Tuesday, October 28, 2008

What is Freedom?

From this blog:
FDR named the four freedoms that have become standard-bearers in liberalism: freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom from want, and freedom from fear. Right wingers seem to have changed these up for themselves to be freedom of speech (for right wingers), freedom of religion (for misogynist Christians), freedom from thinking, and freedom from challenge. The latter two seem to be the underlying values of all right wing culture war movements. Gay rights and evolutionary theory violate their “right” to be free from having their beliefs challenged so that they have to think about them. Birth control, abortion, and the right to die with dignity make it hard for them to make the “right” choices because they’re sorely tempted to make choices that have the power of reason behind them but are in violation of their religious beliefs. Having options forces you to think about what you want, and that violates their freedom from thinking.

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