I often waffle on about God's gift to us of free will, but how free are we?
I am a fairly well educated adult. I believe passionately that, in most things, I know what is best for me. I may not always choose to do what is best for me, but if I make that choice who are you to try to prevent me?
Politicians in the UK require no particular qualification, or even level of intelligence, in order to secure election. In my experience, perhaps because we give them the power to pass laws which effect us and by which we must be bound, politicians fairly quickly form the view that they must, almost by definition, know better than I do what is good for me and that they have a duty to protect me from myself.
It could be argued that smoking increases the risk of certain illnesses, that failure to wear a helmet on a motor cycle or a seatbelt in a car increases the risk of injury and that in consequence these activities should be controlled, to prevent strain on the health services. But where does that stop? Having sex increases the risk of STD, so should sex be banned? Is there not some better way, which does not restrict freedom?
UK law effectively prevents the individual from lawfully carrying arms with which to protect his or her self, thus restricting freedom of movement, or at least of secure movement, in certain areas. One is expected to rely upon the state, through the police, to protect one, assuming that the state is better able than I am to determine a satisfactory level of protection for my self and those I love.
Politicians, especially it seems those of the Scottish parliament, love to ban things. Fox hunting, smoking in public etc. Now they seek to install a Stalinist like apparatchik to supervise how Scottish parents chose to raise their children. My freedom to raise my child is at risk. If taken with the current PC nonsense which frowns on or even prosecutes discipline of children, and apparent rampant secularism, how long before I am prevented from raising my child as a Christian? Moves are already afoot to remove religion from school!
I will return to this theme in another blog. Freedom is important. We cannot permit a situation where freedom is lost a little at a time in the interests of public or personal safety, political correctness, the protection of minority interests or for any other reason.
Thank you for reading.
