Roots of Freedom: Conscience

Religious freedom is rooted in the Reformation. After many centuries, the world's systems had institutionalized Christianity, reducing it to a system of control & manipulation, to justify the acts of despots. But the reformers rebelled against the status quo, & many gave their lives for what they believed.. that Christianity was a living relationship, not a dead system of rules & a means of control for the State.

It was in this atmosphere that the concept of 'Freedom of Conscience' gained traction. Martin Luther illustrated it early on with his 'Here I stand' reply at the Diet of Worms, after his famous 95 theses were tacked to the door.

Since your majesty and your lordships desire a simple reply, I will answer without horns and without teeth. Unless I am convicted by scripture and plain reason--I do not accept the authority of popes and councils for they have contradicted each other--my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand, I cannot do otherwise, God help me. Amen. ~Martin Luther

This became a constant theme, during the reformation, & continued into the Enlightenment. John Locke wrote volumes on the subject of toleration, which were foundational for Thomas Jefferson's views where he preferred the usage of 'Religious Freedom' to mere toleration.

“No peace and security among mankind—let alone common friendship—can ever exist as long as people think that governments get their authority from God and that religion is to be propagated by force of arms.” ~John Locke

“Nay, if we may openly speak the truth, and as becomes one man to another, neither Pagan nor Mahometan, nor Jew, ought to be excluded from the civil rights of the commonwealth because of his religion.” ~John Locke

Laws & acts of 'toleration' were passed (& repealed), by whimsical kings. It was not until the American Experiment that the concept of 'Unalienable Rights' were codified into governing Law. These were no longer concessions from a benevolent ruler, granting special privilege to the people, but inherent rights, given by God or nature.

Our rulers can have authority over our natural rights only as we have submitted to them. The rights of conscience we never submitted, we could not submit. We are answerable for them to our God. The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others. But it does me no injury to say there are twenty gods, or no god. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg. ~Thomas Jefferson

Jefferson was a great champion for Religious Freedom. Some of the founders wished to follow the path of the euro monarchies, & proposed a hobbesian style conformity to promote national unity. But Freedom was the call of the hour, & the Freedom of Conscience kept its place in the first Amendment of the constitution.

1st Amendment:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. 

There are 2 basic parts of the 'Religious Freedom' part in the 1st amendment.

1. Establishment clause.
2. Free exercise clause.

This is what is widely known as 'separation of church & state'. Much more can be said, & has been said, about this concept, but it is not my intent to elaborate on that, here. Further discussion can be made on that if there is interest.

Freedom of conscience, or religious freedom is a fairly new concept, in the history of man. And, like most of the freedoms promoted during the enlightenment, it is in danger of being swept aside, for the more serviceable & effective system of mandated conformity. Freedom requires an enlightened citizenry. Despotism prefers subservience. The concepts of freedom from the enlightenment & the reformation are being dismissed & ignored, in favor of marxist & darwinist values of elitism, mandated conformity, & control. Life, Liberty, Conscience, & Property, the Great Freedoms provided by the enlightenment, & codified into Law in the American Experiment, are being ignored in favor of expediency, redistribution, conformity, & other progressive values that are contrary to the enlightenment principles, but find their roots in marxist/darwinist ideology.

The Religion being 'established' now is the belief in Naturalism, & Universal Descent. It has become the only belief that is taught in public schools. It is 'established' by national parks, public television & radio, all of govt, & academia. The religious powers that promote this belief also ban or censor any expressions or 'free exercise' of anything contrary to the official State Belief.
The irony is, that it was Christianity, in its purest form, that brought the concepts of Natural Law, freedom of Conscience, & the rest of the enlightenment principles that Western Civilization was built upon. And now, the very source of the Freedoms we have enjoyed is vilified, ridiculed, & attacked. Hiding behind orwellian redefinitions, the new High Priests of Atheistic Naturalism smugly 'establish' their own beliefs, while censuring & banning any others, especially Christianity, which they rightly see as an enemy of their world view.

Roots of Freedom: The Enlightenment

The principles from the Enlightenment are the major influences for the Experiment in self rule, that found expression in America. Enlightenment thought was The Major Influence in the founding of America. Jefferson, Paine, Franklin, & almost all of the founders were products of the Enlightenment, & were active, enthusiastic contributors to it.

What is the 'Enlightenment'?

It was an era, primarily during the 17th century, that celebrated reason, science, human freedom, & ideals of governance. Many great thinkers were alive during this time, that continue to provide the basis for our modern ideas of freedom.

