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
China Unloads Troops & Cargo Into Hong Kong From Giant Ship Amidst Rumors of Crackdown
A huge Chinese cargo ship has unloaded troops and vehicles into Hong Kong amidst rumors of a military crackdown on protesters. “The ship in question, Chang Da Long, is a 140.5m-long vehicle carrier,” reports Shephard Media. “It arrived at Stonecutters Island at 17:36 on 28 August and, after unloading its cargo, departed by 23:19. In total, the 19,864t vessel was berthed at the PLA naval base for 5.5h.” Authorities claim that the ship is part of the routine annual rotation of PLA troops and equipment PLA Hong Kong Garrison. However, while road convoys are a regular sight, “the presence ...
Hongkongers March Again (2 million strong)
2,000,000 citizens marched to demand that the government fully withdraw the Extradition Bill, investigate into the excessive violence used by police on 12 June, unconditionally release arrested protesters and retract the government’s characterization of the 12 June protest as a "riot". The Civil Human Rights Front (CHRF), the group organizing protests against a proposed extradition law in Hong Kong, announced that nearly 2 million people attended protests on Sunday, the largest recorded assembly in the history of Hong Kong, according to the Hong Kong Free Press (HKFP). The figure is even more impressive given that the protest occurred after ...
Hong Kong Government Responds to Public Protests, but Refuses to Withdraw Extradition Bill
The government finally responded to the public, but refused to fully withdraw the bill and to drop the rioting charges against the protesters. Carrie Lam, the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, refused to withdraw the Extradition Bill but only temporarily suspended it. At the same time, internal orders were given to medical staff in hospitals to disclose protesters’ personal information to the police, resulting in at least five injured demonstrators being arrested in hospitals. Some injured protesters did not seek medical treatment for fear of being arrested ...
Hongkongers Who Attempt to Prevent Legislative Proceedings on the Extradition Bill by Surrounding the Legislative Council are Attacked by Police
On June 12th, the protesters demanded an immediate stop to the second reading of the Extradition Bill. Ignored by the government, tens of thousands of Hongkongers attempted to prevent legislative proceedings on the Extradition Bill by surrounding the Legislative Council, where they faced excessive violence from the police. The government ignored the chorus of public opposition. The government insisted on putting the Extradition Bill forward for its final vote at the Legislative Council meeting on 12 June despite the unprecedented turnout of protesters against the bill on 9 June. Protesters demanded an immediate stop to the second reading of ...
‘Free Hong Kong’ Movement Begins: Over 1 Million March In Protests Against China Extradition Bill
Over 1 million Hong-kongers (according to the organizers; 240K according to the police), or one in seven, flooded Hong Kong’s streets on Sunday to oppose a proposed extradition bill that would allow Beijing to take people from Hong Kong to stand trial in mainland China. Time lapse video shared online on how hundreds of thousands marched to protest against an extradition bill #extraditionbill in Hong Kong pic.twitter.com/hOps5KF5VC — Stella Lee (@StellaLeeHKnews) June 9, 2019 According to the SCMP, it was the most unified protest march in the city in more than a decade, with some calling it the ultimate ...
China Shuts Down, Changes Locks on 1,000-Member Church
China shut down a well-known 1,000-member Beijing church over the weekend and then changed the locks to prevent members from returning to the building. The congregation, Shouwang Church, made worldwide headlines five years ago when it stood up to Chinese leaders and refused to register with the government. Its senior pastor, Jin Tian-ming, remains under house arrest. In the latest confrontation, more than 20 Chinese police and government officials raided a children’s Bible school class Saturday and told church leaders the congregation could no longer meet, according to International Christian Concern (ICC). Chinese officials also ordered the pastor, Zhang ...
Federal Judge Bans Healthy Children from School for Being Unvaccinated
Chestnut Ridge, Rockland County, NY — Despite being entirely healthy, a federal judge handed down a decision this week that denied healthy children entry into school based on the sole factor of being unvaccinated. The judge cited an “unprecedented measles outbreak” for his decision to ban unvaccinated children from school. “The plaintiffs have not demonstrated that public interest weighs in favor of granting an injunction,” U.S. District Court Judge Vincent Briccetti said in federal court this week. After the judge’s ruling in the courtroom, parents of the children—who are now being treated as 21st century lepers—embraced each other in ...
Vimeo Yanks Christian Church’s Account for Opposing Homosexuality
The video-hosting platform Vimeo canceled the account of a church that posted videos of a Bible conference that included teaching on homosexuality. Vimeo informed Fairview Baptist Church of Edmond, Oklahoma, that the videos violated the company’s ban on posting “content that promotes Sexual Orientation Change Efforts,” reported the website Reform Charlotte. “We apologize for any inconvenience and wish you luck in finding a video hosting platform more suitable to your needs,” wrote Marty of Vimeo’s Trust and Safety department. Janet Mefferd, who hosts a program on American Family Radio, wrote via Twitter that all of the church’s sermons host ...
China Promises Financial Rewards for Reporting Christians
Chinese authorities are now taking steps in rural areas of China to intensify the ongoing crackdown on Christian gatherings often known as house churches. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is reportedly resorting to offering monetary rewards to anyone who spies on a neighbor or even family member and reports a group of believers to authorities. In documents obtained by Bitter Winter magazine, monetary incentives are spelled out based on the specific report and its impact. For example, a document issued by a subdistrict in Nanyang city in China’s Henan province states that anyone who discovers and reports a group ...
Government of India Proposes Chinese-Style Internet Censorship
India’s government has proposed giving itself vast new powers to suppress internet content, igniting a heated battle with global technology giants and prompting comparisons to censorship in China. Under the proposed rules, Indian officials could demand that Facebook, Google, Twitter, TikTok and others remove posts or videos that they deem libelous, invasive of privacy, hateful or deceptive. Internet companies would also have to build automated screening tools to block Indians from seeing “unlawful information or content.” Another provision would weaken the privacy protections of messaging services like WhatsApp so that the authorities could trace messages back to their original ...
