Freedom Series: the divine perspective (Part 7)

Freedom perverted

“The Parliament of Canada, affirming that the Canadian Nation is founded upon principles that acknowledge the supremacy of God, the dignity and worth of the human person and the position of the family in a society of free men and free institutions; Affirming also that men and institutions remain free only when freedom is founded upon respect for moral and spiritual values and the rule of law” [emphasis added]

—excerpt from the Canadian Bill of Rights, Preamble

In the context of the divine perspective on individual freedom discussed over the last several blogs beginning here, it is informative to contrast the divine perspective with the modern (secular) one.

As it happens, the Judeo-Christian heritage of many Western nations informed the drafting of their bills of rights, constitutions and judicial codes, all of which declare individual freedom to be sacrosanct. However, and notwithstanding the preamble to the Canadian Bill of Rights cited above, no nation today explicitly treats God of the Bible as the source of the government’s moral authority or as the ultimate party to whom its leaders are accountable. 

No nation today explicitly treats God of the Bible as the source of the government’s moral authority or as the ultimate party to whom its leaders are accountable.

Of course, nations that are officially atheistic proudly declare the non-existence of God (e.g. the People’s Republic of China (“PRC”) and North Korea). And those that are officially Islamic (e.g., the Islamic Republics of Iran and Pakistan) or in which Islam is the ideology espoused by the majority of citizens (e.g. Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Malaysia) proudly declare Allah of the Qur’an as the only true god. Finally, in Hindu-majority India, Christian and Muslim minorities are routinely persecuted notwithstanding constitutionally guaranteed freedom of religion. 

Thus a significant percentage of nations today do not acknowledge God of the Bible. That said, the underground Christian church in the PRC is huge and growing. Many citizens of Muslim majority countries are renouncing Islam and of these, many are becoming Christians (e.g., Iran).  Also, the Christian church in north India is growing rapidly as many Hindus are becoming followers of Jesus.

The degree of individual freedom varies enormously by country ranging from minimal (the PRC, North Korea, Iran) to substantially greater (the United States, Canada and Europe). According to the Human Freedom Index published by the Fraser Institute, “Human freedom deteriorated severely in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Most areas of freedom fell, including significant declines in the rule of law; freedom of movement, expression, and association and assembly; and freedom to trade…The sharp decline in freedom that began in 2020 comes after years of slow descent following a high point in 2007 and sets global freedom to a level far below what it was in 2000, previously the lowest point in the past two decades.”

In fact, human freedom has not just declined but has been perverted worldwide. Modern (secular) society acknowledges the right of individuals to exercise their freedom to choose whom they will serve and what they believe. As it happens, most leaders - and those who elect them - have chosen to serve themselves, not God. As a result, they are in bondage to sin (freedom perverted). While most leaders would claim they only want the best for those they serve, their actions suggest otherwise. Indeed, in the West, they are routinely attacking the very freedoms upon which their nations were founded. 

Is the quest for freedom a lost cause? Stay tuned!

Photo by Unseen Histories on Unsplash