IMO, the Enlightenment could be summarized by Locke's words about Natural Law, which was The Key part of Enlightenment thought.



Life, Liberty, Property. These were the inherent, Natural Rights of every human being, that any collective system SHOULD protect & defend. Jefferson echoed this in the Declaration of Independence:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government..

The American Founders echoed Enlightenment thought constantly, & are clearly influenced, and products of this philosophical thinking.
Here are some key principles that were products of the enlightenment:

1. Acknowledgment of Natural Law. There exists in the Universe an inherent, natural right in every human, to their life, liberties, & property.
2. Acknowledgment of God/Deity/Nature. Some were devout christians, some deists, some skeptics, some unknown.. but all echoed the concept of a higher, Natural Law that superseded the decrees of man.
3. Govt was to secure & protect the rights of the people. That was its sole reason for existence.
4. Revolution & defiance toward despotism was a right, or even a duty, for the freeman.
5. Reason, not the decrees or dogmas of man, was the Authority, & took precedence over man made decrees.

"In all ages of the world, priests have been enemies of liberty." ~David Hume 1711 - 1776

Continuing what started in the Reformation, the rebellion to self proclaimed representatives of God was a constant theme during the Enlightenment. Thinking people threw off the dogma of religious decrees, & looked to reason, science, & common sense to replace the folly of the State Centered institutions that promoted the status quo.

But this was not an 'anti-God!' movement.. on the contrary, continuing the principles from the Reformation, many esteemed God, spirituality, & reverent living. They opposed the INSTITUTIONS of man, as being anti-God, & saw True Piety in the individual expression of reason. There were many anti or non Christian thinkers, but they opposed the Man centered expression, not the basic principles within christianity.

Shake off all the fears of servile prejudices, under which weak minds are servilely crouched. Fix reason firmly in her seat, and call on her tribunal for every fact, every opinion. Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason than that of blindfolded fear. ~Thomas Jefferson

"The existence of the BIBLE, as a book for the people, is the greatest benefit which the human race has ever experienced. Every attempt to belittle it is a crime against humanity" ~Immanuel Kant

I will confess that the majesty of the Scriptures strikes me with admiration, as the purity of the gospel has its influence on my heart. Peruse the works of our philosophers, with all their pomp of diction: how contemptible are they, compared with the Scriptures! Is it possible that a book at once so simple and so sublime should be merely the work of man? Is it possible that the sacred personage whose name it records should be himself a mere man? What sweetness, what purity, in his manner! What sublimity in his maxims! What profound wisdom in his discourses! Where is the man, where the philosopher, who could so live and so die without weakness and without ostentation? If the life and death of Socrates were those of a sage, the life and death of Jesus were those of a God. ~Jean Jacques Rousseau

Montesquieu was instrumental in influencing the 'separation of powers' that was codified in the American Constitution.

When the legislative and executive powers are united in the same person, or in the same body of magistrates, there can be no liberty; because apprehensions may arise, lest the same monarch or senate should enact tyrannical laws, to execute them in a tyrannical manner. ~Baron de Montesquieu

Truly the Roots of American Freedom were based on the principles & philosophies of the Enlightenment. And to the degree we abandon those principles, we kill the experiment in self rule that the founders & the Enlightenment thinkers produced. We may move on to other, more ear tingling ideas, but we will not match the ideals of Freedom that were produced during the Enlightenment.

Enlightenment is man’s leaving his self-caused immaturity. Immaturity is the incapacity to use one's intelligence without the guidance of another. Such immaturity is self-caused if it is not caused by lack of intelligence, but by lack of determination and courage to use one's intelligence without being guided by another. Sapere Aude! Have the courage to use your own intelligence! is therefore the motto of the enlightenment... ~Immanuel Kant

Life, liberty, and property do not exist because men have made laws. On the contrary, it was the fact that life, liberty, and property existed beforehand that caused men to make laws in the first place. ~Frederic Bastiat

Government has no other end, but the preservation of property. ~John Locke

The true Enlightenment thinker, the true rationalist, never wants to talk anyone into anything. No, he does not even want to convince; all the time he is aware that he may be wrong. Above all, he values the intellectual independence of others too highly to want to convince them in important matters. He would much rather invite contradiction, preferably in the form of rational and disciplined criticism. He seeks not to convince but to arouse - to challenge others to form free opinions. ~Karl Popper

The Ideological Results of Atheism

It makes a difference, what you believe about the Universe, humanity, life, & eternity. Western civilization was built upon principles based on a belief in a Supreme Being, or some kind of Higher Power, over the affairs of men. From that belief, sprang several world & culture changing movements.

