25 - Freedom

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Aug 29, 2024

I was once told "The only place all are welcome is hell"

It's not completely true; no one is welcomed into hell with open arms. In fact the other damned souls are more miserable by each others presence, so in that regard it's completely false. But, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability or age, any person can go there. Hell doesn't discriminate. Heaven does. Heaven, discriminates based on good and evil. The wicked are cast out. Only the friends of God who served him in this life who kept his commandments can enter. To get to heaven you had to serve God, to get to hell, you can do whatever you want.

You'll see here this idea that you're more free offending God because you can do "whatever you want" than pleasing Him because there are rules. That God enslaves us with his commandments. And I guess, in a way He does.

But why does that trouble you? We weren't created Master of the Universe. That's an inescapable fact. But our inferiority isn't something to displease us because we were made for it. We wouldn't be happy outside our purpose and our purpose is to serve God. We weren't created to be our own masters. That is evident from human nature. "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am meek and humble of heart and you will find rest for your souls.

We don't believe God has our interests at heart and we think "doing whatever we want" will make us happy. But see how that works out. There are innumerable examples. They all end the same. You can spend your whole life trying to be happy in this world and it will be nothing but bitterness.

And this freedom we seek out to be happy ends up being the reason for our sorrow.

It reminds me of how we talk about pride. "I'm proud of this country" or "I've got school pride" or "pride parade". There's that heroism of saying "I'm such-and-such and I'm proud" just like when saying "I'm a free man". It really just depends what you mean. You shouldn't be proud of everything, and you shouldn't be a prideful man. Narcissism and good self-esteem are opposites. In the same way Freedom to do evil - what good is that! But freedom to do good, should be celebrated.

Freedom to go to mass we ought to be very grateful for, knowing not everyone, perhaps not the majority have it. Freedom to go to the satanic temple or the church of marijuana or a mosque or the synagogue or a protestant assembly or a brothel... you could call it freedom or you could call it temptation and a curse.

But that is the kind of freedom that is worshipped on the american stage. This relativistic libertarian "I can do anything I want so long as I'm not directly hurting anyone" freedom. But that's a fantasy, the world doesn't work that way. Everything you do, has it's consequences. The smallest venial sin is directly hurting everyone, let alone all the excuses of "not hurting anyone". "Consenting adults", really. Have you heard what Phineas did to pacify God's wrath?

And the centurion making answer, said: "'Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldst enter under my roof: but only say the word, and my boy shall be healed. For I also am a man subject to authority, having under me soldiers; and I say to this, go, and he goeth, and to another, come, and he cometh: and to my servant, do this, and he doeth it. And JESUS hearing this, marveled: and said to them that followed him, Amen I say to you, I have not found so great faith in Israel.

No man can *serve two masters. For either he will hate the one, and love the other: or he will sustain the one, and condemn the other. You cannot serve God and Mammon.

And JESUS calling them, saith to them, *You know that they which seem to rule over the gentiles, overrule them: and their Princes have power over them. But it is not so in you, but whosoever will be greater, shall be your minister: And whosoever will be first among you, shall be the servant of all. For the Son of man also is not come to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a redemption for many.

This your cogitation is perverse: as if the clay should think against the potter, and the work should say to the maker thereof: Thou madest me not: or the thing formed should say to the fashioner thereof: Thou understandest not.

Behold, saith our Lord, as clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand,

God is infinite. To him, no one is just a statistic.