from being himself. But freedom is more than the absence of violent oppression. It is more than “freedom from.” It is “freedom to”“—the freedom to become independent; the freedom to be much, rather than to have much, or to use things and people.”
Erich Fromm
Fromm is right. What he says lines up with what God intended for man to be. God did not create robots. He created man and intended for man to be free irrespective of the consequences.
That freedom included mans right to believe in his creator or not.
The bible states
“He (God) has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men....”
Ecclesiastes 3:11a.
I believe man is born with a sense of eternity. Man instinctively knows there is a more than this life. That he lives on through eternity.
Individuals may choose to ignore this fact but it doesn’t change anything. C. S. Lewis wrote,
“A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word 'darkness' on the walls of his cell.”
C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain.
Still the freedom to deny God and the fact man lives on beyond this world is a God given right. A necessary right in order that man should be truly free.
Like Fromm said, true freedom “is the freedom to become independent; the freedom to be much...”
We can choose to live a life independent of God. We have the freedom to mould our life the way we want it to, even be “much” by our own standard.
At the same time we can also choose to follow God and do be much in His sight.
Some people have told me many times that the Bible is a book of do’s and do not’s. That may be the way some Christians make it out to be but it is not so.
Following the moral code and lifestyle Christ wants us to follow is no more difficult that following the rules in a Football game.
In order for the came to be enjoyable and rewarding to all who play it you must follow the rules. However once you’ve learned the rules you don’t give them a second thought. You simply play the game.
That’s the way it is when you accept Christ into your life. When you ask God to direct your life. You still have complete freedom but you are playing within God’s rules and you ultimately, once you’ve learned the rules don’t give things a second thought.
The bottom line however when it come to the individual is that you have the freedom to live your life your way or God’s way. That is a freedom granted to you by God. You can choose to believe in God or not.
So do you believe in God?
Please think about it.
Erich Fromm said,
“I believe in freedom, in man’s right to be himself, to assert himself and to fight all those who try to prevent him from being himself. But freedom is more than the absence of violent oppression. It is more than “freedom from.” It is “freedom to”“—the freedom to become independent; the freedom to be much, rather than to have much, or to use things and people.”
Erich Fromm
Fromm is right. What he says lines up with what God intended for man to be. God did not create robots. He created man and intended for man to be free irrespective of the consequences.
That freedom included mans right to believe in his creator or not.
The bible states
“He (God) has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men....”
Ecclesiastes 3:11a.
I believe man is born with a sense of eternity. Man instinctively knows there is a more than this life. That he lives on through eternity.
Individuals may choose to ignore this fact but it doesn’t change anything. C. S. Lewis wrote,
“A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word 'darkness' on the walls of his cell.”
C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain.
Still the freedom to deny God and the fact man lives on beyond this world is a God given right. A necessary right in order that man should be truly free.
Like Fromm said, true freedom “is the freedom to become independent; the freedom to be much...”
We can choose to live a life independent of God. We have the freedom to mould our life the way we want it to, even be “much” by our own standard.
At the same time we can also choose to follow God and do be much in His sight.
Some people have told me many times that the Bible is a book of do’s and do not’s. That may be the way some Christians make it out to be but it is not so.
Following the moral code and lifestyle Christ wants us to follow is no more difficult that following the rules in a Football game.
In order for the came to be enjoyable and rewarding to all who play it you must follow the rules. However once you’ve learned the rules you don’t give them a second thought. You simply play the game.
That’s the way it is when you accept Christ into your life. When you ask God to direct your life. You still have complete freedom but you are playing within God’s rules and you ultimately, once you’ve learned the rules don’t give things a second thought.
The bottom line however when it come to the individual is that you have the freedom to live your life your way or God’s way. That is a freedom granted to you by God. You can choose to believe in God or not.
So do you believe in God?
Please think about it.
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