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While it may be debatable how much autonomy (free will) any of us have, there is sufficient evidence to establish free will exists.

Having and making choices is one of our responsibilities as an adult. Even children make choices but their options are necessarily limited by their parent(s) or guardian(s). Sometimes our choices are less evident and sometimes we even forget we have a choice.

As a believer and a philosopher, I believe there is a strong case for the importance of free will to our Creator. To demonstrate this, I ask you to consider soulful, romantic love.

Love that is forced upon us, that is imposed on us against our will, may be many things (including rape) but it isn’t true love. This has always been the case, even if historically many marriages were for reasons other than love. Even in arranged marriages, there wasn’t any pretense that it was for anything other than class, and material concerns.

The tradition of marriage, from time immemorial, has always included (in some for) consent by means of a question, and vows as declaration of will. Even arranged marriages were between people who chose to accept the arrangement.

Consent, or permission, is a part of free will. The best form of consent is informed consent, in which there is transparency about what is being accepted. This is the reason the traditional vows have that peculiar directive: “If anyone knows any reason why these two shouldn’t be joined together in holy matrimony, let him speak now or forever hold his peace.”

In scripture we learn that God is love. It is His nature. Furthermore, we read about the account of creation, where a loving God created man. Quintessential in the creation story is the instruction God gave Adam (and Eve): “You may eat freely from every tree of the garden, but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; for in the day that you eat of it, you will surely die.”

In being given this commandment, Adam and Eve were presented with a choice: to eat or not to eat. God expressed His desire that they not eat. They chose to eat, an act of free will, and that choice resulted in death. God could have created man without any free will, in which case they never would have disobeyed God. Somehow, and I believe this to be very important, it was by the express will and design of God that man should have free will.

We also learn in scripture that God has and exercise His will. We don’t know about all the heavenly hosts, but we do know angels and archangels also have free will. When Lucifer fell, if we accept this account, he chose to rebel against God and many angels who joined him were cast out.

Let’s stop here and consider the implications of free will as applied to love and worship. I believe this is evidence given to us to know that God is good and loving. God doesn’t just tell us He is loving. He shows us by loving us enough to allow us to make choices. Because of how much Adam’s choice cost the human race, and because of how much God loves us, God himself chose to live as human and die in our place, thus making the ultimate sacrifice and paying for us the cost of our redemption, or salvation.

While the politics of man pale in comparison to the authority of the Kingdom of God, I believe we have been given knowledge useful in making intelligent choices when it comes to the government of man on earth.

While no perfect form of earthly government exists, we have plenty of data to give informed consent where the choice is available to us. By and large, we are limited to those choices provided to us. For some, there is no choice. To rebel against the status quo could mean imprisonment or death. Do you remember the Soviet Gulag Archipelago? Do you remember reading about life under the control of the Third Reich? Under Stalin?

Because God has placed so much importance on free will, I propose that the form of government that provides the most liberty, even if those choices lead to less than perfect circumstances, is the lesser of evils, being compared to other governments, where there is such a level of control, that its subjects are not free, and are deprived of liberty.

I’ll even go one step further and submit that throughout history, it is the forms of government we describe as tyrannical, where liberty is deprived from its subjects, that life and the pursuit of happiness is also up the whim of those in control. Life given or taken was determined by the upward or downward gesture of a thumb.

Think of the forms of government we see around the world today and I believe there is but one that is a shining city on a hill. Even though it is not purely in the same form as when it was born, it was unique experiment in the governance of man. Namely, the United States of America. Not a pure democracy, and definitely not a monarchy, socialist, or communist state, but a constitutional Republic with democratic elements. Whether or not it is supreme, that is not my argument. I’ll leave you to decide. But, it is definitely unique, even considering there are some governments that have a similar form.

In conclusion, I’ll put it this way: No form of government on earth is without its flaws. There is no perfect government where it depends on men, who are not angels, but sinners. Yet, the liberty enshrined the USA, as blueprinted by our Constitution, allows us a remedy should tyranny ever raise its ugly head. Such a remedy is out of reach in other governments where liberty has been denied. Just look at how many are trying to immigrate here compared to those trying to leave communist countries.