1. The Reformation. 'Sola Scriptura' was the cry, as well as the concept of of ALL men being equal, no aristocracy, no divine right of kings, nor a holy priesthood, with special endowments from God. This was humanity's ticket out of the dark ages, & the ideological basis for most of what followed.
2. The Scientific Revolution. Instead of science being a mandate from Religious Professionals, it became a process.. a methodology that was based on the uniformity of nature, & order in the universe. The printing press & a common language in scientific inquiry built a knowledge base, & many added to it. Copernicus, Kepler, Newton, & many others sparked this revolution, which had at its root the concept of an orderly Creator, whose Laws were immutable & consistent.
3. The Age of Reason. This was closely tied with science, & had the same roots. These were the enlightenment philosophers, who promoted the concept of Natural Law, an overriding moral law that was over everyone, & the ruling elite were not exempt. It has been summarized as the right to life, liberty, & property, & was codified as a mission statement for governance in the American declaration of independence.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

These 'movement's were foundational for western civilization, & resulted in an ideology that found its purist expression in the American Experiment in self rule. Natural Law, human equality, and an acknowledgment of a Supreme Being were the foundation upon which America was founded, & were the core beliefs that influenced most of western civilization for over 100 years.

It began in the mid 1500s, when the reformation blew apart the status quo of the religious elite. Concurrently, Copernicus promoted scientific thinking, refuted a geocentric view of the universe, & laid the foundation for further scientific discovery. The ruling elite became fallible, & the illusion of them as 'speaking for God' was shattered. Truth was not a monopoly of the elite, but was a process of discovery. The printing press contributed to this as well, making the knowledge base available to a wider audience, & breaking the monopoly that the elite had over information.

Then, as human minds became free to think, unfettered by superstition & dark ages mandates, the CONSEQUENCES of this scientific enlightenment spread to the philosophical concepts of governance & human freedom. This was the spark that began the abolitionist movement, & from there led to women's suffrage, & even addressed the social evils of intemperate drunkenness.

By the 1800s, aristocracies were ending.. by peaceful or revolutionary means. Slavery was abolished in all of the 'civilized' countries. Women were getting the vote. Morality & human equality were elevated over the decrees of divinely appointed elites. Science was explaining the universe. Technology was building upon the scientific discoveries. Superstition was dying. The former belief in a naturalistic 'cause' for life for centuries, was debunked by Pasteur, as his experiments refuted the notion of 'spontaneous generation'. But at its peak, the winds of ideology began to change. In the late 1800s, 2 major events began a new movement in human ideology. Marx & Darwin represented a new ideological basis for a growing philosophical view:

Naturalistic Atheism
Two major works laid much of the foundation for the growing view of naturalistic atheism:
Charles Darwin, Origin of Species, 1859
Karl Marx, Communist Manifesto, 1848

Darwin laid the foundation for a naturalistic explanation of origins. There was no need for a Creator, as everything happened by some cosmic accident, then evolved to where we are today. Life is constantly evolving, & humans are just advanced animals. Some are more advanced than others, & they should manage & oversee the universe, based on their superior evolved intellect.

Marx had a social elite, and needed an atheistic world view to crush the evils of religious elitism, whom he saw as the opiate of the masses. But he only substituted a different elite, same as the old ones, but with different hats. His was a rule by altruistic elites, who could control the evolution of man, producing a New Man, who would live in harmony in their collective utopia.

So the result of this blend of new ideologies were many fold:

1. Keep the elite. Manifest destiny, eugenics, & a superior ruling class grew from this ideology, based on evolved superiority instead of divine appointment. Human equality can be ignored, as well as Natural Law, for the expediency of 'evolving' a New Man.
2. Science is no longer a process of discovery, or an inquiry into 'what God hath wrought', but became a god itself. The methodology was ignored, & the mandate of elitist superiority took precedence over scientific inquiry. Naturalistic Atheism became a mandated belief, not dispassionate scientific inquiry.
3. Return to dark ages practices of mandates for Truth, instead of open inquiry.

