Liberty is defined as:
- Freedom or release from slavery, imprisonment, captivity or any other forms of arbitrary control.
- The sum of rights and exemptions possessed in common by the people of a community, state, etc…
- A particular right, franchise, or exemption from compulsion.
The meaning of the word liberty is difficult to circumscribe. Abraham Lincoln was of the opinion that “the world has never had a good definition of [the term]. We all declare for liberty,” he said; “but in using the same word we do not mean the same thing. With some, the word liberty may mean for each man to do as he pleases with himself and the product of his labor; while with others [liberty] may mean for some men to do as they please with other men and the product of other men’s labor.”
Again he said, “The shepherd drives the wolf from the sheep’s throat, for which the sheep thanks the shepherd as his liberator, while the wolf denounces him for the same act.” (Address, 18 Apr. 1864; quoted in John Bartlett, Familiar Quotations, 15th ed., Boston: Little, Brown and Co., 1980, p. 523.) The issues have changed since the time of Lincoln, but the multipurpose use of the word liberty and its synonym freedom has not changed. The sweets of liberty about which we usually speak may be classified as (1) political independence, (2) economic freedom, and (3) agency to choose. Ultimate liberty comprehends all three of these freedoms, and more.
While political independence, economic freedom, and agency may contribute to liberty of the soul, they do not guarantee it. First, as to political independence and power: In this field, perhaps the exploits of Alexander the Great are among the most widely known. With high physical courage, impulsive energy, and fervid imagination, he, at the unripe age of thirty-two years, became to all intents and purposes master of the then-known world. But he was far from enjoying liberty, for of himself he was not master. In his thirty-third year he died, a victim of his own excesses, a total stranger to freedom of the soul.
Chronological History of Liberty, and the War on Liberty
Hong Kong Protesters Crush China Supporters in Historic Election Win
The Hong Kong pro-democracy movement fueled record voter turnout and a crushing defeat for pro-China parties in Sunday’s District Council election, leaving the establishment with only 60 of the nearly 500 seats on the council. Voters took to the streets to celebrate the victories – and the losses of public officials who had become the villains of the pro-democracy movement like Junius Ho, a District Council member who gained notoriety by shaking hands and chatting with a mob of communists while they violently assaulted unarmed protesters in July. Champagne overflowed on the streets Monday afternoon in celebration. Many of those elected ...
Leaked Documents Reveal How China Uses AI, Mass Surveillance to Run Concentration Camps
The watch towers, double-locked doors and video surveillance in the Chinese camps are there “to prevent escapes.” Uighurs and other minorities held inside are scored on how well they speak the dominant Mandarin language and follow strict rules on everything down to bathing and using the toilet, scores that determine if they can leave. “Manner education” is mandatory, but “vocational skills improvement” is offered only after a year in the camps. Voluntary job training is the reason the Chinese government has given for detaining more than a million ethnic minorities, most of them Muslims. But a classified blueprint leaked ...
Federal judge strikes down rule allowing clinicians to object to abortions for moral or religious reasons
A federal judge in New York on Wednesday struck down a new Trump administration rule that would have allowed health care clinicians to refuse to provide abortions for moral or religious reasons. U.S. District Judge of the Southern District of New York rejected the federal rule after women's groups, health organizations and multiple states sued the Department of Health and Human Services, arguing the exemptions were unconstitutional. Engelmayer ruled that the so-called conscience rule was too coercive, allowing HHS to withhold billions in federal funding unless health care providers complied. "Wherever the outermost line where persuasion gives way to ...
International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church: Christians Around the World United in Fast and Prayer for Persecuted Christians.
Christians around the world united in prayer for the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church — a global prayer meeting for Christian brothers and sisters who boldly witness for Christ at any cost. VOM’s 2019 IDOP short film, Sang-chul: North Korea, provides a dramatic example of the challenges of following Christ inside the world’s most restricted nation. The film will inspire you and your family, group, class or church to pray for persecuted Christians in North Korea and around the world. Filmed on the Korean peninsula, the film shares the true story of Pastor Han, who was ...
Congress approves ‘impeachment’ resolution authorizing Schiff’s secret probe of Trump
The US House of Representatives has approved a resolution authorizing the impeachment probe of President Donald Trump, despite Republican opposition arguing that the “Soviet-style” bill lacks transparency and due process. The 232-196 vote ended up being almost entirely along party lines, with only two Democrats voting against and no Republicans voting for the resolution. White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham issued a statement strongly condemning the vote, criticizing House Speaker Pelosi’s (D-CA) “unhinged obsession with this illegitimate impeachment proceeding.” The resolution, she argued, only codified “unacceptable violations of due process” in the ongoing inquiry. The White House has dismissed ...
Lebron James Sides with Chinese Communists: Attacks Rockets GM Daryl Morey for Pro-Freedom Tweet and Lectures on Perils of Free Speech
Lebron James spoke out on Monday in defense of the Chinese Communists. The NBA star trashed Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey for tweeting his support for Hong Kong freedom protesters. And then Lebron lectured on the perils of free speech. Lebron said Daryl’s tweet could have hurt a lot of people. LeBron says he believes Rockets GM Daryl Morey wasn’t educated when he spoke about Hong Kong and that his tweet could have hurt a lot of people, including financially pic.twitter.com/UMj71DPQH7 — Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) October 15, 2019 Breitbart.com reported: LeBron James called Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey uneducated ...
AG Bill Barr Flames ‘Unremitting Assault’ On Religion, Traditional Values During Notre Dame Visit
U.S. Attorney General William Barr spoke at Notre Dame Law School on Friday evening, calling for a defense of Judeo-Christian values and religious freedom in response to growing secularism in America. The event was reserved for students, faculty and staff of the Notre Dame Law School and de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture, both of which hosted the lecture. It took place in the McCartan Courtroom while another room in the law school streamed the speech to another crowd of ticket-holding students and faculty. Barr began by discussing the new challenges the United States is facing today. It’s ...
Houston Rockets Owner Tweets Support for Hong Kong Freedom Resulting in Reparations from China and NBA Apology ($$>Freedom=NBA)
The NBA has publicly apologized to Communist China after Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey tweeted out support for Hong Kong protesters, but the league has no issue with their employees regularly criticizing President Trump. Morey's tweet prompted multiple Chinese businesses and organizations -- including the sportswear brand Li-Ning, SPD Bank and the Chinese Basketball Association -- to condemn the team and suspend their work with the franchise. The Chinese consulate in Houston also scolded the Rockets, saying: "We have lodged representations and expressed strong dissatisfaction with the Houston Rockets... Anybody with conscience would support the efforts made by ...
Congress Pushes Ahead with Hong Kong Bill, Angering China
Both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives passed the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act through committee on Wednesday, paving the way for a floor vote and triggering an incendiary rant out of the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Thursday. The act, if signed into law, would protect Hong Kong protesters’ ability to enter the United States if participating in peaceful protests damages their criminal records unjustly and requires the U.S. government to continuously assess China’s repression of the autonomous city, requiring sanctions if the Communist Party acts against it. Hong Kong’s people have been protesting by the ...
Trump calls on the nations of the world to end religious persecution at UN Summit
President Trump hosted the first meeting on religious freedom at the United Nations, calling on nations from across the globe to end persecution against people of faith. "To stop the crimes against people of faith, release prisoners of conscience, repeal laws restricting freedom of religion and belief, protect the vulnerable, the defenseless, and the oppressed, America stands with believers in every country who ask only for the freedom to live according to the faith that is within their hearts," said the President. Pence spoke first stating that Trump was the first world leader to chair a meeting on religious ...
