Roadblock To Belief

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I think freedom is a roadblock to belief in God I find most challenging to address. Today as a culture, we believe freedom is the highest good. Becoming free is the only heroic story we have left. Giving individuals freedom is the main role of any institution and society itself. The question is, do we have to choose between freedom and faith in God? Tim Keller answered this question by saying yes but no. True-the ideal of individual freedom in Western society has done incalculable good. It has led to a far more just and fair society for minorities and women. Indeed, there is a danger that a critique of the idea of freedom could be used to weaken or roll back these gains. But false- freedom has come to be defined as the absence of any limitations or constraints on us. By this definition, the fewer boundaries we have on our choices and actions, the freer we feel ourselves to be.

Modern freedom is the freedom of self-assertion. I am free if I may do whatever I want. But defining freedom this way-as the absence of constraint on choices- is unworkable because it is an impossibility. Keller stated that religion is seen as the enemy of freedom. Instead of allowing religious authorities or tradition to dictate to us, we should be free to believe or live as we choose. None of us are free agents. We are all worshipping and serving something. But the big question is: which “master” will affirm, cherish, empower, and honor us, and which ones will exploit and abuse us? There is no such thing as freedom without constraints. We should be looking for the right, liberating constraints that fit our nature and design. If there is no God, we will have to turn some created thing into a god to worship, and whatever it is, it will punish us with inner fears, resentment, guilt, and shame if we fail to achieve it. 

Most people want the freedom to do what they want, whenever they want. They don’t want to be held accountable for their actions, especially by God, who has rules for life for our benefit that many don’t agree with because it goes against their thoughts on the fundamental right of freedom.