1. The Basis for Freedom in God and God’s Creation
World Scripture
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
2 Corinthians 3.17
I have seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters; I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey.
Exodus 3.7-8
Proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants.16
Leviticus 25.10
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good tidings to the afflicted; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.17
Isaiah 61.1-2
O ye who believe! You have charge over your own souls.
Qur’an 5.105
You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.
John 8.32
Our quest for self-determination, justice, freedom and peace in our Homelands and our Territories… is a renewal of what we enjoyed before the coming of our White Brothers from across the sea. We lived contentedly under the Gai Eneshah Go’ Nah, The Great Law of Peace. We were instructed to create societies based on the principles of Peace, Equity, Justice, and the Power of Good Minds.
Our societies are based upon great democratic principles of the authority of the people and equal responsibilities for the men and the women. This was a great way of life across this Great Turtle Island and freedom with respect was everywhere. Our leaders were instructed to be men of vision and to make every decision on behalf of the seventh generation to come; to have compassion and love for those generations yet unborn.
We were instructed to give thanks for All That Sustains Us. Thus, we created great ceremonies of Thanksgiving for the life-giving forces of the Natural World, as long as we carried out our ceremonies, life would continue. We were told that “The Seed is the Law.” Indeed, it is The Law of Life. It is The Law of Regeneration. Within the seed is the mysterious force of life and creation. Our mothers nurture and guard that seed and we respect and love them for that. Just as we love our Mother Earth, for the same spiritual work and mystery.
Chief Oren Lyons18 (Native American Religion)
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
The U.S. Declaration of Independence
The denial or limitation of human rights—as for example the right to religious freedom, the right to share in the building of society, the freedom to organize and to form unions, or to take initiatives in economic matters—do these not impoverish the human person as much as, if not more than, the deprivation of material goods?
Pope John Paul II, Sollicitudo Rei Socialis (Christianity)
Teachings of Sun Myung Moon
Freedom is truly one of the Creator’s most precious gifts to humanity. God created human beings to exercise freedom as spiritual beings.
(133:289, November 19, 1984)
People of the world… without exception, all wish to be free. They want to live in a free society, a free nation, and a free world. Without peace and freedom in our minds, there is no true happiness… Today, although we strongly pursue freedom, we must admit that we still do not experience the condition of true freedom, coming from the heart.
(7:14-15, July 5, 1959)
In truth, human beings lost their freedom as a result of the Fall. Yet even fallen people possess intact a seed of their original nature which seeks freedom, and this makes it possible for God to carry on the providence to restore it. With the progress of history, people have been ever more zealously aspiring for freedom, even at the cost of their lives. This is evidence that we are in the process of restoring our freedom, long lost due to Satan. The purpose of our search for freedom is to facilitate the accomplishment of our God-given responsibility, which is essential for fulfilling our purpose of creation.
(Exposition of the Divine Principle, Fall 5.2)
Heavenly Father, who observes the universe from the highest heaven, wants human beings to lead. He doesn’t want people to merely obey as if drawn around by the neck. That is what the mind desires, right? Your mind wants to be completely free. Ask anyone: no one wants to be controlled. You will enjoy complete freedom once you attain the status of a person of true love. Then you can travel anywhere, even to the throne of God. You can meet God anytime you like. You can become God’s friend! (Earthly Life and the Spirit World 1.5.3.2)
Freedom originates in true love; without true love freedom has no root. Furthermore, without first planting this root of freedom, we cannot complete our ideal world. A wife whose husband loves her is totally free. A husband whose wife loves him regardless of how he behaves is totally free. He can touch her and even jab her, knowing that she enjoys it. She can run around the house naked, knowing that he will not object. What greater freedom is there? Why does that woman disrobe and walk about naked—to assert her freedom or out of love? Out of love, she expresses her freedom.
(203:10, June 10, 1990)
The best freedom is to live well, protected by nature. Your freedom is guaranteed when you can live in accord with universal law, without any conflict or contradiction. Then you will enjoy the nature’s protection. There is nothing better.
(117:290-91, April 11, 1982)
Examine your motivation in searching for freedom. Does your heart truly seek for the freedom that can bring harmony to all creation? If you can put yourself in God’s position and share His heart for freedom, your heart would seek the standard of freedom that all people can enjoy together.
(4:318, October 12, 1958)
Democracy has been promoting the freedom and liberation of human beings. However, we should now promote the freedom and liberation of God. If this matter is resolved, the liberation of human beings, not to mention their freedom, will automatically be achieved.
(344:54, June 26, 2001)