Many movements in the late 19th & early 20th centuries built upon these new foundational ideologies. Russia found itself in a great civil war, & substituted the oppression from the Czars & the ruling aristocracy for oppression from the Bolsheviks & their new ruling aristocracy. Hitler's National Socialism built upon both marxism & darwinism, promoting an elite based on superior evolved strength, intelligence, & state control of everything. American eugenics was foundational in the progressive movement early in the 20th century, & darwinistic beliefs became the monopoly of thought through judicial decree. Other forms of socialism, despotism, & communism, all had at their root a naturalistic atheism basis. It is the foundational belief system for most of the revolutionary movements in the 20th century. Only Islam, with its similar elitist control, provided any competition for an ideological basis for human governance. The American Ideal became corrupted with progressive thought, & seized control of all the institutions in America, distorting the original intent, & slowly morphed the enlightenment principles it was based on, into collectivist elitism, with only an illusion of self rule.

The Great Deception of the 20th century: Naturalism is fact. God is dead.

1. Naturalistic Atheism is a return to the animal ideal, where the stronger rule over the weak, & power is esteemed over morality. 'Might makes right', is the only rule.
2. Its foundations are not built on Scientific Truth, but mandated beliefs, just like the dark ages.
3. It is a move away from the enlightenment principles of human equality, freedom, & Natural Law, & back toward dark ages principles of elitist rule & Truth by Decree.
4. Indoctrination & propaganda, not open inquiry, are the methods used for imposing the ideology upon the people. Lies & beliefs are presented as proven scientific principles, when there is no scientific methodology to support it.
5. Information is controlled & censored. Open inquiry is not allowed, but conformity to the ideology is required.

This is the result of naturalistic atheism, as a controlling worldview. It is not based on enlightenment principles of human equality, freedom, & self autonomy, but the dark ages views of control, elitism, & oppression. This is the root of progressive ideology, as it usurps the American Ideal. This ideology is in control of almost all of the institutions in America, & they dominate every facet of governance, law, & justice.

Dark Ages --->>> Oppression, control, elitism, Truth by decree.

Reformation, Enlightenment, Reason, & Science --->>> Freedom, natural law, open inquiry, self rule & autonomy.

Marxist/Darwinist elitism-->>> Elitism, state control, Truth by decree, oppression --->>> Back to the Dark Ages, & the circle is complete.

Individual vs Collective

One of the main differences between conservatives & progressives is in the concept of individuality. Progressives are collectivists, & believe the 'needs of the many outweigh the needs of the individual'. The conservative believes the individual's rights are paramount, & are the only true safety for society. If individual rights are not secured, then nobody is safe, & we become subject to the whims of despotic rule. Law no longer is the overriding arbiter for society, but utilitarian, relative 'need', decided by an elite ruling class. It is the central distinction between the left & right, & it carries some consequential actions from either ideological camp.

1. Collectivists pretend to be altruistic, & ache with compassion for the downtrodden or unfortunate, but they statistically are the worst at giving to charity. They typically view 'govt' as the Big Charity in the sky, & worship it like a god.
2. Individualists are more charitable, & tend to give of their own substance to those in need. They do not trust Govt to provide, protect, or give meaning to their empty, pathetic lives. They are sometimes hostile to anyone & everyone.
3. Collectivists are good at forming coalitions, & gathering together in groupthink loyalties. They huddle together & rely on Big Govt to protect, provide, & give meaning to their empty, pathetic lives. They are very loyal to each other, & are very hostile to those outside their 'group'.
4. Individualists do not form coalitions well. They mistrust any groupthink loyalty, & tend to be more curmudgeonly & contrary. Organizing individualists is like herding cats.
5. Collectivists must agree with the Status Quo, from the elite controllers. They all nod like bobbleheads at any decrees from the Enlightened Elite, & repeat the talking points with loyal dedication. They typically 'toe the line' with the official party decrees, & do not deviate from it.
6. Individualists suspect anyone or anything who pretend to speak for them. They are not loyal to any group, but tend to save that loyalty to their ideology or belief system, rather than any visible group.

So, when attempting to organize a boycott, among conservatives, there is an inherent difficulty in getting everyone to agree. They do not submit to a 'top down' mandate from any self appointed 'leaders', but question everything, or analyze the action, or find fault with the organizers.

Leftists can call for a protest, and many will show up dutifully as they toe the party line. And, of course, it also helps when they are paid. For many leftists, getting a few bucks will buy them some weed so they can veg out in their mom's basement. But if a conservative calls for a boycott or protest, right away others will question their motives. 'Who made you our leader, that you call for this action?' 'I think we should do it on Wednesday, instead of Tuesday'. 'Our group has a pot luck on that day.' There is a lot more infighting among conservatives, & it is the result of their foundational worldview. They are not subjects, but freemen. They are individualists, & are not easily driven to some point of view. It is not a bad thing, but it makes organizing them more difficult. Hopefully, conservatives will see the need to align together to defeat the collectivist madness, & resist the trend toward socialism & top down control of society. If not, we have only ourselves to blame.

