To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8: 31-32)
For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord. (Jude 1:4)
A little logic this morning, just to warm up our minds.
According to Jesus, if we hold to His teaching – if we accept, live by, apply,
function within His teaching, we know the truth because His teachings are truth.
And dealing with the truth always frees one from the lies, though sometimes it
takes work.
But what does freedom mean? For some, it means the ability
to do whatever they want to, often in excess. This is not freedom, it’s
license. It’s privilege. And it doesn’t free, it addicts and enslaves.
Yesterday, I was reintroduced to a philosopher and
teacher: Herbert Marcuse. He developed an idea called Liberating Tolerance,
about which he said,
“Liberating
tolerance, then, would mean intolerance against movements from the Right and
toleration of movements from the Left. Surely, no government can be expected to
foster its own subversion, but in a democracy such a right is vested in the
people (i.e. in the majority of the people). This means that the ways should
not be blocked on which a subversive majority could develop, and if they are
blocked by organized repression and indoctrination, their reopening may require
apparently undemocratic means. They would include the withdrawal of toleration
of speech and assembly from groups and movements that promote aggressive
policies, armament, chauvinism, discrimination on the grounds of race and
religion, or that oppose the extension of public services, social security,
medical care, etc.”
Notice all that’s not
allowed? Groups and movements that are not approved are forbidden. Ever heard
of “Cancel Culture”? Conservative speakers aren’t allowed to speak on campus,
even if no one is forced to go hear them? It’s not that they actually
discriminate on the basis of race or religion, but they are perceived as doing
so. Any one or anything that opposes the extension of “public services” must be
opposed.
So what are public
services? According to Merriam Webster, a public service is “a service provided by the government, such as hospitals, schools, or the police.” If it does not extend the power of the
government, it must not be tolerated. If it does extend the power of the government,
or if it holds to a truth that is not acceptable to Socialists, there is to be
zero tolerance. That means that the truth with regard to Marcusian Socialism is
that there is no freedom – only license.
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