After All, What Is Freedom?

Author: Antoni BigCuore *

Date: 11.01.2014 at 16.51 hours.

Freedom implies responsibility. I want to be free to do something. But what if this thing is against some social norm or even common sense? How is my freedom? In the case of French journalists, will be that there was no "abuse" of freedom, to attack the figure of a Prophet of Islam?

In Western democracies no one is above the law !. By the way, say by the way, that democracy is the EMPIRE OF LAWS !. No one, (only God) can be above it. The judiciary of a country is who decides, ultimately, the merits or otherwise of an action that was proposed by a citizen or by any legal entity.
No one is above good or evil.

Only God, who created all things, we can afford to be above it all!
If a citizen publish something about some authority believed to be offended, she can claim the right of reply and the judge determines the merits or otherwise of the proposed action.
The world shook this week with the death of a French newspaper cartoonists in Paris for having, according to the terrorists, offended their religion, crystallized in the person of the Prophet Muhammad.

I learned as a boy, with that religion does not play, respect yourself !. I may be exceeded by my ideas, but when some journalist exceeds criticizing the person of Jesus Christ, for example, I as a Catholic Christian, I feel offended, and can according to the laws of my country, to bring a lawsuit against this journalist, BUT NEVER, IF jUSTIFIED LEAD TO DEATH OF jOURNALIST, author of the article or even a cartoon.

Fulton Sheen, former Cardinal Archbishop of New York, in the 1940s, wrote a beautiful book, whose title is: "Freedom Under God", and the Portuguese translation was made by the Company Act, the edited in Portuguese, under the title "the problem of freedom" in 1945.

His Eminence, criticizes both liberal capitalism as Nazism and communism. At that time still ruled the "cold war", especially between the United States and the former Soviet Union.
Since then, much has changed, but the concept of freedom remains the same: I can only be free to LOVE, first to God and according to my neighbor as myself. My freedom ends where the other begins, says the popular aphorism.

Freedom of choice. In the Bible, more specifically, in the Old Testament, in the Book of Ecclesiasticus, Article 15, verses 14 a18, says: "From the beginning he created man and left him in the hands of their own decision. If you want, observe the commandments: fidelity is in doing his will. He placed before you fire and water; for what you will stretch out your hand. Before men is life and death, it shall be given you what you prefer. It is great because, WISDOM OF THE LORD, he is all-powerful and sees all. "(1).
Note clearly that God, in creating human beings, press work of creation, has endowed him with free will. And in society, THERE IS ABSOLUTE FREEDOM !. There is, relative freedom !. I am free to the point of not injure the right of my neighbor or the laws of my country, or even in some foreign country.

Freedom is not doing what you want, but what if you MUST. Philosophically, are two different situations: want or duty ?. The choice is yours.
As Fulton Sheen, a person is free to climb on the top floor the Empire State Building in New York, and throw to the ground. Even before his body hits the ground, the person is no longer free. Do you know why? Why did not observe a law created by nature that a heavier body than air, tends to be still in the ground. She dies even before reaching your goal.
Will you try to make this experience ?. Of course every person of common sense will say no; it's crazy !.

Today, unfortunately, there are millions of people suffering from psychiatric disorders and are victims of recruiters for terrorist purposes. It is what we are witnessing in modern times. The destruction of the Twin Towers of New York, was the dividing line being the Western democracies and said the world of terrorism. Sick minds, on the pretext of a particular religion, if they have the right to KILL people considered "enemies" of their beliefs and "values." This was NEVER considered religion! Do not kill in God's name! This is absurd, one nonsense !!!
All true religion is based on LOVE, for God is love !. Never, under any circumstances, can kill in the name of a supposed God !!!

As I said, W. Churchill, "the price of democracy is eternal vigilance." This is the price we have to pay for living in democratic countries.
Let us pray for all the victims of these massacres that have occurred in the world that God has mercy of these souls. God Bless You!

(1) Jerusalem Bible. Paulus Publisher, 1985, page 1264.
(2) (*) The author is a Catholic Christian writer. Know Your Blog Good Life - HTTP://antonibigcuore.blogspot.com and his poetic link: WWW.recantodasletras.com.br/autores/antonibigcuore