OPINION: Freedom now, and forever

Do you know that Sunday, four days from now, is July 4? Good. But what's the big deal about July 4? France has July 4 on its calendar. I'm sure Greece, Russia, Mexico and every other nation has that date on their calendars, too; but there are a few differences.

In Mexico it is listed as 4 de Julio, and France has it listed as 4 Juillet. England has July 4 on its calendar, but for a long time the English didn't like the way Americans celebrated it.

Now, where was I? Oh yes ... What's the big deal about July 4?

The American Revolution was the result of many British actions. Several of the more detestable acts were British imposition of dictatorial rule over the colonies, making them repay the cost of the French and Indian War (1754–1763), depriving them of representation in the Parliament and taking colonists captive to serve in the British navy.

England had passed laws and placed taxes on the American colonists that were not placed on the citizens in England. These laws discriminated against the Americans. When the colonial leaders attempted to communicate with English lawmakers, they found that neither Parliament nor King George III cared what the colonists thought.

What made things worse was that English governors were confiscating personal property, including horses, houses, farms and businesses from those who openly disagreed with the King.

All that angered the English citizens who were living in America, and they cried out, "No taxation without representation!" They demanded equality with the rest of the British Empire.

Some folks tell me that sounds like the actions of our American government today. Hmmmm ...

Local fights broke out across the colonies between the British rulers and the colonists. An important gunfire exchange took place at Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts. It was called "the shot heard around the world" because it started an eight-year war that actively included France and Germany.

The British accused the colonists of revolting, and the colonists accused the British of dictatorial domination and severe oppression. Both were correct, and the Colonial Revolution ensued. But that was nothing new to England. Starting in 927 A.D. in the process of building the British Empire, insurrections and wars were almost a continual part of English politics.

In 1775, farmers, ranchers, businessmen and noblemen from 13 separate colonies entered a war against the powerful, well-trained, well-organized British Army. Each colony had its own government, its own militia and the citizens of each colony were loyal to their own rulers. Eight years later after defeating the British Lobsterbacks (nickname for the British Redcoats), 13 states still had their own governments and militias, and the citizens of each state were still loyal to their own rulers. Why was that?

Today, we think of a state as a section of our country, but in 1783 the word state meant country. That's why they called themselves the United States in America. They still considered themselves independent countries and that's where we got the concept of State's Rights. It wasn't until 1865, after the war between the States, that the United States in America became solidified as the United States OF America.

The desire for freedom, placed within us by our Creator, is an innate desire of every human being. But independence is a manifestation of human pride, and it has generated wars, arguments, and all sorts of problems within humanity. God made us to be free, but not independent. In today's world, if you consider yourself to be independent, try living without grocery stores, gas stations, legal protection, and without a military to stop foreign aggression. Whether or not we like it, we are highly dependent on each other.

But today, our own government seems to have taken the place of Jolly Old England. Our government is making laws that defy godliness and defy individual freedom. Should we go to war to regain our freedom?

HEAVENS, NO!

Our problems are a result of rejecting God and choosing ungodly humanism as the basis of our social order. That results in fighting across the land, mass murders in the public square, and changing the natural order of human life.

The only way to truly enjoy freedom now is to recognize our dependence on God, obeying Him, and worshipping Him.

Gain your eternal freedom by living for the Lord Jesus Christ.

-- S. Eugene Linzey is the author of 'Charter of the Christian Faith.' Send comments and questions to [email protected]. Visit his website at www.genelinzey.com. The opinions expressed are those of the author.