Freedom

Galatians 5:13~14

"For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters, only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another. For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." If, however, you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another."

I've always been partial to deontological ethics, to wit, normative theories which seek to ascertain the duties which we owe others, creation, & our creator. Of course, I find Immanuel Kant's writings to be spectacular mind-bending treatments of these issues, but there are others who have added to the discourse in a significant manner. Mainly, I am attracted to the theory because of its coherence with Christian Scripture. First, when Christ summarized the entire Jewish law, he did so by stating a deontological duty, "Love the Lord with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself". Second, I believe that because man is created in the Image of God, consequentialist theories of ethics cannot be compatible with Christian theology. At some point, consequentialist theories, will force actors to weigh the value of humans against another. (A great recent example was the debate on water-boarding, where many of the proponents argued based on the utility, rather than morality of the act.)

This topic came to mind in church today during the first lesson, which was drawn from the above passage from Galatians. It struck me to see the great commandment placed in such an interesting context. I like the political implications of Paul's thought, given that so many have made freedom the only end, which they seek in their political philosophy. Were the modern conservative movement to listen to the Apostle Paul, they would find little approval to their view, for the purpose of freedom is that we might act as slaves to one another as a response of deep Christian love.

That's something that isn't seen too often.

///

Also, above I posted a picture of a statute commemorating Roger Williams. Williams of course was the founder of Rhode Island. What is interesting is how Williams ended up in Rhode Island. (My thoughts come from research on Williams by Martha Nussbaum.) Williams left the Massachusetts colony because of the persecution of the Native Americans there by the colonists, who considered themselves Christians. It was a John Smyth in particular that spurred William's ire, leading Williams to write his book entitled:

"The Bloody Tenent yet more Bloody: by Mr. Cotton's Endeavor to wash it white in the Blood of the Lamb; of whose precious Blood, spilt in the Bloud of his Servants; and of the Blood of Millions spilt in former and later Wars for Conscience sake, that most Bloody Tenent of Persecution for cause of Conscience, upon, a second Tryal is found more apparently and more notoriously guilty, etc." (London, 1652)

William's book, predates John Locke's "Essay on Toleration", but is remarkably similar in his conclusions. I think that the title of William's book shows us that history has favored Locke, mainly because of Locke's superior writing skills. Williams was a bit wordy.

Williams basically responds to the plight of the Native Americans with empathy. I would say that the trait of empathy is that which is most akin to the heart of the horizontal portion of the Great Commandment, "love your neighbor as yourself". Basically, Williams concludes with a deontological theory, realizing that the Native Americans were humans, just as he and ought to be treated as he would.

What is most interesting is a statement he makes about the moral psychology of the persecutors, or the Massachusetts colonists. Williams wrote that in persecuting the Native Americans, the colonists believed themselves to be righteous in killing those who did not believe in the Church of Christ. But the colonists were acting out naracissm, not righteousness, for what they persecuted, they persecuted because it was different from them selves. In this way, they displayed their own self love, rather than righteousness.

What is righteousness is described in Paul's words, that we be slaves to one another in love, loving the other as we love ourselves.