Freedom and Responsibility

"Freedom is not worth having if it does not connote the freedom to err." - Mahatma Gandhi

We are a people that demands freedom and "rights".  We expect fair and, yes, sometimes preferential, treatment from others, from the government, and even from God.  But there is one thing that too many people don't realize, whether by ignorance or by choice:  true freedom comes with consequences.  Too often people want their freedom to make their own choices apart from the interference of others or of government, but when they use that freedom unwisely, they expect to be bailed out by the same people and institutions that they demanded stay out of their lives in the first place.

When the housing market crashed a few years ago (and it's a long, complicated story), we saw greed at every level:  politicians (who wanted to be able to thump their chests at what wonderful programs they created), banks and other lenders (who saw an opportunity to make money risk-free), and even individuals (who were able, through insane financial products, to purchase homes they had no business owning, as their income did not warrant such a purchase).  It wasn't just "corporate" greed; it was greed all the way up and all the way down.

But what happened when, as many predicted would be the case given the shady nature of the entire setup, deals started going bad?  What happened when people who couldn't afford these homes to begin with actually started defaulting?  They demanded relief.  The banks demanded federal help.  Everyone wanted the fruit of the tree but nobody wanted to take responsibility when the tree died.

When GM went under, what did people expect?  To be bailed out.  Why are most people opposed to privatized Social Security accounts?  Because what happens if people make bad investments?

Go back and look at Gandhi's quote above.  Freedom, if it is to be freedom at all, necessarily includes the possibility of making bad choices.  It is not true freedom if we are insulated from mistakes.  If we want freedom, we need to be personally responsible for the choices we make using that freedom.  And yes, that means reaping the benefits of good and productive choices, but it also means living with the consequences of poor and destructive choices.

Personal responsibility and the law of reaping and sowing (see Galatians 6:7-8 - "Do not be deceived,  God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.  For the one who sows to his flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life.") are necessary components of living in a free society.