Is “freedom” a mere buzzword, a holdover from the days of the American Revolution? Or maybe the meaning of the word is ambiguous: each faction is saying something different when they use the word “freedom.”
Just what is freedom, anyway?
FREEDOM OF RELIGION OR FREEDOM OF WORSHIP
If you have “freedom of religion,” you can bring up your children in your faith, hold public processions, and print books.
If you have only “freedom of worship” you can pray quietly in your home, as long as it remains out of public sight.“Freedom of religion” means you can stand on a street corner and proselytize everything from Catholicism to Mormonism to the cult of the sun god Ra.
“Freedom of worship” means you can be punished for public conversion concerning religion. Worship is part of religion, but it is one of the least public parts—and thus one of the least involved in actual freedom.
Some would defined freedom is the power to act or speak or think without externally imposed restraints.
GOODSTUFF's ideal of freedom is being able to do what you want to do. This definition encompasses the word root “free” in its myriad forms. Free speech and free beer both speak of freedom. If you want to mouth off or get drunk, then free speech and free beer are the freedoms for you. In general, political freedom and financial freedom both enable us do more of what we want to do; they both give us more options in life.
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In Buddhism it is taught that the idea of absolute freedom of choice (i.e. that any human being could be completely free to make any choice) is foolish, because it denies the reality of one's physical needs and circumstances.
At its heart freedom is anarchy. It is the state of being completely and utterly free to do as you please. In a society such absolute freedom does not work as some would take actions that harm others. Absolute freedom and anarchy was certainly not what the framers of nations had in mind when they created the differnt constitutions that set limits both on the people and on the governments
Can you earn freedom ? What is the cost ?
more photos and great comments after the jump