Freedom and self-government
July 4, 2011 
Today our nation celebrates 235 years of independence and freedom.
Looking over this morning’s headlines, I’m reminded still that the foremost issue confronting a majority of people in the world is their desire for greater freedom. And this desire is being communicated across the globe in ways never seen before — through social media, video phones, and other forms of technology.
As I think more about this worldwide struggle for freedom, I’ve come to realize that freedom itself isn’t something governments actually give to people. It isn't gained through material inventions or material conditions. It isn’t granted by one class of individuals to another class. Freedom, in its truest sense, comes from a divine source.
This is the genius of our Declaration of Independence — one of the greatest documents ever written. It says of individuals “that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” (read more)
Standing up for our God-given freedom is one of the most important lessons of history and it’s witnessed time and again throughout the Bible. From Moses leading the children of Israel to the Promised Land, to Christ Jesus healing the sick and reforming the sinner, the Bible is full of instances of freedom gained through divine power.
For more than a century, Christian Science (a Bible-based system of healing available to anyone regardless of his or her religious background) has brought lasting freedom to individuals from all walks of life. This freedom has been experienced in countless ways — physically, mentally, morally, and so on. Mary Baker Eddy, the Founder of Christian Science, writes:
“Like our nation, Christian Science has its Declaration of Independence. God has endowed man with inalienable rights, among which are self-government, reason, and conscience. Man is properly self-governed only when he is guided rightly and governed by his Maker, divine Truth and Love.” (read more)
She later says:
“Discerning the rights of man, we cannot fail to foresee the doom of all oppression. Slavery is not the legitimate state of man. God made man free.” (read more)
As we celebrate the Fourth of July, let’s keep in mind the divine source of all true freedom. It was this realization that gave birth to our country 235 years ago (and, in my view, also to Christian Science a hundred years later), and it continues to serve as an example to the world.
“Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” (II Corinthians 3:17)
Religion
Reader Comments (2)
The article written by you very good, I like it very much.
Great, Jamel -- Thanks for writing!