It's About Liberty: A Conservative Forum

Topics => Faith & Family => Topic started by: Pablo de Fleurs on October 03, 2013, 04:47:31 AM

Title: Inspiration
Post by: Pablo de Fleurs on October 03, 2013, 04:47:31 AM

I love the concept of Self-Mastery. And without writing an essay, humanity & culture pursue any amount of distractions-hopes-dreams-pleasures-aims-etc...all seeking "freedom". But those pursuits generally enslave. They would be the same to argue that "religion" is a trap & that they seek "freedom" to think-act-do on their own. But a relationship with your maker is, IMO, true freedom & allows for spiritual maturity to see through the traps of worldly distractions & snares.

That said, this is an interesting insight from Steven Pressfield:

• "It may be that the human race is not ready for freedom. The air of liberty may be too rarified for us to breathe. Certainly I wouldn't be writing this book, on this subject, if living with freedom were easy. The paradox seems to be, as Socrates demonstrated long ago, that the truly free individual is free only to the extent of his own self-mastery. While those who will not govern themselves are condemned to find masters to govern over them." *
  
  * The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles, Steven Pressfield (author of The Legend of Bagger Vance)
• http://apologeticsworkshop.wordpress.com/2013/10/03/living-toward-christ/ (http://apologeticsworkshop.wordpress.com/2013/10/03/living-toward-christ/)*
• http://apologeticsworkshop.wordpress.com/2013/10/03/walk-with-those-who-are-weak/ (http://apologeticsworkshop.wordpress.com/2013/10/03/walk-with-those-who-are-weak/)**

* & ** (AM devotionals spoke to this same theme...I love serendipity)

Title: Re: Inspiration
Post by: ChrstnHsbndFthr on October 03, 2013, 06:44:01 AM

Good post. There are certainly politicians who think we are too stupid to govern ourselves. My fear is that for many of us they may be right.  And the politicians have been working for some time now to make those who cannot govern themselves a majority.

Title: Re: Inspiration
Post by: IronDioPriest on October 03, 2013, 07:06:39 AM

John Adams knew this basic truth as well.

Quote

"Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."

For a brief moment in human history, the concept of self-mastery was manifest in a government created by Godly men. The challenges of a new nation, and the devastation of civil war, kept us on a self-governing trajectory.

It seems as if any remnant of the concept is now almost wholly driven by inertia, compelled by stubborn folks like us.