Freedom and Democracy Sunday • Freedom Sunday
Of all God’s creatures, only humans can make free judgments. Only we can change our basic natures; only we can rebel against ourselves; only we can choose. Herein lies both our greatness and our misery. Thus, only we can question and choose our authorities. Only we can ask, “Says who?”
Where did that idea come from -- that the consciences of human beings should be free? I suppose that the first time the words, “Says who?” were spoken was millions of years ago as some tribal leader explained the mythology of the day. In that far-distant land and time, as the priest spoke of unchallenged truths, some youth must have shaken that authoritarianism with two words, “Says who?”
This idea of freedom of conscience grew with the Greeks. In the thought o…