Originally published January 17, 2015
“And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was free born.”
— Acts 22:28
Freedom is one of the most valued ideas in human society.
We want the freedom to live, to think, to believe, to speak, and to express ourselves without unnecessary interference from others or from the state.
But freedom has never meant that every action is without consequence.
A society that values freedom must therefore wrestle with an equally important question:
Where should one person's freedom end when it begins to harm the freedom, dignity, safety, or rights of another?
Freedom Is Not Absolute
In 2015, debates about freedom of expression and religious belief became particularly intense.
After the deadly attack on the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, the world was forced to confront difficult questions about religious offense, violence, satire, and freedom of speech. Twelve people were killed in the January 7 attack on the magazine's Paris office, prompting an international debate that continued long after the tragedy.
Pope Francis made an important distinction at the time: violence committed in the name of God cannot be justified, but freedom of expression also carries responsibilities.
That distinction is worth considering.
No person should be murdered, threatened, or physically harmed because of something he writes, draws, says, or believes.
At the same time, possessing the legal freedom to say something does not automatically make what we say wise, truthful, respectful, or morally good.
A right protects our ability to speak. It does not guarantee that everything we say is right.
Freedom to Believe
Religious freedom is particularly important because belief reaches into a person's conscience.
A Christian should be free to believe in Jesus Christ.
A Muslim should be free to practice Islam.
A person should likewise be free to reject religion altogether.
The Philippine understanding of religious liberty makes a useful distinction: the freedom to believe is protected within the realm of conscience, while actions arising from those beliefs may still be regulated when they affect public welfare or the rights of others. The Philippine Supreme Court has described religious liberty in essentially these terms.
This distinction protects everyone.
Christians should not want a government powerful enough to dictate another person's faith, because the same government could someday dictate ours.
Faith imposed through coercion is not genuine faith.
Freedom to Express
Freedom of expression is equally necessary in a healthy society.
People must be able to criticize governments, religious institutions, politicians, cultural traditions, and even ideas considered sacred by others.
Without that freedom, societies become intellectually stagnant and political power becomes much harder to challenge.
But freedom of expression also requires maturity.
We should be able to distinguish between:
criticism and defamation,
disagreement and hatred,
satire and deliberate cruelty,
evangelism and coercion,
and conviction and contempt.
Religious people should not demand protection from every criticism or offense.
Likewise, secular society should not treat religious convictions as automatically irrational, hateful, or unworthy of public discussion.
True freedom requires space for disagreement.
Freedom to Live
Freedom is perhaps most visible in the way we live.
We choose our careers, relationships, beliefs, lifestyles, political opinions, and personal priorities.
But every choice exists within a network of consequences.
My freedom cannot legitimately require another person's imprisonment merely for disagreeing with me.
My religious freedom cannot justify violence against someone who rejects my religion.
My freedom of expression cannot exempt me from criticism.
And my personal freedom does not mean that society must declare every decision I make wise or morally good.
Freedom and responsibility must therefore coexist.
Without freedom, responsibility becomes coercion.
Without responsibility, freedom can become recklessness.
Faith and Freedom
As a Christian, my understanding of freedom goes beyond political liberty.
The New Testament presents another kind of freedom—the freedom that comes from truth.
Jesus said:
“And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
— John 8:32
This does not mean Christians possess political authority to force everyone else to accept our understanding of truth.
Christianity itself teaches that faith involves a personal response.
People may accept Christ.
People may reject Him.
Christians may preach, persuade, teach, write, and defend what we believe.
But genuine belief cannot be produced by force.
That should make Christians among the strongest defenders of freedom of conscience.
Truth Does Not Need Coercion
There is also an important lesson for religious people.
Defending truth does not require silencing everyone who disagrees with us.
If Christianity is true, Christians should be willing to expose our beliefs to serious questions.
We should be capable of explaining our faith rather than merely demanding that others respect it.
First Peter 3:15 instructs Christians to be prepared to give a reason for their hope—and to do so with meekness.
This means Christian expression should combine conviction with humility.
We can disagree.
We can challenge ideas.
We can defend Scripture.
But we should not confuse insulting people with defending the faith.
Let Freedom Ring
Freedom to live.
Freedom to believe.
Freedom to speak.
Freedom to question.
Freedom to disagree.
These freedoms should not belong only to people who think like us.
A genuinely free society protects them even when people arrive at completely different conclusions.
But freedom also asks something of us.
It asks us to think before we speak.
To consider the consequences of our actions.
To respect the humanity of those with whom we disagree.
And, from my Christian perspective, to remember that freedom reaches its highest purpose not merely when we can do whatever we want, but when we are free to pursue what is true and good.
“And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
— J.P. Abecilla, January 2015
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