5 Reasons Why Freedom Is Not Free

A Little Faith podcast and Prayer Ministry

5 Reasons Why Freedom Is Not Free

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The word 'freedom' is thrown around a lot. Governments and institutions keep touting the virtues of freedom and liberty. Why not? It sounds good. Freedom sounds like something that we all aspire towards. Why would anyone say anything against liberty? All of this sounds too good to be true. Well, the truth is that it's more complex. The truth is that freedom is not free. It's one of the most expensive things we can do. All the other things being equal, it costs less to provide a specific type of freedom than to provide one specific thing. It may not seem like much, but this imbalance can make a big difference over time. Let's examine why freedom is not free and how this imbalance can seriously impact people's lives.

Freedom Is Not Free

As the saying goes, 'you get what you pay for'. In this case, you get freedom, but it doesn't come for free. The cost of liberty is a considerable investment of time, money, and resources. When you want to understand the cost of freedom and how to calculate it, you must first understand the cost of security. Security is all about protection, safety, and keeping people safe from harm and injury. With security, you aren't concerned with freedom because you know that people will be protected even if they do something you disagree with. The cost of security comes in the form of our military men and women who serve this great nation's police, courts, and jails. However, the main reason that we have freedom is because Jesus died for all of us on the cross. He paid the price in full. You have to pay someone to watch over you while you are both at work and home. That's the cost of security. In addition to paying for the people who keep you safe, you also have to pay for them to do their job. If people are getting paid to protect you, that means that they have confidentials as well. This means you have to pay for the costs associated with their jobs, including equipment repairs, operating supplies, etc.

Freedom Doesn't Equal Equality

Everyone wants to be treated equally. They want the same freedoms, opportunities, and chances of success. Unfortunately, this isn't the case. Freedom doesn't equal equality. You can choose to provide people with the same liberties, but they can still choose to be unequal. This is a common misconception. People think that if they give people the freedom to do things, it shouldn't matter what they choose. This is a very simplistic way of looking at things. People have preferences and morals. People have different goals and different ways of achieving them. If you give someone complete freedom, what do you think they will choose? Most likely, only some things you think are best for them.

Freedom Doesn't Lead To Well-Being

We know that freedom leads to well-being by the fact that most people think that they want freedom. We wish to pursue our goals and live the kind of life we want without anyone getting in our way. Unfortunately, this isn't the case either. There is a belief system that goes along with being free in society. People believe that they can make their own choices and develop their abilities. Unfortunately, as we have seen above, this isn't the case. Some people have difficulty making choices even when outside factors aren't constraining them.

Freedom Doesn't Lead To Self-Determination

Finally, freedom doesn't lead to self-determination. One of the main reasons why freedom is so expensive is that it is only partially up to the people you have chosen to be free. Freedom isn't accessible for one reason and one reason only: the costs of maintaining it. Governments and institutions need to maintain security, equality, and self-determination. These things cost money. Governments and institutions must pay lawyers, police, judges, and jails for everything that keeps people safe and equal. In addition to paying for all these things, people must work to keep freedom going. Some people work behind the scenes in organizations that help keep people free. Some people work to ensure that people are equal and provided with the things they need to thrive. This means that with freedom, a considerable cost is associated with maintaining it. People have to work hard to keep it going. You don't get to enjoy it without working hard to keep it going.