What does it mean to have liberty vs. freedom? I always thought the two words were interchangeable synonyms of one another, but that’s not necessarily true. “Liberty emphasizes the importance of individual rights and the limitations of government power, while freedom is more focused on the ability of individuals to pursue their own interests.” (from unitedwepledge.org).

Let’s put that into perspective: I have the freedom of the pulpit. Ostensibly and within reason as your minister I’m allowed to do anything I wish from said pulpit. You are free to disagree with my views and presentations and are encouraged to share your opinion on them. That’s a welcome and healthy exchange of dialogue and will enrich the conversation. We learn from one another in that way.

What happens when a governing body comes in and tells you that you can longer think or feel that way, or even worse, voice your feelings? Even worse, but when said governing body gives license to the extremists on either side of the debate to shut you down by any means necessary? That’s the opposite of what we’re talking about here. Gone is the freedom of expression and feeling, and the liberty to have those sometimes hard and fruitful conversations where we can come to an agreement or even agree to disagree. Instead, we get trapped in a vacuumous echo chamber where we only hear our own voices and those voices that agree with us. That’s fascism.

It was Aristotle who said, “Nature abhors a vacuum.”  Please, think about this. We all need one another, to both survive and to thrive. I love you!