The Farce of Masks and Lockdowns: A Comedy of Errors

Let’s be honest: if you thought the pandemic was going to teach us something meaningful about public health, you might want to adjust your expectations. Remember when we were told that masks are our magical shields? According to the latest studies, the effectiveness of wearing masks during the Covid pandemic seems to have been dressed up in a monolithic narrative more fitting for a Saturday Night Live skit than serious health policy. Sure, let’s cling to the idea that fabric over our faces was the doomsday prevention method we all needed.

Lockdowns? Ah, the great experiment that had us all practicing the fine art of sourdough baking while wondering if our lives were just a giant episode of “Survivor”. As cases surged, so did the skepticism. Did we really believe that shoving everyone indoors would somehow contain a virus known for its stealthy spread? Now, as we sit on the other side of this mess, our collective open eyes should prompt us to ask: will we be gullible enough to repeat similar policies for the next epidemic? Spoiler alert: probably.

The Vaccination Dilemma: When Data Becomes Censored

Let’s dive into the database of regrets, shall we? The idea of mass vaccination arose as a beacon of hope, but recent data has some alarming details that we can’t afford to ignore. It appears that while the vaccine has its benefits, adverse effects exist—yes, that’s right, folks. It’s not all rainbows and sunshine. We need to wake up and face the fact that if we blindly follow mandates without questioning the consequences, we might just end up playing a sad game of “Russian roulette” with our health.

But here’s the zinger: with monkeys howling about the Monkey Pox now chomping at our heels, is there any room for individual choice? Will we be backed into another corner, told that getting vaccinated is the only path to salvation—while eventually losing our jobs if we dare to dissent? We’ve witnessed not just censorship of dissenting voices, but deplatforming of individuals who bothered to raise legitimate queries. Let’s ask ourselves, are we truly committed to learning from past mistakes, or are we destined to repeat them as if on a broken record?

Accountability: Who Will Face the Music?

As we stand amid the cacophony of authority figures, will anyone be held accountable for the decisions made during the pandemic? It’s easy to point fingers and shout “You were wrong!” from the sidelines, but accountability shouldn’t be a luxury reserved for the few. With all the lives affected—some tragically lost—by the rigid lockstep policies, we ought to be demanding answers. Isn’t it time for those who pushed the narrative to take a good, hard look in the mirror?

The World Health Organization and the medical authorities may want to take notes on humility. It’s vital that we shake off the complacency that silenced critical thinking and innovation. Instead of letting the next infectious disease dictate our policies, how about we come together and foster genuine dialogue? The lessons we learned during the Covid pandemic should serve as catalysts for better practices down the line, not shackles holding us back.

(Just click on the titles to open the songs)

Op. 105, No. 1 “The cottage maid”

There’s a step that we all take alone
An appointment we have with the great unknown
Like a vapor this life is just waiting to pass
Like the flowers that fade, like the withering grass
But life seems so long and death so complete
And the grave an impossible potion to cheat
But there’s One who has been there and still lives to tell
There is One who has been through both heaven and hell
And the grave will come up empty-handed the day
Jesus will come and steal us away

(Chorus)
Where is the sting, tell me where is the bite
When the grave robber comes like a thief in the night
Where is the victory, where is the prize
When the grave robber comes
And death finally dies

Many still mourn and many still weep
For those that the love who have fallen asleep
But we have this hope though our hearts may still ache
Just one shout from above and they all will awake
And in the reunion of joy we will see
Death will be swallowed in sweet victory

When the last enemy is done from the dust will come a song
Those asleep will be awakened – not a one will be forsakened
He shall wipe away our tears – He will steal away our fears
There will be no sad tomorrow – there will be no pain and sorrow

When you have written a song (or book, or created any other piece of artwork), you automatically create something called a copyright. This is a legal protection that nobody else may use, publish, sell or record your song without your permission. In order to protect your copyright further, you should register it with the U.S. Copyright Office. You may wish to hire an attorney or agent to help you with this process, but it is pretty simple. Most people can do it themselves. There is a small filing fee.

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