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Is Freedom an Illusion
10/28/2008
"Is Freedom and Illusion."
This week I want to address the age-old question of freedom versus security. In Mormon theology, a great War in Heaven was fought among God’s children who were required to choose one of two sides: either live in mortality as a free person or live in mortality as a slave. The war was a war of ideas. Each person had every opportunity to hear each side’s vision for their happiness. Everyone knew what was at stake. No one was in the dark – at least not yet.
Strikingly, one-third of the individuals present chose the slave’s vision of happiness – a vision of complete security – a place where moral agency was absent to ensure personal happiness. Bad choices wouldn’t be permitted, nor would a mortal person’s faith be tested.
The other two-thirds of heaven chose risk. They chose the risk of coming into mortality veiled from a complete understanding of their earthly purpose, but with the promise that this purpose could be revealed to them if they truly desired it. While each would be endowed with moral agency to choose mortal behavior, each knew that some choices could be devastating to their eternal progression.
As the doctrine goes, human beings are at once free to choose but are also subject to the choices they make. In other words, at the heart of the Mormon gospel is risk.
Nearly every historic debate over philosophy and politics centers on this struggle between freedom and security. Its influences affect us emotionally, intellectually, culturally, economically, socially and spiritually. A whole library could be filled with books about, what a good friend of mine calls, the relentless struggle to repeal the Fall of Man – the equivalent of Mormons seeking to go back in time, back to the War in Heaven, and undo the risk we accepted there.
The word “socialist” is flung around in today’s presidential campaign. While I certainly don’t want to be accused of racism, using the word “socialism” represents a continuation of the Mormon War in Heaven here on Earth. “Socialism” is nothing more than the desire to be secure rather than free. Though its logic is flawed, its appeal is great. All of us, it seems, want to be secure – we want enough food, clothing, shelter, and money to live our lives comfortably and in peace. So I’m not surprised that even Mormons continue to struggle with these feelings, let alone the rest of the world.
We see this struggle all around us. The bailout of Wall Street is only one isolated example. Every one of those financial experts was taught in school about risk. In fact, risk is what made Wall Street exciting. Risk is what separated the men from the boys in the business of money. And yet, look at them now – the boys who thought they were men. Has one of them turned down the bailout? Has one of them written eloquently about the strong narcotic of security? Even that word – security – has an ironic twist these days, doesn’t it?
And, now, after seeing that the market really does respond to any sort of stimulus, especially that very cool sort – free money with no risk – Wall Street has finally learned its lesson: risk is way over-rated. Is anyone else picking up on this trend: government promises of security with no risk and, win or lose, the result is more government promises of security with no risk?
And being Mormon doesn’t seem to make too much of a difference. In Utah’s economy, security means that a businessman can run to the State Legislature and ask for a favor to advance his business and his business alone. Even better, many of our state and local politicians have ownership in some of those favored businesses. And, even better still, most businessmen don’t even have to go looking for favors because our valiant Governor has a whole “economic development” program doing that for them. You want a new soccer stadium? Just ask the Guv. You want to invent the next hi-tech gadget? Just ask the Guv.
Okay, look, my question is this: has freedom come to an end, at least functionally? In other words, is the cause of freedom now simply an illusion?
I heard somewhere that a fish rots from the head down. My guess is that our freedom does that too. So here’s my challenge: Are there any businessmen left in Utah, besides SuperDell, who actually know, appreciate, and live by the precepts of a free market – risk and all? And are there any Utah politicians left who understand how to encourage and lead a free people?
I know you’re out there – and, if you are, drop me a line. It will…well…I’m not ashamed to admit it…it’ll make me feel more secure.
For the Sutherland Institute, I’m Paul Mero.
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