“The human race divides politically into those who want people to be controlled and those who have no such desire. The former are idealists acting from highest motives for the greatest good of the greatest number. The latter are surly curmudgeons, suspicious and lacking in altruism. But they are more comfortable neighbors than the other sort.” ~Robert A. Heinlein

A Future of Despotism

If you think of yourselves as helpless and ineffectual, it is certain that you will create a despotic government to be your master. The wise despot, therefore, maintains among his subjects a popular sense that they are helpless and ineffectual. [And therefore in need of protection.] ~Frank Herbert

Follow the ideology. None of the anti-American sentiments we see today have occurred in a vacuum, but have a thin red line you can follow, going back as far as you want. We have been trending away from Enlightenment values for decades.. nearly 100 yrs, actually. From the very start of the progressive movement, at the turn of the last century, it picked up steam. A blend of marxism, darwinism, manifest destiny, eugenics, labor movement, & the moralizing from post abolitionism, then into women's suffrage & even temperance. The roots of the progressive left are easy to follow. Not all of them were negatives for the American citizens, but it heralded the picture of the Righteous Moralist.. the Defender of the common man.. the Elite Philanthropist.. the rich liberal moralizer. Their agenda was NOT based on the enlightenment values of equality, individual liberty, right to life, liberty, & property, but an Altruistic Elite Benefactor, that the common man could put his trust in, to care for him & protect him from those who might exploit him. This Elite Patron could control the economy.. He could produce perfect social justice. He could save the earth. He could control the weather, & usher in an era of Peace & Harmony, if the common man would put his trust in this Divinely Inspired product of human evolution. But it is a false hope, & a misplaced trust, as the elite are NOT benevolent, but are complicit with the exploiters, as they have always been. All they offer is a return to the dark ages, and we are fools to believe them.

Anyway, i find it a fascinating study.. the roots of ideology. When we can see where we have come from, it gives some idea on where we are going, especially as we repeat the same mistakes from history.

“I agree to this Constitution with all its faults, if they are such: because I think a General Government necessary for us, and there is no Form of Government but what may be a Blessing to the People if well-administred; and I believe farther that this is likely to be well administred for a Course of Years and can only end in Despotism as other Forms have done before it, when the People shall become so corrupted as to need Despotic Government, being incapable of any other.” ~Benjamin Franklin

The main problem, as i see it, is the pervasiveness of progressive ideology, in ALL of our human institutions.. not only in America, but all of the western, civilized world. They dominate academia, the media, entertainment, & all of govt. It is the de facto religion of the day, & has been steadily growing since the 50's. You can see it in court rulings, entertainment, the attitude toward religious faith, the view of science, morality, & just about every facet of life is immersed in, & springs from, this ideology promoted with unflagging propaganda & intensity. I do not expect us to recover, as a nation, as the sickness of leftist ideology goes too deep. It would take a revolutionary purge to rid the nation of this evil in America, & the rest of the world would not let us do that, even if we wanted to. I do not know what will take the place of the American hegemony, but i see it on the decline. I don't see any way out. I wish i did, & i wish i could have some hope for an American Revival, but there are too many enemies of the American Experiment, & too many useful idiots to march in lockstep with the propagandists.

I suspect there is a budding despot somewhere, waiting in the wings. ..waiting for the time to be right to burst forth as the Savior of Humanity, who will lead us into a socialist utopia. I am sure that despotism is in our future, as freedom is too rare a thing in human history, & cannot defend itself. The newer generations have lost the vision for America, & gaze longingly at euro nanny states as their ideal. That is their indoctrination.  Their minds are in the grip of the propagandists, & i don't know if they can be liberated.

As for me, i will not go quietly into the night. I will continue to expose and resist the flood of progressive evil that has infected this land, & that exploits & dominates the working man across the globe. If there was a movement to defend the constitution from all enemies, foreign & domestic, & preserve the American Experiment in self rule, i would join in to try to preserve our heritage of freedom. But i fear that we are a dying breed.. old lunies tilting at windmills. If this current generation does not want freedom, but prefers the comforting security of despotic rule, i cannot help them. It is their time, & they must defend freedom for themselves. I will die a free American. They cannot take that from me. But i cannot pass the baton on, if nobody will take it.

Timid men prefer the calm of despotism to the tempestuous sea of liberty. ~Thomas Jefferson

Those who will not be governed by God will be ruled by tyrants. –William Penn